Heartland

This time twenty years ago, the Event Horizon tour (https://sisterswiki.org/Gigography#1998) was into its second week. I've been listening to the shows that have had recordings circulated, but why are there so few out there, and why do they sound so bad? The Sisters Wiki reports that the first three shows were likely recorded but are hard to find. I've got Berlin, Herford and Dusseldorf but they are borderline unlistenable.

And in terms of the Tour Personnel https://sisterswiki.org/File:1998_Tour_ ... Page_2.jpg, was that Mick Brown, former m*****n drummer driving the bus?

And why am I completely unable to work out how to link properly?

I think the main reason that the whole Event Horizon tour (shows recorded) sound like s**t is a change of paradigm..
Ppl went from tape recording to the new format MiniDisc, most MD recorders back then, had a real dodgy microphone limiter and SPL.. so most recordings sound like s**t thx to that with the occasional exception.

And Leon Philips from the Lorries, unless someone's pulling our collective leg?

1998 was interesting; wasn't it also the year they were finally free of the Warner's contract and Stuff was supposed to Happen (but didn't)?

Mick Brown driving the bus? Now that is info I find utterly groovy
Could be a joke, could be a coincidence, but could very well be true too for all I know

Been to the Brussels gig that tour. Sound was pretty crap first half of the show, but they did play Sister Ray at the end and that made for a glorious night after all!

I should check, but I believe the Maritime Hall recording was pretty good...

That sounds very reasonable - new equipment among the tapers ...

Maybe, given some effort, these recordings could be improved ... with all the technical means we have at hand nowadays?

Anyway, there are a few more recordings in circulation, see Event Horizon Tour Schedule ...

There is also still the wonderful Sisters of Mercy Tours section on the Event Horizon Tour,
in case anyone should've lost the link. Clearly entertaining ... ...

I always loved that Tours-website

Some friends and I drove from Texas to San Francisco for the February 5th and 6th shows. They were phenomenal. Probably the best I'd ever seen the band.

There were DAT recorders around at the time too & any taper worth their salt would have a decent external mic/ battery box rig to hand.
I recorded The Cure in Budapest with a a minidisc recorder in 2016 with sony mics & it came out really good.
But I guess perhaps some of the trad cassette people were dipping their elbows in the water with the new tech in 98

There are some spectacular recordings from 98 and 99 but there is also a load of cack, every gig is circulating in some form isn't it?.
There was a bit of fuss about taping the band around that time which dragged on for a while with a bit of name calling here and there :/

Good point re the technology. I invested in an MD recorder with my first proper monthly pay-cheque, which would have been late 99 early 2000. At £200 what a sound long-term investment that turned out to be.

1998 marks the time that my most casual of interest in The Sisters turned into the fascination that has now lasted two decades. It seemed a good point to tune in (turn on, burn out), what with a new single due to be released

Mick was definitely doing some tour bus driving post m*****n split, so it's pretty reasonable to think that he might have got the 'gig' ferrying The Sisters around, it just seems an odd match bearing in mind the history.

I didn't recognise Leon Phillips name, but as Mick was also in Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, perhaps using their names is just code for the band bus and crew bus

Don't care much about recordings, but the Varjak era was easily the best since the Sisters stopped making records. Rebellious, independent, committed, full of setlist surprises, often with faults in the live setup and Andrew mostly very arrogant compared to nowadays, but always entertaining and just SOO "alive"

Mothra wrote: I didn't recognise Leon Phillips name, but as Mick was also in Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, perhaps using their names is just code for the band bus and crew bus

And Elvis Presley himself was their bus driver in North America.

euphoria wrote:Don't care much about recordings, but the Varjak era was easily the best since the Sisters stopped making records. Rebellious, independent, committed, full of setlist surprises, often with faults in the live setup and Andrew mostly very arrogant compared to nowadays, but always entertaining and just SOO "alive"

It really seemed to promise some Very Good Things were on the horizon. Alas - what could have been.

Well, they do say that you'll never reach the horizon, so chances are this was Von's smartarse way of saying 'dream on, suckers'. Smartarsed cnut, of course I traipsed down to Jumbo far too often to see if you'd sneaked a Summer / War On Drugs 7" out. Why wouldn't I, it woulda sounded glorious.

Gigswise, I think it was still a matter of being lucky enough to attend the 'right' show in those days. Manc 97 = dull, lifeless, tired old hoo-haa vibes abound; London 98 (2nd night) = Holy Mother of God this is the s**t, go on lads! I'll never doubt you again.

Yeah, the then Mrs Swinnow rapidly tired of my fruitless trips to Jumbo in 97/98 looking for a new Merciful Release.

sultan2075 wrote:Some friends and I drove from Texas to San Francisco for the February 5th and 6th shows. They were phenomenal. Probably the best I'd ever seen the band.

Ooh I was there for both nights... do you remember me....I was wearing black.

Vienna 98 was the worst gig ever i have seen. Best of the tour was the name. Although some nice recordings, as always. Always thought varjak and starling were boring (surely not only their fault).

Romeo down still a fragment, which is a pity. What a bassline

I believe the recordings sucked because they were mainly from one source (who didn't obviously know how to bootleg properly) who befriended the band and then was chastised for recording the shows.

Brad wrote:I believe the recordings sucked because they were mainly from one source (who didn't obviously know how to bootleg properly) who befriended the band and then was chastised for recording the shows.

He must have learned on his feet. I'm listening to the Munich recording now and it is streets ahead of those that preceded it.

Unfortunately the download I've got has that godawful shuffling noise as if it's sourced from a scratched CD-R from track 15 onwards. But I can't blame the taper for that.

Mothra wrote:

Brad wrote:I believe the recordings sucked because they were mainly from one source (who didn't obviously know how to bootleg properly) who befriended the band and then was chastised for recording the shows.

He must have learned on his feet. I'm listening to the Munich recording now and it is streets ahead of those that preceded it.

Unfortunately the download I've got has that godawful shuffling noise as if it's sourced from a scratched CD-R from track 15 onwards. But I can't blame the taper for that.

Atleast three different sources exist from Munich 98.

EmmaPeelWannaBe wrote:

sultan2075 wrote:Some friends and I drove from Texas to San Francisco for the February 5th and 6th shows. They were phenomenal. Probably the best I'd ever seen the band.

Ooh I was there for both nights... do you remember me....I was wearing black.

Doesn't do much to narrow it down, alas

radiojamaica wrote:I always loved that Tours-website

Me too. It's not only a great source as to Sisters Tour Information
but also a great documentation of Corporate Sisters Fanhood ... ...
a wonderful format, too ... ... Irreplacable ... ...

Drsisters wrote: At least three different sources exist from Munich 98.

These are those I've got ... all in MP3 ... so if anyone wants them (or should have an upgrade) ... ...
Chemnitz, Berlin, Herford, Düsseldorf, Munich, Hamburg, Brussels - only Soundcheck, Toronto, Chicago only on video...
Oh, and the 2nd London night - various FLACs from bootleg CDs, but that's it.

Erlangen, Vienna, Prague, Brussels, New York, Chicago, LA, the first London night ... all missing. SF no longer ... ...

sultan2075 wrote:Some friends and I drove from Texas to San Francisco for the February 5th and 6th shows. They were phenomenal. Probably the best I'd ever seen the band.

Yeah, I was at those 2, too. I remember some big dude brought a pair of full-size congas one night and just played them throughout the whole show.

shivarising wrote:Yeah, I was at those 2, too. I remember some big dude brought a pair of full-size congas one night and just played them throughout the whole show.

... ... ... I hope he did so not quite near you ...

I did several of the US shows and remember them fondly.