The Sisters Of Mercy, Auckland NZ, 2019

The Sisters Of Mercy

3rd November 2019
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand.

Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Doug Peters.

It seemed rather appropriate that last night’s Sisters of Mercy show was being held on a Sunday; the sea of bodies dressed in varying shades of black, flooding through the doors resembling loyal disciples attending mass. And frankly, isn’t a Sisters show a bit of a religious experience anyways?

Soon enough the Powerstation was packed from wall to wall; for many fans it was the chance to see them for a second time in the very same venue they played seven years ago, for others – especially those of the younger persuasion – it was the opportunity to revel in the presence of their idols for the very first time.

Steeped in theatrics as any good Sisters performance should be, the flooding of the stage and front rows with dry ice signalled the beginning of the set, the crowd euphorically responding as stakes of purple, blue and yellow pierced through the billowing clouds of white, the darkest of shadows lurking on the outer edges. From the ether itself emerged Andrew Eldritch, his dark sunglasses firmly wedged upon the bridge of his nose, his simple outfit of black befitting of a gentleman who has been playing this game for almost four decades. Yes, gone is the long hair and weathered leather trench coats, Eldritch instead preferring both the music and stage aesthetics to take on the role of show pony; numerous audience members more than happy to hold down the fort in the dress-up department.

As ‘More’ from Vision Thing cavorted about the room, long-standing lead guitarist Ben Christo (Diamond Black) and recent – as of June this year – addition to the line-up Australian guitarist Dylan Smith (I Nation) flanked either side of Eldritch, Smith too donning a pair of dark glasses while using his impressive height to menacingly tilt over the lip of the stage as he stared out into the mass of bodies pressed against the barrier.

Leaning heavily on their third album, ‘Ribbons’ quickly followed up ‘More’, before the infamous ‘Crash and Burn’ – a track that has never been officially released but began appearing on Sisters of Mercy set lists back in the year 2000 – whirled around the room. With a decidedly more customary Sisters sound, that melds elements of both hard rock and goth, it has been a welcome addition to their live performances for the last two decades; it was however slightly eclipsed by the ecstatic joy that was unleashed by the fans as the double header of ‘Doctor Jeep/Detonation Boulevard’ and ‘No Time to Cry’ from their 1985 debut album First and Last and Always swept through the venue like wildfire.

Vocally Eldritch was on form, all the little nuances flexing their muscles throughout as he physically slipped in and out of the plumes of smoke. Sliding across the stage he would appear hovering just behind Christos’ shoulder before magically reappearing leaning around the side stacks of speakers. Emerging from the darkness his disembodied voice would reach out on the ends of vaporous tendrils; at other times, Eldritch would seek out the light and allow himself to be illuminated in glorious colour, his freeze-frame poses, head cocked inquisitively to the side, delighting the audience.

For the devotees for whom Sisters of Mercy are the pinnacle of everything that is good in this world, ‘Alice’ from their very first independent EP of the same name was a delectable treat; stomping feet and a chorus of voices soon shaking the very walls as the first of the really big hitters came out swinging; ‘Dominion/Mother Russia’ from the impeccable Floodland album always a guaranteed win with its anthemic chorus.

Yes the evening itself provided almost everything a Sisters fan could hope for; from the rock star guitarists whose perfect posturing suited both the music and visuals – Christo in particular not only an accomplished player and backing vocalist, but an artist who knows how to connect with his audience – right through to Doktor Avalanche (lovingly cared for by nurse Ravey Davey aka Dave Creffield) who may have been upgraded over the years from the BOSS DR-55 analog drum machine of old to a laptop, but still delivered those sweet synthetic beats with pinpoint precision to accompany the melodic soundscapes.

Most excitingly, New Zealand fans received their first taste of new tracks ‘Show Me on the Doll’ and ‘Better Reptile’ that only recently made their debut earlier this year; whether they will ever make their way onto an official form of recording however, remains to be seen.

Racing through the set list – Eldritch not a front man to waste time on frivolous repartee – the end came it seemed all too quick, attendees wholeheartedly throwing themselves into an enthusiastic chant for an encore that was soon delivered in the form of somewhat clipped, paint by numbers versions of some of Sisters of Mercys’ biggest songs. While still wonderful to hear, and certainly played with panache, it would have been appreciated if a little extra time had been spent on them, so that the very essence of songs such as ‘Lucretia My Reflection’ and ‘This Corrosion’ – which saw the Powerstation explode into song – could have had the chance to really get under the skin.

Because in truth, coursing through our very veins is where The Sisters of Mercy’s music will forever remain.

Were you there at the Powerstation for this magnificent Goth Rock gig? Or have you seen The Sisters Of Mercy perform live somewhere else? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Setlist:

1. More
2. Ribbons
3. Crash And Burn
4. Doctor Jeep/Detonation Boulevard
5. No Time To Cry
6. Alice
7. Show Me On The Doll
8. Dominion/Mother Russia
9. Marian
10. Better Reptile
11. First And Last And Always
12. [Instrumental]
13. Something Fast
14. I Was Wrong
15. Flood II
16. Lucretia My Reflection [encore]
17. Vision Thing [encore]
18. Temple Of Love [encore]
19. This Corrosion [encore]

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