The Sisters Of Mercy
Enmore Theatre
Sydney, Australia
30 October 2022
Having first incarnated in 1980 in Leeds, the three albums The Sisters of Mercy have released until 1990 have left an indelible imprint on the realm of alternative music. Despite not having released anything new for the last thirty-two years, they have managed to establish themselves as a dynamic live act, centred around the continuous involvement of singer-songwriter Andrew Eldritch and the drum machine that became known as Doktor Avalanche
Fuelled by the rarity of their sporadic, theatrical live shows and given the nearly sold out well-dressed audience’s enthusiastic willingness to celebrate the Sisters’ light and shadow play in Sydney, things were off to the races from the get go.
Driven by the monotonous, repetitive beat of the stark drum machine and obscured by fog, Eldritch’s phantom-esque, shadowy figure and rich, baritone guided us effortlessly through the Sisters’ timeless, gloomy and danceable ditties.
Incorporating new material, which proved to be fitting additions to the Sisters’ drum-synth rock oeuvre, the show culminated in a bombastic encore with the devoted, singing crowd almost drowning out Andrew’s vocals, with him surprisingly remaining front and facing the audience, as the band’s most iconic tunes like “Lucretia My Reflection” and “Temple of Love” made an appearance.
Summa summarum, a communal and borderline cinematic, captivating and atmospheric evening with a regained spark.
Eldritch’s nuanced voice was in full bloom and with two extrovert protagonists flanking him, accentuating his minimalism and brooding introversion, it rounded out a set comprised of apocalyptic masterpieces that make The Sisters of Mercy ever so fascinating.
An evening that confounded expectations by capturing the essence of the fascinating oddity of a band that proved to be equally as enthralling as they were in their prime.
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photos by T
