Sisters of Mercy vs Love and Rockets – A New Tale to Tell
On Friday June 2nd, for the first time in 14 years, Sisters of Mercy took the stage at the beautiful, sold out Kings Theatre in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY. Long time leader Andrew Eldritch prowled around the dark, backlit stage, his bald head occasionally appearing in the lights. Two guitars and the band’s drum machine, Doktor Avalanche, “nursed” by “Ravey” Dave Creffield who I assumed also nursed bass duties, filled out the stage. The lack of lighting, poor vocals from chainsmoker Eldritch and energy from the band made this a tough show to watch from the cheap seats in the balcony. When my colleague commented on the lack of musicality on display, I replied that at least the air conditioning was good. The lack of enthusiasm from the full theatre indicated we were not alone in our disappointment. Even the encore of the bands most popular three songs fell flat. The lack of a real bass for “Lucretia My Reflection” rendered the bass heavy song lifeless.
A week later on Friday June 9, for the first time in 15 years, Love and Rockets took the same stage. Oddly there were plenty of seats available for sale the day of the show but the theatre appeared almost full as the band took the stage. Donning sunglasses, the band, Daniel Ash, David J and Kevin Haskins each took their places on the tastefully designed stage. They played a career-spanning setlist, each song punctuated by relevant film projections and an excellent light show. Daniel Ash’s guitar wizardry was in full effect and could clearly be seen from the the seats in the balcony as the band did not hide themselves in gothic darkness. Instead they celebrated being back in front of their fans with a memorable and exciting show. The band made an effort to give the best show possible and the audience was enthusiastic and appreciative.
Author
Eric K. Andersen is a former record company weasel who currently goes to a lot of concerts and takes pictures. You can find his website by clicking the link icon below.