Happy World Goth Day! I Celebrated by Taking My Kids to See Sisters of Mercy
As one does
Happy World Goth Day to all who celebrate!!
I awakened this World Goth Day — Monday morning, May 22 — feeling very, very tired. That’s because last night, I took my kids to see classic goth band The Sisters of Mercy at the Moore Theater.
As one does on a Sunday night.
I’ve reviewed countless shows during my tenure with Three Imaginary Girls and rallied many a workday morning, exhausted but buoyed by the musical magic from the evening before.
It’s a skill I’m happy to pass along to my kids.
I’m not going to review the show too much, as objective analysis would require a level of criticism I don’t want to place on one of my favorite dark dance era bands from my glorious nightclubbing youth.
Instead, in typical blogging format, I shall provide a list of facts and musings about the show:
- The band hasn’t played live in over 15 years, and to my recollection has always been tour-shy. This was my first (and likely, final) chance to see them perform.
- Frontman Andrew Eldritch — long known as the godfather of goth, with his black hair, pale and angular features, and resonate, booming baritone — now lacks the hair, angularity, and sadly, the voice. He remains pale. Aging is such an asshole.
- Guitarists Ben Christo and Dylan Smith carried the show. Ben, in particular, is a guitar virtuoso, a decent singer, and a charismatic showman. Also, he’s a total snack. My 15-year-old was smitten.
- For the notes Eldritch couldn’t hit — or possibly, the lyrics he couldn’t remember — Christo was right there, singing along.
- Nostalgia shows are tricky. Are you really seeing the band if only one original member remains, and the supporting cast carries nearly all the performance? Or did we watch an excellent Sisters of Mercy cover band, who happened to bring the original singer with them to support their act?
- Is it a good practice when nostalgia bands fill half their set with new songs, instead of simply playing the classics the fans came to hear? If the band hasn’t released an album since 1992 — so all the “new” songs are unreleased — does this change your answer?
All that said , it was incredible to finally and at long last hear “This Corrosion” played live, the final encore of the night. Afterwards, the band turned the lights to the house, gestured their thanks to us, and all took deep, simultaneous bows.
They seemed legitimately humbled to be here, and in my mind, that bow was like a tribute to the splendor and legacy that Eldritch has left for all of us. I doubt he will tour again.
For all its faults, I consider it a wonder I ever got to see them perform. So, I loved the show.
This World Goth Day, I’m teeming with dark gratitude.
PS —My eldest loved the show. She just sent me these. Like I said earlier, she was a bit smitten.
PPS — My younger daughter? Not so much into the goth show. Ahhh well.
Greetings!
I’m Dana, aka All My Little Words, a GenX word nerd living in the Pacific Northwest with a whole lot of little words to share. I write about career, music, feminism and perimenopause, cooking, ambition, fun, parenting, and more, with an offbeat perspective on how and why the world works (or doesn’t).
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