Sisters of Mercy, Brothers in Black.

Lucretia, my reflection dance the coast with me...

These words we love to have haunt us.  The bellowing Boris Karloff-esque voice of Andrew Eldritch resonates through the speakers on another fun filled night at Qxts in Newark, NJ.  It is definitely a spook classic for a black cloaked enthusiast on the dance floor anywhere.  It's more than a dance tune, it's a calling card and an anthem for some.

There is a lot to be said about a legacy a band creates.  This goes double for a band that has been on strike with the record industry since 1993.  The anti-establishment views of a small sector from today's Punk and Emmo bands are nothing new, but old ideas revisited.  How many bands have sold out, changed their sound for commercial success, or "sold out?"  I'm sure we can all think of a list but I'm not here to name names.  Sisters of Mercy is one band that never compromised and always stuck to their guns.  That' why I can go to Loop Lounge in Passaic, NJ to see my friend's band Tashjian play and drop a playful Doktor Avalanche reference as he adjusts the drum program on his Mac laptop before the gig; and the pun doesn't fall flat.

18 x 24 Andrew Eldritch and Patricia Morrison Oil on Panel. alexiogessa.tumblr.com

  

  

The hits keep coming after Lucretia. There's Dominion, This Corrosion, and who can forget Temple of Love?  These are the tunes seasoned Bat Veterans thrive on and new comers curiously indulge in.  One of, if not the first band to make the use of a drum machine a staple, Sisters tunes crossover in a lovely glooming way.

8 1/2 x 11 Andrew Eldritch Pencil on Paper alexiogessa.tumblr.com

 

 

   

 He's been called the "Godfather of Goth," and if the boot fits...

The Sisters's energy and dynamic, ethereal presence have influenced a slue of bands and spawned more than a few imitators.  There is only one Sisters of Mercy, like there is only one Picaso.  Nothing beats the original.  Whether you're at Pyramid in the East Village, Qxts in Newark, Loop Lounge in Passaic, or in your car en route to somewhere in gothtown; dance on!