The Sisters of Mercy, Dürer Kert Budapest, 11 October
- 19 Sep 2023 5:55 AM
The Sisters of Mercy have been one of the most inescapable bands of the last forty years, even though their discography consists of only three albums. Built around the skull of Andrew Eldrich, the band is emblematic of the genre, Eldrich's deep voice and character, and the cold and monotonous melodies of the formation, form an unrepeatable combination.
It's been six years since The Sisters of Mercy last visited Budapest, so it's time for another black night at the Dürer Kert on 11th October.
The Sisters of Mercy were formed in 1980 and although they have only released three albums, they are still one of the most influential goth bands around. When Andrew Eldrich and Gary Marx formed the band, which has since become a cult phenomenon, they had no plans to change the world, they "just" wanted their music to be played on the radio.
They borrowed their name from Leonard Cohen's Sisters of Mercy because, as they put it, "The name Captains of Industry wouldn't have been as funny".
The band from Leeds was eventually completed with the addition of bassist Craig Adams and guitarist Ben Gunn, with Eldrich swapping drums for a microphone entirely. Thus came into being the drum machine known as Doctor Avalanche, Eldrich's only permanent bandmate to date.
The group's first full-length album, First and Last and Always, was released in 1985, and the tour was so intense that everyone left Eldrich. At first they tried to carry on The Sisters of Mercy under the name The Sisterhood, but a legal twist made it impossible for the others to use the Sisterhood name, and they eventually formed The Mission.
The rest is history: The Mission went on to achieve glittering success, while Eldrich proved his songwriting prowess in 1987 with Floodland - carrying on the legacy of The Sisters of Mercy - where the guitars were replaced by keyboards.
The Sisters of Mercy's third and final album, Vision Thing, was released in 1990, but it was far from the end of the band. Eldrich, Doktor Avalanche and his ever-changing crew are still active on stage after 40 years, and although none are available on record, they occasionally treat audiences to new songs live.
Their concerts are intense, ominous and overwhelming, and on 11th October we can give ourselves over to the Sisters of Mercy in the Dürer Kert.
Source and tickets: Livenation
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