The perennial Post-Punk/Rock group Sisters of Mercy are back in the States, and this time, they're joined by Electro-Dance Duo Blaqk Audio. The tour swung through The Greek Theater in LA, so naturally, I had to catch the show.
I made my way through Griffith Park and arrived at The Greek just before Blaqk Audio took the stage. Frontman, Davey Havok, commanded the stage, twisting and twirling from one end to the other, as composer Jade Puget provided the beats and hooks from behind his podium. The duo ran through a 45-minute set that consisted primarily of tracks from their 2019 album, Only Things We Love, while touching on other areas of their catalog like "Stiff Kittens" from their debut album Cex Cells and "1948" from 2020's Beneath the Black Palms.
The Sisters of Mercy hit the stage not much after 8. The current line-up is a smattering of previous members as well as new ones. Eldritch continues to be backed by Ben Christo on guitars while bringing on a second guitar player -- Kai from London's metal outfit, Esprit D'Air. Lastly, running Doktor Avalanche is returning member, Chris Catalyst. The line-up is strong and out to shatter expectations. I've heard the horror stories of present-day Sisters of Mercy being a disappointment, but their performance at The Greek Theater was anything but. The band opened with a medley of Vision Thing's "Doctor Jeep" and "Detonation Blvd" and they sounded great. Eldritch's unmistakable vocal timbre boasted unwaveringly from the speakers while Christo and Kai added a sharper tone to the tracks for a stronger Rock sound.
Between the Vision Thing tracks like "Ribbons" and Floodland tracks like "Dominion/Mother Russia," the band threw in several unreleased tracks throughout the years from 1997's "Summer" to 2020's unreleased tracks "Quantum Baby" and "Eyes of Caligua." For a band that typically tries to avoid the literal spotlight, their silhouetted stage presence was powerful and mesmerizing. The only absence felt was the memorable bassline to "Lucretia My Reflection." With the bassline being traded in for a cutting guitar riff, that while different, adds a twist that leaves the audience satisfied.
The Sisters of Mercy and Blaqk Audio will be on the road for the rest of October. I encourage you not to miss the show. Blaqk Audio continues to delight and excite the crowd after all these years. Being the opening act doesn't hinder their performance in the slightest. Despite what you may have heard about past Sisters tours from previous years, the current line-up is energized and sounding great! As someone who went in with a little trepidation, I walked out fully entertained and impressed with the show Sisters of Mercy put on. The band is firing on all cylinders and giving the fans a great show!
