Top Nite Out

Whenever the Sisters of Mercy visit Belgium, I just have to go, as you know, and so I checked them out again this very Saturday.

They had been booked at a sweet little festival in Zottegem, I'd never been there before, but I liked it all the way. Nice sloping field (sadly with a tent at the bottom end instead of a proper stage, but well hey) easy on the food and drinks, most of the fans've been sat on the terrain all day just chatting about everything and nothing, enjoying themselves and the weather. By now it's become all too obvious Sisters shows are never just about the Sisters, but a great deal about everyone hanging out at the gig.

They got a rather late outing this time, at about half twelve, so everyone had been enjoying the better part of the night already and some were even getting 'moist in anticipation'. For me the actual pre-gig high only started building up about twenty minutes before they started, when we got into the tent, getting stuck in the crowd.

It took quite a while to set everything up, but when the smoke eventually filled the tent the crowd was set to explode. It took the good Doktor only a couple of beats of opener Ribbons to get everyone going, and when Andrew, Ben and Chris got on stage the party was on! Smoke machines were in overdrive mode, lighting was good, the guitarists keep getting better at what they do and most of all Andrew's voice was doing great as well!

Quite possibly it was just one big highlight, but personally Giving Ground, On the wire/Teachers/On the wire were personal favourites, but it was also great to hear Anaconda's restored chorus! The crowd was going wild to all the usual classics like FALAA, Dominion, Alice, Temple and the lot. Bumping in to old friends in a mosh is great too by the way!

Bad stuff? Not that I noticed! I was absolutely knackered when the gig came to an end, and I don't take that for a bad thing, quite the contrary. When a plectrum landed on my arms when I was trying to catch some breath as the gig was coming to an end, the cherry was put on the pie, and happiness was all mine!

Over and out.