1998/02/07, Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Written by Scott Brown (danfouts@email.msn.com) for The Sisters of Mercy Tours site

It was a very black planet tonight indeed, and although we wouldn't get that song in the set list, there was a certain sense of fitting irony as we did the rain-drenched "drive down the highway 101 / at the side of the ocean headed for Sunset (Boulevard)." One nice side effect of torrential downpours the night of an "alleged" goth show is that it forced the interesting little creatures in question to dress down a bit. So a relative absence of poofy eighties hair and magic marker eyeliner from The Time That Time Forgot saved us all from the presumed wrath of a skinny blonde man with sunglasses.

For those not familiar with the "legendary" Hollywood Palladium, suffice to say it is a rather groovy little venue. Some nice electrical pseudo-candelabra in the hallways, reasonably accessible beverage service and a coat check area which must have packed in a ton of dead black cow on the racks that night.

The opening bands exceeded all expectations in their mediocrity. Really -- nowadays if you're not overwhelmingly irritated by an opening band, you've got to consider their respective appearances to be a composite success. By definition, then, they were successful. And that's more than enough said.

It would be no great leap to make the observation that Elvis Eldritch has found himself a new "uniform." We've seen and heard reports of his zen-avantegard-oriental-sushishop coat enough to call that the current favorite, and for those keeping score on what he wears each night, that was it. The heart-shaped glasses are back along with the leather trousers, and the once-cropped lid has now been matted down creating Caesar-like bangs.

The hissing fog yields to the revamped First and Last and Always, as the band gives a tight rendition of the family favorite. Eldo's vocals, which from consensus understanding froze up on him just the week before, are very measured. The baritone growl is still strong, but he picks and chooses his spots when deciding whether or not to raise it an octave.

The crowd is -- initially -- not prepared for giving or receiving. A minimal amount of vertical movement at the start, but we can all do with a reasonable dose of swaying and surging. As Body Electric comes through the system, the lofty goal of mutual audience and band transformation begins to get itself accomplished. Eldritch gives a great reading, kicking his vocals into his familiar wail for the first time in the night as the last stanza hits. The guitars are surprisingly less cluttered than expected, as the initial round of bodies begins to be passed over the top and into the security trench in front of the stage.

The new songs are met with blank faces, but to be fair are treated with roaring approval upon digestion. War on Drugs seems to be a heat-and-serve favorite. Possibly due to the fact that once Eldritch enunciates the words, "Seven Shades of Shiva Rising," the portion of the crowd that sacrificed limbs and lambs to get that ugly Harley-looking shirt with the aforementioned tongue-twister of a lyric line on the back suddenly are financially vindicated. Pearson has taken out the middle-eastern but very Leeds guitar picks that interspersed with the thudding Avalanche of drums in Philadelphia. Perhaps to the song's detriment. But it's still a powerfully ominous and at the same time powerfully amusing song. I'd love to know who gets the writing credits for the music on this one.

Will I Dream is straightforward pop. Up-tempo, but nothing to write your Sister back home about. Writing crossover material to infiltrate the non-goth market is a concession everyone has be prepared to accept, and that 's the only reason this song will prove to be essential.

Romeo Down is a grim-faced slice of the good stuff, rooted in a single base riff played by Pearson over the occasional whammy bar Varjak half-chord and that spine-tingling baritone of "...until the body's gone...". Additional base is provided by Avalanche, but as is the case with each and every one of the other tail-waggers, the translation to computerized base leaves something to be desired. This is only Customer Complaint #100,001 to be filed which voices the same dissenting commentary, but real base turns the backbones of the songs into thick meat. Too bad Vonnie would by definition have to pay the going rate of a session musician to get live base sound, or there wouldn't be an issue. We'd have a coinciding live body. But aural aesthetics aside, Eldritch has taken the classic and romantic association of Romeo and Juliet and has effectively smashed it into a million beautifully ugly pieces by transforming literature's most profoundly prized couple into purveyors of reciprocated domestic violence. This has been touted early on as a classic in the making, and now that it's been made, it's just a plain old classic.

But the most pleasant fraction to divide itself from the Black Whole this evening is (We Are the Same) Suzanne. I say this only because it has been written in official circles that Michael Varjak scribed the music -- and Michael Varjak still seems awkward with even the entry-level, junior varsity assignments that Eldritch has given him. He looks down on his guitar as if he's staring at a six-haired jigsaw puzzle. He anxiously turns to Pearson for cues. During one of those rare occasions when he is actually called upon to strike a chord (that means more than one string, Mike), he does it with only one thumb (the other funny fifth finger is somewhere else altogether, presumably) and the overly dramatic body language of someone auditioning for Kiss in front of the parent's mirror. Intense scrutiny from knowingly irrelevant fans on unofficial web sites is the collective price you pay for joining a band who's past is littered with guitar gods. But that being said, Suzanne is somehow very fantastic indeed, Michael, and we thank you for it. It has a soaring and intricate melody, which by definition may prove to be too housewifey for the purists and hangers-on-to-yesteryear. But it's the perfect frame for a song about pasteurized cloneliness, and the comfort gained not only in achieving a visual sameness with one another, but also in the need to subsequently "give it a name" (is the implied name "Goth?" This amuses me). Fans of multisyllabic words beware: you won't need an occult dictionary with terms like "Nephilim" and "Nosferatu" to translate the lyrics. The genius lies in it's complex simplicity.

By the end of the main set, the band is throttling, with Pearson and Varjak crossing the stage and assuming each other's mainstay positions as the energy reaches a new height. The normally-not-as-good-as-others such as Anaconda are whipped into frenzied cardiac states. Eldritch has by this point stripped down to a hideous pink shirt splotted with streaks of other indescribably pastel colors. He looks like a Mexican piñata, or -- to perhaps be more fair to him -- a stained fish taco wrapper. One can't help but think it's his way of distancing himself from the Men and Women in Black. He'll change his gear twice more, because that must be fun to do if you're a rock star: once to show off a pukey snakeskin-patterned shirt, suitable for bowling alley appearances in Hell, and another time to model a remarkably plain white mock-turtleneck. Suitable for all occasions requiring a remarkably plain white mock-turtleneck, I might imagine. At the moment, he's staring at the large venue signs threatening jail time for offending cigarette smokers, while tossing fags to the crowd as if he's dealing cards. He introduces the anti-Hussey cannon This Corrosion by stating, "this one's for you... and you know who you are." In the line outside the venue before the show, non-confirmed sightings of the recently relocated to Californ-I-A Hussey were as common as Elvis sightings in Vegas. I didn't see him, but then again, I wasn't looking. Unless he was that shrunken old man out by the Meals On Wheels doing a cover of Marianne on a dime store ukulele with a "Will Write Lyrics That Sound Like Bad Wine For Food" sign draped over his neck.

Predictably, Comfortably Numb is the electoral favorite of the democratic body. Andrew introduces it with the tone of a demented preacher, as he offers the comfort, "I feel your pain." And, predictably, there are some songs from the black canon that serve as sacrificial lambs tonight: Alice, Vision Thing and Jolene all get shelved in favor of the new ones. After years of begging for new material in the shows, I'm sure it's time now for someone to complain about the omissions of old favorites. Go Figure.

All in all, it's a strong set. I can't imagine having an experience that I could ever cite as being a truly bad time at even their worst of shows -- it's only a question of to what degree I'll enjoy each gig on a particular night. Kind of like that sex thaannng. And that's a good position to be in and a good burden to have. Pearson is a great guitarist. Varjak is not. But he's got a very nice writing credit to his... errr... credit. He'd make a fine bassist, Von -- stop punishing us for mocking Tony James, that was eras ago.

The fog is thick as thieves, the lights are unnaturally supernatural, and Eldritch is still the greatest lyricist to ever emerge mincing and moaning from the Planet Abyss, even though the mixing board needs to crank him up to 11. There is a certain sense of fear coupled with a certain sense of excitement in the possibility that this is the last time we'll see them or at least him before the vehicle itself picks up more passengers and becomes The Next Big Thing Once More. The Sisters are approaching the top of their game. Again. I'm ashamed to be the slightest bit surprised.

Written by Martin Fredrickson (mfredrickson@coppermountain.com) for Dominion mailing list

We got to the Palladium at about 7:45. Talk about morons and pinheads, the security was worse than the usual cretins that hold that position. They made my friend take off his leather arm bands which have no spikes or any other potential weapons on them. They even made me throw away my pens (which I knew they didn't allow, but you can't blame me for trying to take some notes on the set list). What was even more infuriating was the fact that security was enforced very unevenly. I was scanned by the metal detector which went off when it got to my pager, yet the operator didn't even ask me what I had that had set it off. After that, they made everybody take all the items from their pockets and dump them on a table while they frisked them. I was not even touched yet others were practically cavity-searched. I could have smuggled in an entire recording studio, while others barely got to keep their clothes on. Go figure. The security gets less than an F, say a Y or a Z.

After getting in it was time for the obligatory stop at the merchandise stand. I got a long sleeve Sisters Event Horizon tour shirt for the usual highway robbery, it was $35. I was very disappointed that there was almost no other merchandise available, due to the above mentioned idiots, there were no Sisters of Mercy pins for sale, I guess somebody could use one as a weapon. Of course, due to the ridiculous prices and the lack of selection, the merchandisers get a D.

The first opener, Course of Empire, was on stage when I came into the venue. I wasn't impressed. Industrial influenced, Trent Reznor biased, TVT label metal isn't my thing. I used the opportunity to socialize. I got to see several people I hadn't seen in years. The second opener was Lucky Me, all I can say was, how did we get so unlucky? Unimaginative music with Siouxsie style vocals, a little punky, post-grunge pop. Lucky for us, their set was quite short. The best thing I can say about them was that their guitarist was a snappy dresser. One of the biggest cheers of the night came up when they announced that they were about to play their last song. In the rumor department: Project Pitchfork had been added as a last minute opener. Needless to say, it simply wasn't true. All in all, I have to give the openers a C+. They weren't appropriate for the show, but I give them some credit for trying.

The stage crew gets an A++, I have never seen a group of roadies function that well before. They hit the announced set times almost exactly, though the band order had been changed. Having worked lighting and sound in the past, I know how hard it is to do set changes and get the stage ready for the next band.

Then it was time. The fog machines went to work and a voluminous cloud of white vapor billowed out to lend a haze to the entire venue. The intro music began to play, the lights on stage came up and the crowd began to come alive. After several minutes of intro, the house lights went down and the band appeared through the fog.

Blond and lean with a short haircut and mirrored round-lensed shades, Andrew was dressed in black leather pants, a big studded belt, a long, yellow, Mandarin style jacket with another red-lined black jacket over the top. There were a lot of comments on his resemblance to David J, Peter Murphy in his blond "Deep" days, and Bowie in the late eighties and today.

They opened with a rocking version of First and Last and Always blending into a deliciously malevolent Ribbons in a blaze of red and blue light. Third up was Come Together followed by a speedy version of Logic and then Body Electric. All of the old pre Floodland era material had been reworked for the stage with a much faster and intense feeling to them.

Next up came War on Drugs followed by Giving Ground which was performed brilliantly and got the crowd moving. Following was (We Are the Same) Suzanne, a wonderful piece, I am very much hoping this makes it into the studio with all of the feeling intact. Andrew's comment after was "Thank you, you'll get used to it." Somewhere in here, Andrew shed the black jacket and then the yellow one. He was wearing a multicolored tuxedo shirt underneath.

A much faster version of On the Wire bled into Teachers and back into On the Wire followed by Will I Dream. Dominion/Mother Russia was pounded out in a fury of lights and fog, this one raised one of the biggest cheers of the night and more people danced to this than just about anything else. Andrew again decided to wear something else during this part of the show and in one of the song breaks, put on a red shirt with a very busy print.

Then it was back to another new piece, this time it was Summer which I particularly enjoyed though the crowd didn't seem to know what to make of it. Anaconda came up and a few in the audience recognized it, again it had been reworked with a faster rhythm. The final new song Romeo Down was then rolled out, I was not too impressed with this one. I had been primed by other reviews I had seen for it to be the quintessential piece of Andrew's wit and bile but to me it came off a little boring.

Andrew stopped for a second and looked around the venue, the blue lights came up on stage and he said into the mic, "In a hallway". The crowd picked up a notch as Flood II came off brilliantly. They ended the main set with a much shortened but lively rendition of Temple of Love the light show hit its ultimate frenzy during this number and the crowd was very into it.

After a short break, the band came back for the first encore, Andrew had changed to a white long sleeve shirt. They performed what was a great surprise to many in the crowd. The Comfortably Numb/Some Kind of Stranger medley was new to many in the USA who haven't had much chance to see them live in the last 7 years. This one was a real highlight for me, Comfortably Numb was performed with great emotion and was blended skillfully into the ending of Some Kind of Stranger. I had been blown away the first time I heard this on a crappy bootleg tape from the Philly show last year, it was almost a religious experience being there when it was happening live. I am an avid fan of both the Sisters and Floyd and it was like I had gone to some sort of heaven for the few short minutes of this medley. I wish that moment could have gone on forever.

Again the band left the stage. The blue lights came up and the fog machines belched more vapor onto the stage. A few minutes later, the band appeared again for the second encore. First up was Something Fast done very well. The last song of the night was This Corrosion which became a bit of a sing-along. Andrew managed to get the crowd going with this one and there was a lot of dancing. A good climax to the show but I would have liked to hear Jolene or some of the rarer tunes. Unfortunately, it seems that Andrew's contempt for America will keep us from ever hearing this or some of the other live classics. I guess I will just have to make it to a European show some day.

Of the new songs, I very much liked Suzanne, Summer and Come Together. The others were OK and I suspect I will come to like them as I hear them more. Romeo Down was a big disappointment because of all the hype that I had seen about it before, I just don't see it ever becoming one of my favorites, nor do I think it was the logical continuation of Ribbons as some on the Dominion list have stated.

The Sisters get an A-, would have been an A if the vocals had been brought up in the mix a little. An A+ if they had played Alice or Jolene or any of a number of other tunes Andrew considers us to be unworthy to hear. Some of the people I spoke to at the show were disappointed that they hadn't played More or some of the other really popular stuff, I for one am glad they didn't. I would have loved more early stuff including Train but no such luck this time.

Altogether it was a phenomenal evening, the only thing that would have kept me away was death. Even with the flaws of bad weather, uninteresting openers, and idiotic security, the show was well worth the money I paid to see it. Thank you to everyone who helped make it such an enjoyable evening. I hope it won't be another seven years to the next one.

Written by Josef Chmielowski (josefc@geo.arizona.edu) for The Sisters of Mercy Tours site

The LA concert on Feb 7th was the first time I had ever seen the Sisters of Mercy live. I grew up in an isolated, cold, dark area in Alaska (how goth!) and listened to them for many years without ever having the opportunity to see them. I moved to NY for five years, but they never came. I recently moved to Tucson and by chance was surfing the net and found that they were to play in LA. I instantly bought tickets by phone and waited in anticipation for the show.

I got up at 5 A.M. on Saturday and drove 500 miles one way to LA. Once there I did some touristy things (checked out Hollywood, Melrose Ave. and Beverly Hills and got lost) and then ate at the Old Spaghetti Factory where many goths had already assembled. The food was ok but I ate quickly with my girlfriend so that we could walk 2 blocks to the Palladium.

It was pouring rain, cold and miserable (what a great way to compliment the upcoming concert!) and we were informed to wait in a monstrously long line in the rain. While waiting I bought a bootleg shirt for $10.00, it had an old picture of them on the front and a SOM pentagram on the back. It was black with long sleeves and I rather like it (perhaps more than the official one which was $35.00 and had a cog/wheel in orange). So we waited and it was interesting to see hundreds of goths, draped in black in the rain. Make-up running and truly depressed. How beautiful.

Eventually, they began letting the line move (once they knew everyone was good and drenched) and we moved forward slowly. They split the line between men and women and began yelling and hurrying people through the 3 security points. They made me unload my pockets (3 times), I was padded down, metal detected, yelled at and finally kicked out of the line because of my spiked collar. I couldn't go all the way back to the car in the rain (too far) so I hid my collar in a palm tree and went through the line again (note: after the show, my collar was gone. Whoever has it, I would really like to have it back!). I was fondled, molested, yelled at etc. but eventually made it through. I must say, in all my years in NY, Philly, and North Jersey, I NEVER experienced anything as nerve wracking or violating as this gammit I had to run. And I have been to some very rough shows back east.

Anyhow, we got in, all drenched and I immediately stood in line. I only had $33.67 but was able to convince the guy selling shirts (thank you SO MUCH) to give me the $35.00 Event Horizon shirt. I then moved into the main area and sat against the wall glad to be alive and in a dry place. We waited a bit and the opening band came out (I don't know their names) and I really liked them. They had 2 drummers, a very thick base sound and their singer had a Peter Murphy-like voice. Altogether very good!

The second band was not good. They had a weak female singer who hid behind a moderate band that had the base and volume maxed out so loud that the speakers sounded like shit and were about to blow. I put toiled paper in my ears and suffered. While this was happening I sat and checked out all of the really cool outfits. The crowd was about 97% goth and I thought well dressed. I couldn't tell, but I think there was a near sell-out and perhaps 1000-1500 people in there. The Palladium is set up well, with a good stage and plenty of room and good viewing anywhere in the building. Reminds me a little of Roseland in NYC. Anyways, the costumes were good and ranged from needle high heel shoes, to a lot of vinyl, some leather, a lot of black, high boots, black velvet etc. My favorite shirt was "Jesus loves the Sisters".

After that crappy second band was through we waited patiently for the Sisters. We knew they would come out after about 10 mins. of solid smoke had been pumped into the stage area. Well, they did come out around 9:15 and everyone was ecstatic. Andrew had short blonde hair, a cigarette (illegal) and a huge orange, rine-stone shirt that I thought was quite ugly (although my girlfriend liked it). We hovered in back and listened and watched the excellent show.

The lights were dazzling, the smoke thick, and Andrew used it all to his advantage to create quite a visual. How he can breathe, let alone sing in that smoke, while smoking actively, is beyond me. It is impressive though, especially because his voice was very strong and clear. They played a great set mixing ancient stuff, with "popular songs" and many new songs. My favorite was the souped-up Anaconda. I like it a lot. The two encores were good, although the guitar solos were a bit too much for me. All in all, I appreciated all of the work the SOM did, I think they appreciated the crowd and it was a damn good show. It will be a long time before I see something like that again and I feel very fortunate to have been a part of it.

They eventually stopped, I tried to get the play lists but others got them and I tried to get a guitar pick (almost) but had no luck. I just had satisfy myself with an excellent show, the lost collar, and a long walk in the pouring rain. I got to sleep at 2:30 AM and had to drive 500 miles back to Tucson. All told, I drove well over a 1000 miles and spent over $250.00 for the show. But I would do it again. No questions. Furthermore, I can't wait for the album!

The sisters are NOT an old tired band, they are faster, harder and very 90s. Still, they are not different or improved, their roots are still very strong. Thank you very much SOM!!!

Written by Eldritch07@aol.com for Dominion mailing list

Plans for the great E7 home taping of the gig were scuttled by the wonderfully-courteous and caring security Gestapo on the Palladium. I must admit, I've never felt so safe going into a concert, but with the line extending out into a steady downpour, I question the level of safety required at THE SISTERS OF MERCY show (prior incidents notwithstanding). Besides, if that crowd's going to murder anyone they'll get 'em in a dark corner and drink their blood.

And I realize it's a smoke-free room, but must you go to the trouble of searching everyone, further holding the line up, when the rules are clear. Indeed, there was a BIG ASS SIGN posted saying that if you basically start any sort of fire or use any form of tobacco, your butt leaves (along with the rest of you).

And why, oh why were they telling people WITH tickets to wait outside the parking lot ($7) gate, in the rain?

But on with the show.

Again, those less-aware types in Texas will be underwhelmed by the T-shirt I'm bringing home. If I have a jacket on, there's no way for anyone not familiar with the new MR logo to know. Note to Bax: Advertising, advertising, advertising, we need some less-understated tour shirts, especially if you want people to mothball all their older G-word looking ones.

I said good things about Course of Empire. I do not retract all of them, but they clearly do not put out live for a neutral crowd. If you saw any potential in the songs played, rest assured, the studio versions smoke them. I thought "Infested" was a bad live choice that night, and "Information" really is much better on "Telepathic Last Words.".

Lucky Me were better than I expected. A pleasant surprise

Although I would have liked it better if the balcony was in the back rather than split on the sides on the room (Palladium is shaped like a big oval, the stage was on one of the wide ends, balconies were on each narrow end), being able to see over the crowd outweighed the funky, side-stage view. The setlist has obviously been covered, so I'll spare you a rehash. I must say that this show was by far the most creative and copious use of smoke/dry ice I've ever seen. First time I think enough was used. The lighting setup was actually quite simple (remember, I work in this business, and BTW, they didn't use my employer's products, I chatted with a big burly Brit behind the lighting desk) but wonderfully effective, a credit to the designers. Sound was inconsistent from the left balcony (the one with the bar), every so often Andy's voice would slice through much more clearly, but the overall muddiness (due perhaps to the rain?) was a bit of a downer.

Lyrics to the new tunes, War on Drugs excepted, have not set my loins aflame. Having seen the songs live, they show a tremendous amount of promise, musically. I look forward to hearing studio versions with the benefit of good stereo equipment and fewer cheering masses.

Since I flew the big silver bird from Dallas for this one the question remains: was it worth it? Indeed it was, and as built up as something requiring this much effort gets I was expecting to be let down. I just hope next time I don't need to make "the trek."

Written by Ben Flores (BenFlores@aol.com) for The Sisters of Mercy Tours site

It has finally come and gone. A very wet and rainy night in California, with everyone looking forward to the Sisters. The venue is set up about like Fort Knox the Bronx. Metal detectors here, strip searches there. By the time you get inside, you are a little pissed off. But you know it will all be worth it in the end. The t-shirts weren't bad, but I was hoping for a little more variety, oh well. I had to buy a couple anyway. Seeing as how I hadn't seen them since Birmingham in 92, it has been a long time coming. The anticipation was quite a bit though.

Course of Empire are a very decent band, well above average. Lucky Me on the other hand were very marginal. Anyway it didn't take long for the Sisters to come crashing through, and it was worth the wait. The set was pretty much the same as the other nights, but substitute Body Electric for Train/Detonation Boulevard. I noticed some of the older stuff is a little hopped up. Not to bad, it just takes some getting used to. The newer stuff is a little tough to get a handle on, but very good. I had heard none of the new songs before, so it was all so unique. My favorite track being Suzanne. It has a very good rhythm to it. I also liked the energy of Come Together. I feel that if Suzanne isn't considered a great song when the new album comes out, then there will not be any great songs on the record. That is my opinion of the newer stuff. Of course I think all of it is decent to pretty good. All of the old favorites were there, played very well and effortlessly.

I have no complaints with this line-up, with Adam playing an exceptional lead. I can hardly wait for the new album to come out, and I'm also looking forward to the next tour. The sound was fabulous and I thought the crowd was very good as well.

Keep up the good work, and don't be as long to come back around.

Written by virusb23@iquest.net for Dominion mailing list

Well, this was my first time seeing the Sisters. Had tickets to see 'em with Public Enemy back in 91, but we all know how that ended.. I feel rather fortunate that I did wait this long to see them. Perhaps I should explain. Using the twenty or so live recordings I have as reference, I feel that this is hands down the best live performance band. (Although the Marx era gives strong contention.)

Suzanne was as well my favorite of the new songs as far as the musical composition aspect of it is concerned. Lyrically, my vote would go to Romeo Down. I love the set-up/punchline of it. The song seems vague until the very last line. Nice ringer.

But yeah, the sound definitely, do I dare say, seems future minded. I can't really finger a comparative band with which to associate the sound to people who haven't seen this tour. Which nowadays is a pretty hard thing to do, and I'm very impressed that I can't make such an association. I hope that this is the beginning of a new era, as opposed to a grand finale. Time will tell.

> He said something about a Wayne Cramer being there

Wayne Kramer was in the MC5, a band in the late '60s/early '70s out of Detroit (the Motor City five). They were part of a Detroit scene with Iggy and the Stooges, the original Alice Cooper group (who transplanted there from Arizona by way of LA), Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes, etc. they're considered precursors to punk because of their nose thumbing attitude and high energy (along with Iggy).

I don't know if Andy's an MC5 fan or not, but a song he's covered, 1969 by the Stooges, is from the same city and period.

Written by neglect@mail.pacificnet.net for Dominion mailing list

> I was in the balcony and the sound wasn't too good

Oh yeah, NEVER, NEVER see a show in the Palladium from the balcony.. The sound from up there is absolute SHIT. Also be careful to not get too close to the stage, as all you get is the stage mix, as the PA fires past you, and it's almost as bad..

I was actually quite amazed at the quality of the sound down on the floor. Definitely the best sounding show I've been to at that venue. And that's out of a LOT of bands, including David Bowie.

Written by Matt Redman (m-redman@students.uiuc.edu) for Dominion mailing list

Pretty much the same set list as the other shows (except for SF #2) except for they took out Train/Detonation Boulevard and put in Body Electric in its place. I was in the balcony and the sound wasn't too good. Couldn't hear Andrew very much. The band didn't seem to be into the show as much as in SF. The crowd wasn't as good as SF, but seemed OK. He said something about Wayne Cramer being there and if it wasn't for him, the Sisters wouldn't be around or something to that affect. For being the last show in the US and for the next show being 5 days away, it was a little disappointing.

The security was pretty tight couldn't bring in lipstick, cigarettes (didn't stop Andrew though), gum, candy or anything. They had metal detectors and crap like that.

Written by Sadie Blaze (sadie@cybermill.com) for Dominion mailing list

I have just one comment.

I USED TO BE STUCK IN 1985. NOT ANYMORE.

The new stuff is quite good. I'm no fan of anything after 1985 but I will definitely be waiting for a new record, as well as another tour. Who was the guy in the front with the cowboy hat on anyway?

By the way, if you have to go to the Palladium, make sure it's for a good reason. The venue is fine but all of the security guards need to be shot.

Written by Adam (adam@community.cc.pima.edu) for The Sisters of Mercy Tours site

I attended the Los Angeles concert at the Palladium, and I would like to say, in regard to the smoking law, Andrew Eldritch not only smoked, but tossed cigarettes to the audience and threw his beer to them. Smile, I almost caught the beer if it wasn't for some goddamned fool jumping in front/over me.