2001/02/22, Astoria, London, UK

Written by Matthew North (info@gothic-rock.freeserve.co.uk) for Dominion mailing list

Well for me London was spoiled both night by some mindless thugs that had absolutely no interest in the band just in having a fight. Thursday there was one person in a Newcastle United shirt that was there purely to duff up goths, I just wonder if these tossers were there because the rest of the week they work for the Astoria!

I've been to hunderds of gigs over the years, never had troble like the last Sisters one, the time at the Forum last year was nice and peacefull, even Army gigs wernt as rough as these were!

The show themselves were OK, the set as mentioned by other posts was better on Thursday than Friday, but the sound and lights were much better on Friday.

I didn't think the Gary Glitter cover was very good, actually it was terrible and Snub Nose just sounds plane dull, like a Status Quo backing track gone wrong. Loved the slow Body Electric, funny it gave the whole gig a new Gothic quality!

Anybody notice Mark from the Mission in the audience? Very nice chap he is too!

I was very suprised to see how many violent pepole that were there. I thought that Sisters attracted another kind of people. But, I was wrong.

Written by Dick Richards (englishgent77@hotmail.com) for Dominion mailing list

I was there at the front, and even raised the arm of a baldy to make him the winner of a light-hearted mosh fight, it was all good fun at the front and had alot of energy which is what this band now aims for, what is unacceptable is the people who mosh about at the sides and back as a kind of cowardy half way house.

Its a gig , mosh at the front , stand at the back, make pyramids in the middle, and drink at the bar.

Written by Rob Fakes (rob@kebra.co.uk) for Dominion mailing list

> Well for me London was spoiled both night by some mindless thugs that had
> absolutely no interest in the band just in having a fight. Thursday there was
> one person in a Newcastle United shirt that was there purely to duff up goths,

By jiminy I didn't see that bloke in the Newcastle shirt, where abouts was he? I'm not a fan of goff in general or people associating the band with it, as anyone who's read my posts knows. However there's no need to commit violence on the pallid crew, unless they knock into a pyramid on purpose obviously.

If however you are referring to the "fight" down the front among the following types then its called having fun, don't stand there if you dont like it, that's why we put a circle round the middle and I think we do have a bloody interest in the band, thanks!

Anyone who failed to be amused by The Glitter cover is odd, and anyone who doesn't like Snub Nose is even odder in my humble opinion, but that's no more or less valid than yours (I hope you agree?). I still have difficulty disagreeing in print without sounding arsey, it's not meant like that, ho-hum (Don't take offence I'm a shit correspondent, not a shit person).

It seems ever more evident that Sisters fans look for all manner of different thing from both the new songs and the gigs, and we should expect nothing less. As I am one of the culprits from the the middle (though small enough to bounce off people generally!:) I would like to say that if a bald shortarse in the stooges or motorhead t-shirt ever bangs into any of you at a gig, I'm prob v.pissed, just slap me round the back of the head and shout: "OI ROB, BUGGER OFF" and I shall retreat to the bar forthwith with the visage of a humbled eejit, or make supreme effort to stay in the middle, depending on the state of my ribs.

Strangely enough the only Sisters induced injury I've ever aquried (physicaly) was a cracked sternum at the Manchester Appollo gig some years ago, where as I remember ther wasn't much moshing to speak of. Those were the days when rather than dancing everyone in the first six rows seemed more interested in looking up Von's nose, hence crush horror. Yaaargh, bust it again at a Motorhead gig a couple of weeks later too in a moment of: "Hey, I've got bust ribs, I think I'll go down the front during Bomber"... Oops, idiocy is a speciality of mine it seems.

It seems odd that no-one complained about this after Leeds, which was completely kamakazi down the front at times, I would say summat about soft southern shites, but it wouldn't be big or clever so I won't. I do agree that people moshing in innapropriate places is one of the most iritating aspects of gig-going, but down the front isn't innapropriate. People seem to forget that at the heart of the Sisters, and Von himself beats a muscle of pure bastard-punk that the likes of green day could never hope to touch.

I think today with the reports from Deinze we've heard how Sisters gigs can go if the crowd just stands there. The Sisters these days rock like bastards, and whilst I'm as happy as anyone to stand around at the bar dissecting Lear's influence on Nine While Nine, some of us do occasionally like to go fucking ballistic when our favourite band are playing our favourite songs in the same room as us. Fair enough? Or have I got the wrong end of the stick entirely? If so Sorry.

And to everyone complaining about the shirts off, fighting = dancing crew, the only place that didn't happen is Birmingham, and guess what! The crowd was boring as dishwater! Enthusiastic reception equals top gig for the Sisters as I think we've all experienced, though when a couple of the NMA types at the Leeds gig told me it was harder than the last couple of army gigs they went to I did start to worry a little. Seriously though there is space for everyone to enjoy the gigs as they wish, and everyone in the middle going mental were on the British leg of the tour as a whole, not just one nighter "lets bash everyone in sight types", just don't stand there if you don't like it. I don't like waving my arms in the air and pretending I'm a fucking tree, but hey who gives a shit?

Anyway hullo all, back at work and post-tour blues, everyone who's carrying on through Europe, good luck you jammy gits! And Stu, when you get back, you were right about Birmingham, AAAARGH. Does anyone have any idea what the hell to do if you want Oporto tickets? Or I shall be bowing out till the festival season, which simply will not do, six gigs just whetted my appetite.

Eh Up George ya big Southern Jessie. For ever and always I will now have a disturbing image when you post, after the admission that working from home means you can work in your pants with a beer. Yikes!

Written by Tim Joseph (tim@fourth-floor.co.uk) for Dominion mailing list

> Whilst I'm as happy as anyone
> to stand around at the bar dissecting Lear's influence on Nine While Nine,
> some of us do occasionally like to go fucking ballistic when our favourite
> band are playing our favourite songs in the same room as us.

There's a difference between just standing there and dancing and again with whatever was going on at the Astoria. At the second Forum gig last year there was far more movement among the crowd in general - it was just less vigorous. I think the atmosphere at that gig was far better than on Firday night.

I have to say I enjoyed both the covers and Snubnose is probably my favourite of the new songs, possibly with the exception of Crash and Burn.

Written by Mikkel Mastek (nhwo@hotmail.com) for Dominion mailing list

> Well for me London was spoiled both night by some mindless thugs that had
> absolutely no interest in the band just in having a fight.

Heh heh, this also happend to me, but I got pissed and gave a person who was moshing around and throwing himself into all persons in range. A series of elbows in the back, then he turned around, possibly to see who did that to him that "peaceful" person, he looked into my throat and looked up. It was quite funny to see the expression on his face, when he realised that I was 15 cm taller than him. So he just turned back and stood quite still for a moment.

Written by Sarah S. (sarahabyss@mindspring.com) for Dominion mailing list

It isn't violence. It is primal, sweaty, and fun! The people who take the jostling personally put a damper on it for the less inhibited, too. Best solution I've ever seen is to throw water on the pit. It lubricates the crowd (less friction, more movement) and chases away the easily offended.

The point is; you wake up sore, but you don't feel it at the time if you are doing it right.

Written by George Carless (kafka93@home.com) for Dominion mailing list

> It isn't violence. It is primal, sweaty, and fun!

Agreed; I don't really participate, myself, but I think it's a part of the gig to have the sweaty rabble moshing away; people are generally careful to ensure that things don't spread too far out of the pit, and those within the pit are generally friendly sorts who aren't actually setting out to hurt anyone -- at least, not anyone who isn't a part of the pit.

I found myself covered in beer at Thursday's show -- hint: if you take it to the front, you're not going to get to drink much of it. It's not worth worrying about, though: you've just gotta realise it's an integral part of any decent gig, and have a laugh. I do think there're various people who should go fuck themselves, like the guy shouting abuse at the ~16 year old goth kiddie, but by-and-large people are just there to have a good time and most aren't actually there to break your nose, despite appearances.

Written by Andrew Semple (androo_s@yahoo.com) for Dominion mailing list

> Best solution I've ever seen is to throw water on the pit.

I got water thrown on me on the second London night. Well I hope it was water!

On the subject of mosh pits, I like the idea, but in practice I'm just too small and clumsy and the effort to keep upright is too much of a distraction from the band. I usually try to get right to the front but if I can't I stand at the edges of the mosh pit where it's not too violent but there's still some decent crowd activity. How some people can go and see the Sisters only to stand still the entire night is quite beyond me.

Written by Sven Togni (togni@pandora.be) for Dominion mailing list

>> Best solution I've ever seen is to throw water on the
>> pit. It lubricates the crowd (less friction, more
>> movement) and chases away the easily offended.
>
> I got water thrown on me on the second London night.
> Well I hope it was water!

I've got a whole lot of cans thrown at me, most people must have been drunk as they missed, one or two were a hit but I caught one.

Ahh well each has his fun I guess.

Written by Richard G. Clegg (richard@manor.york.ac.uk) for Dominion mailing list

> If however you are referring to the "fight" down the front among
> the following types then its called having fun, don't stand there if you
> dont like it, that's why we put a circle round the middle and I think we do
> have a bloody interest in the band thanks!

I agree. My main complaint about the London gigs would be that they weren't lively enough. (York was much more lively - especially considering the much smaller crowd). I can't stand people who are near the front and then look all pissed off if you move near them. If I wanted to stand around then I'd go to the back.

> anyone who doesn't like Snub Nose is even odder

These days Snub Nose is actually a gig highlight for me. It's just so wild and most of the crowd seems to love it.