2001/03/06, Palladium, Köln, Germany

Written by Jan Piatkowski (jan@never-land.de) for Dominion mailing list

I arrived in Cologne about a quarter past seven in the evening, and when I got there, I saw all the people standing in a really big queue outside the Palladium. But since I had my ticket and I managed to park my car very near at the entrance, this was no problem.

Opening once again were Paradise Lost. Better sound that in Hamburg, definitely, and their shouter Nick Holmes performing in a far better mood. I liked them very much when I was younger, when they released Draconian Times, and hearing their set for the second time, I've decided to buy their new album Believe In Nothing next time.

During the break in-between the bands, I talked to a really nice young girl, who was going to see the Sisters for the first time. Three songs she wanted to hear that night were Black Planet, Alice and Valentine. Too bad she got one out of three, but according to her movement and action during the set, it seemed to be no problem at all.

When the intro tape, this strange Shirelles / Tangerine Dream mix, started, I began to get nervous, really excited. The Sisters started with their standard opener First And Last And Always, always nice, always safe, but I personally liked Anaconda from last year's Hildesheim gig much more, because it was more exciting. Too bad they skipped it from Cologne's setlist.

Sound was better than in Hamburg on Feb. 26, where they also played a fantastic gig. The bass was reduced a bit, the synths were very clear, but the best thing was that Andrew's voice was clear, straight, hard, but flawless. Seems he got temporary voice problems during the beginning of their trip through Germany. He got much more into the higher tones this time.

The whole set rocked! Like hell! There were so many songs that really got the shit out of me, both Floods were so damn great, so really great! Something Fast was a very good singalong, Ribbons was driving me really mad, and hearing the manic version of Body Electric for the first time really turned me inside out. The four minutes of Alice, where I somehow got into the middle of the center moshpit, were probably the wildest of my life, absolutely crazy. But the song I loved the most this evening was the once again fantastic performance of Romeo Down.

After Temple Of Love, ending the regular set, Andrew left the stage for a short while, grinning widely, saying that we were nice ("Ihr seid ja sehr hübsch"), and giving a thank you to the crowd ("Wir bedanken uns"). When the hell of Vision Thing nearly blasted the Palladium away, he threw kisses to the audience and promised us "bis demnächst" - "see you soon".

Kudos go out to that girl mentioned before (name known to the author :) - to Solveigh, Robin and Jochen because you made me jealous while sitting on someone's shoulders during the gig :) - and to Vicus for a smooth Ur-Mitternacht in an Irish Pub emptying some pints.

Written by Sacha Vorbeck (sachav@gmx.net) for Dominion mailing list

After waiting ages for my girl to return from her trip to Stockholm we left Aachen at 18.15. On the way we got stuck on the motorway - big accident - arrived at Muelheim at about 19.45 :-((. Masses and masses of dark clothed people crawling through the streets, hope they don't all came for the Sisters - can a gig start worse? Ah, there's the entrance, lets go in - shit there is a queue - where is the end of it? It's a very long one and I wonder if the tickets sales exceed the venue capacity. What people are this around me? Some want to sell me tickets others say things like: "Mother Russia? - I think I heard it once. Does their frontman still has those long black hairs?" Where am I? It feels so wrong. Ah the entrance comes closer, security is friendly and the support band is already playing. Can't see much - the venue is overcrowded - no comparison to the NMA gig, but I don't think the band is in a bad mood this time like described before.

The merchandise stand has no Glasperlenspiel left, stickers are also sold out. The support band is leaving, let's go in. There are just too many people in here, my girl is afraid of getting smashed in the front rows, so we stay at the side. This can't work out fine, maybe I better should have stayed at home. Some rude people try to squeeze themselves towards the middle.

There comes Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, I'm getting exited :-))! Our love gods enter the stage and start with First and Last and Always. Why don't the people move, this is a concert not a funeral. Then some guys push forward, I loose my girl, I raise my hands and concentrate on Andrew. Why do they all look so angry at me, I just want to have fun and move to the music. A few minutes later I realize that I'm in the front rows. Everybody is moving here, feels much better.

I notice some people making pyramids and wearing York shirts - are this dominionites? A small guy with longer hair tries to help the pyramid people, I help him and another guy to form a blocking ring. The guy with the long hair claps on my shoulder and says something nice, I ask if he's on the mailing list and he says he's Speedy D. Are the other ones also on the mailing list - I'd like to find out and regret that I came so late. There is a blond guy next to me who carries a girl with short brown hair on his shoulders - this reminds me of my girl - where is she, did she manage to get to the front?

I return to the side and see people standing around and looking bored - hope she isn't stuck here. Can't find her and return to the front. Hey why don't you let me pass? They all look so unfriendly. I shout at one of those trees and say "don't worry, I'm not going to stand in front of you, I wanna be where the action is". He lets me pass finally and I return to the friendly people. Good to see those smiling, inspired and enthusiastic faces. I enjoy the rest of the show very much, who would have thought that it turns out that good in the end.

There comes a moshing song, everybody starts to dance - hey this is so great. Andrew also seems to like it, he says "Teilweise seid ihr richtig gut!" - "Some of you are really good!" and "Das macht Spass!" - "This is fun!". He also says "bis demnaechst" - "see you soon". The gig is over, it was one of my best, following the Loreley in 1992, I really liked the friendly atmosphere in the front rows.

There is my girl - oh does she look sad, she got stuck between some large trees and was too tired from her flight to Sweden to really enjoy it. I tell her to join me in the front rows the next time, then I will also put her on my shoulders. As we leave, I hear some people criticize the gig "it was too short, I almost couldn't understand the singers voice". I'm very emotional now and shout at them: "it was a bloody great gig and they gave it all, you standing like trees and doing nothing don't deserve anything better, stay at home next time and give us more space to move". He looks surprised and wants to beat me but another guy holds him back. My girl feels very sick and we head home.

That's it, next time I'll be there earlier and join you in the front rows from the beginning.

Written by Frank Lepkojus (frank.lepkojus@uni-muenster.de) for Dominion mailing list

Everybody woke up after last night? Cologne was really a very good gig! The band was in a brilliant mood, the audience had a lot of fun.

Due to drinking beer in our car and the long line at the entrance, I've seen PL just "One second" ;-)

When the intro started, I found myself on the left side of the venue, in front of a big big pillar. Until the first verses of First and Last and Always I managed to come near to the mosh pit, there everybody moves and I feel the right atmosphere for a Sisters gig (Excuse me if I jumped someone on his/her feet - I was really late).

Then Ribbons! My favorite song of the Vision Thing era. Come Together on the other hand is the worst song (IMO) of the unreleased ones. While Crash and Burn I was very surprised how much people around me sung along the lyrics. And, Von, you have to release this one as the next single! This song rocks! It was very nice to "see" Flood I back on the set-list. Alice and Body Electric kick ass and for the other new songs especially Summer and Will I Dream? made it. At the end of the regular set the sisters played a storming version of Temple of Love and the crowd was really enthusiastic for the encores.

The first one started with a f***ing brilliant Snubnose and the obligatory introduction of Adam and Chris. Then Capricorn - it fitted very good to the rest of the sisters stuff and the Glitter-song was very funny - in the tradition of Bei Mir. The second encore started with Something Fast and everybody was singing. After this one it was time to rock with a fast Vision Thing. Then the lights were switched on. I think the audience has had deserved another encore or one more song, but it didn't happen. At least for me I missed War on Drugs, which they played on the other gigs.

After a night gab, IMO the Mera Luna gig was better, but I have had a great time in Cologne. See you in the summer!

Quote of the day: "Einige von Euch sind wirklich hübsch..." (Von at the end of the regular set)

Written by Pieter Otte (carcrashblues@yahoo.com) for Dominion mailing list

Cologne. What a gig! It was my first Sisters gig, but definitely not the last! I saw Black Sabbath 1.5 years ago (the original line up!) and always thought that that was the concert of my life -- so far. Now, I have to admit that the Sisters gig really got me more excited than Sabbath.

There were several songs I hadn't heard before, as I only have the three studio albums, the Greatest Hits, and Some Girls Wander by Mistake. So I really enjoyed the "new" songs, which were indeed new for me!! HA ha!!

I sang along with all the other songs, my mouth fell open several times, wow men, it was so damn cool!

In my view, both Floods were the best performances, Andrew was at his best at these songs (correct me if I'm wrong). Something Fast was very well played also, and I sang my lungs out!

But all in all for me, who traveled from Amsterdam to Cologne alone, the whole concert was good. Von and his dudes were in a good mood and enjoyed the concert as much as I did. Bis demnachst Mr. Eldritch!

At Wiener Platz, I met a German guy, who was also going to the Sisters, though he hadn't a ticket yet. Lucky that he found someone who sold him a ticket for only 50 DM! Just before the Sisters started, I also met his friends: Helmar ist nur eine von ihn. We had some good laughs didn't we?

Written by Peter Lankaster (peter.lankester@village.uunet.be) for Dominion mailing list

Indeed, a great gig! Andrew was in a very good mood. Mr. Whammy and Chris are both fantastic performers. And the audience was more alive then in Deinze!

Well, here stops the euphoria for me ;-(