One of the country's finest gothic rock bands at one of the city's greatest rock venues? You can't go wrong...
The Mission rose to popularity in the late eighties with their album Children and amassed a cult following, and boy did they put on a show for the large crowd at Rock City on Tuesday night. They are one of those rare bands that don’t come with lots of pomp or huge shows, instead relying on the strength of their material…. Delivering a no fuss, straightforward set, but one which has the audience in the palm of their hands.
As they take to the stage, the backdrop is a simple white on black Celtic cross logo, and the lighting is low-key, bathing the stage in purple and red, with some sharp rear white spots for a sense of drama. Casually dressed with the ubiquitous shades, Wayne Hussey takes centre stage with his white twelve-string from which he roars that wonderful eighties goth sound. He's joined by guitarist Simon Hinkler (dressed all in black with a western style hat, which in the misty light reminds me of Yul Brynner in Westworld) and bassist Craig Adams, who’s been playing with Wayne since their days in The Sisters of Mercy. I’m told we’re in for a good night, because Wayne is a huge Liverpool fan - it’s half time and they’re 2-0 up against Manchester United.
The set starts with the excellent Beyond the Pale from their classic album Children and takes in material from throughout their back catalogue. Hussey is a superlative guitarist and the tracks are a great mix of their earlier more stark (think Sisters of Mercy style) gothic influence, but this is then cut together with more recent and expansive tracks, such as 2016’s Met-amor-phosis and then back again to the early stuff with the likes of the really catchy Naked and Savage from 1987 .
The main set ends with a fantastic double of big hits which have the crowd in raptures as the band leave them wanting more… much more!
A highlight of the set for me was the performance on Butterfly on a Wheel from 1990’s album Carved in Sand. It’s a track that highlights their lyrical ability and tells the tale of a romance break up with lines such as “The heat of your breath carving shadows in the mist. Every angel has the wish that she's never been kissed. A broken dream haunting in your sleep. And hiding in your smile. A secret you must keep, love cuts you deep”. This lyrical depth is a constant feature and again is demonstrated well in Severina, taken from their debut album God's Own Medicine.
The main set ends with a fantastic double of big hits in Wasteland and Deliverance which has the crowd in raptures as the band leave them wanting more…. Much more ! The band return to the stage twice for a total of five extra songs. A fantastic set which has the crowd singing along throughout and, although The Mission play their rock straight, with no fancy stuff, no one leaves disappointed. A band rooted in late eighties goth rock culture, but sounding as fresh, bright and powerful in 2022.
Support was provided by the Rose of Avalanche, a band that never made the popular heights of others around them, such as the Mission, Cult or Sisters of Mercy, but who were hugely popular within the alternative culture back in the late 1980s. Known for their creativity and song writing, they separated in 1992 and only reformed in 2019 with their original line up. The crowds reaction to their return was fantastic, and the set they delivered was excellent with singer Phillip Morris on outstanding form. You would never know they had been away for 27 years! To be honest, I don’t think The Mission could have had a better support tonight.
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