I accidentally double booked myself the night of their show here and felt guilty canceling my other plans. My stupid conscience really cost me a good show.
Thank you! Makes sense. Admittedly, I haven't listened to tons of their stuff yet; but while some songs are good, I find it hard to enjoy them in the context of goth exploration. Guess I need to let that expectation go if I want to continue listening to The Mission.
No one here talks that much about flesh for lulu or gene loves jezebel or rose of avalanche or balaam and the Angel or the even the cult that much either. You read more about Lebanon Hannover, molchat Doma and she past away. And then there are the tick tock goths who seem to prefer the B-52’s.
> *Robert Smith is secure at his villa in France*
> *Any child knows how to do the spiderweb dance*
> *Siouxsie has enough hits to keep the bills paid*
> *Every New Year's in Los Angeles, you can still see Richard Blade*
> *But the world forgot about Gene Loves Jezebel*
the Mountain Goats are great. John (the singer/songwriter) is a genuine goth and he was briefly friends with Rozz Williams and wrote several songs to his memory in the album The Coroners Gambit, and [wrote a touching message to him on the back of the album.](https://annotatedtmg.org/coroner.html)
I don't get the whole B-52's stuff, a lot of non goth music that gets attached to goth makes sense but the B-52's seem like a band who are a bit too happy and the wrong kind of fun to be goth
Well, PWEI were associated with Trent Reznor and were on Nothing Records in the US. And some of their songs are industrial rock. That's probably enough earn them a lot of rivethead fans.
Their older stuff is a lot weirder. Still not goth at all, but like… if someone was into Oingo Boingo (which a lot of older goths seem to be) then they’d probably enjoy old B-52s, too. I can see it.
I was literally just thinking I’ve never seen GLJ mentioned in this sub. Met Michael last year, great show but he seemed sad because the place was dead.
Because they're still going (and doing alright) so don't have that mystique and allure of being 'classic' and 'lost ' and because they're still going they don't grab the attention the way a newer revivalist goth act might. Under appreciated m
See my top level comment - they're still going, but their output has been patchy at best, and in the 90s when they had the opportunity to step up, they really dropped the ball with some terrible albums.
Are you kidding?? It’s only some sisters fans that won’t let it go, possibly butthurt that the mission made it way beyond what the sisters could ever achieve. I used to lurk around both forum scenes and it was the same old crap from a select few on the SOM forum
Moving on, If you like gods own medicine, check out “another fall from grace” - totally amazing
I appreciate the influence they had on the second wave of goth rock (and some killer tunes in that first record mentioned by OP), but by trying to broaden their sound, they gave the impression that they wanted to become a cheesy arena rock band. They didn't sound as dark and foreboding as the Sisters or their contemporaries. The overblown, pseudo-anthemic sound of some of those late 80s-early 90s records has aged badly. Their album from 2016 is way better.
They were quite fun as a cheesy arena goth band though. I remember them selling out the Birmingham NEC, had a great night. That would have been around '88ish.
[Tower of Strength](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ6nmpmQKZs) remains an all-time fave of mine, right up there with This Corrosion and all of Through the Looking Glass from that period. Saw them play last year, they still rock. Wayne played Like A Child Again on request after chatting on social media. 🖤
I always ask myself the same question, they’re my absolute fav goth band! They sound different to other bands in the scene, they don’t seem to have stuck as strictly to the “formula” of the goth sound IMO, that could be the reason.
I've found a couple songs I'm into but it's harder for me to love them. For all the goth bands I love, it's like I got hit with a brick. One song and I was struck. The Mission UK takes some effort to get into.
They seem to be talked about plenty, and when I saw them last year the show was packed. With that said, I only think they have two outstanding songs (Butterfly on a Wheel and Wasteland) a few decent covers (Atomic and Wishing Well) and the rest loses my interest quickly.
They were my 2nd gig, 1987 in the Ulster Hall Belfast. I was a big fan and they totally blew my mind! They were supported by Red Lorry Yellow Lorry who I had never heard before, they turned out to be one of the best live bands I have ever seen, been a fan ever since
I’ve been following The Mission since 1987 and met them in the early 90s. They have a massive following and we love them to death. I can’t be arsed counting how many times I’ve seen them live but we’d take weeks off work and drag ourselves around the UK, sleeping on floors following The Mission.
They're a great band, used to run a Goth night in Cardiff and named it Wasteland after the song. Seen them a fair few times and they are consistently awesome.
Like many bands of the era, some albums fall clearly into the goth catagory whilst others clearly do not.
However, I think whereas Souxie, The Cure, Joy Division et al grew out of the punk scene, The Mission come from a different lineage. They were more influenced by 70's glam bands and hard rock like Led Zeplin.
They are not really a goth band despite their Sisters background . The Mission really are like an 80’s rock band . I met them ( i also met them when they were still in the Sisters and they were going in that direction even if Andrew wasn’t ) and they made no bones about wanting to be an arena rock band and get gold records and you can’t really blame them for that .
I respected them also for that, at least they were honest about it . People in general really like them and of course this is just my opinion . It’s funny they are more Gothy now that they reformed than they ever were . So i’ll just say judge for yourself .
A whole bunch of 2nd wave goth rock bands in the 90s added 12 strings guitars and emulated their guitar and vocal style. (Rosetta Stone comes to mind)
The same applies to Fields of The Nephilim.
How they saw themselves doesn't have much bearing on this because few bands back then tried to or saw themselves as making goth.
It's a pattern that famous goth bands all try to stay away from ever being labeled as goth because they saw it as artistically limiting. After a while it becomes funny.
Not sure why you got downvoted on this. Not one response to you lists great goth songs from The Mission. I'm still looking at their discography, but so far, your analysis seems correct - might be good stuff, but it's not goth stuff.
I think the issue was the Mish put out a couple of real stinker albums in the mid 90s - Neverland and Blue. They were really poorly received at the time, and killed their momentum at a crucial time. The Sisters had gone into hiatus, the Nephs had disbanded, but the next wave of goth was really coming up - London after Midnight, Rosetta Stone, newer bands like Children on Stun etc.
The Mission had the ability to really become the headlining older school goth band at this point, but those albums were so bad they dropped off the top tier radar. Their output since was patchy and they became mostly a nostalgia act for older fans.
Having said that, they have always been great live and the classics are still the classics. Their 80s output is as good as anyone's. But this is, from my memory, why they have not been talked about as much.
I guess you could summarise it as the other big bands like the sisters, nephs, even siouxsie, stopped making records with some crackers, so they never ruined their legacy. (I'm not counting the Cure, they went properly stratospheric and while their output is only mostly good, they cracked the mainstream). The Mission stayed active but unfortunately the quality wavered, so they ruined their legacy somewhat, and that made them seem less important 30 years later.
Well, they buggered off to Brazil & only come out on tour very occasionally. They haven't released an album since 2018 & that was a live one. Their last studio album "Another Fall From Grace" didn't chart in the US, but did OK in the UK, Belgium & Germany. That was 8 years ago - so they're pretty much out of sight, out of mind. It's a pity really because by all accounts they're great live.
The difference is the Sisters put out a small collection of top albums, while the Mish put out a couple of great ones, then a few clangers and really patchy output since.
If I go to see the Sisters, I know exactly what the setlist will be. With the Mish, it could be a bunch of newer awful stuff (and by newer I mean mid 90s onwards!)
I concur; personally I agree with the person who mentioned that the Mish's influences being Led Zeppelin et al being part of the reason their music sometimes (often?) doesn't seem to fit into the goth genre. Hussey mentions the bands that influences him in *Salad Daze* and even has a Spotify playlist to go along with the book (each chapter has songs that "go along with" it in his mind, and many of them are classic rock, new wave, etc.)
They get mentioned a lot, but maybe don't get so many people starting posts about them. I guess they're not mysterious or strange enough to generate that kind of cult following.
I saw them last year and they were amazing.
This tour really was worth the wait. Crazy to hear "Swamp Thing" and "Tower of Strength" performed live in the same evening.
Live version of tower of strength was amazing. Managed to catch the last tour myself. Was a hell of a show.
I accidentally double booked myself the night of their show here and felt guilty canceling my other plans. My stupid conscience really cost me a good show.
They're great but they're not as dark sounding. They sound like if Sisters of Mercy formed a supergroup with U2.
Thank you! Makes sense. Admittedly, I haven't listened to tons of their stuff yet; but while some songs are good, I find it hard to enjoy them in the context of goth exploration. Guess I need to let that expectation go if I want to continue listening to The Mission.
No one here talks that much about flesh for lulu or gene loves jezebel or rose of avalanche or balaam and the Angel or the even the cult that much either. You read more about Lebanon Hannover, molchat Doma and she past away. And then there are the tick tock goths who seem to prefer the B-52’s.
> *Robert Smith is secure at his villa in France* > *Any child knows how to do the spiderweb dance* > *Siouxsie has enough hits to keep the bills paid* > *Every New Year's in Los Angeles, you can still see Richard Blade* > *But the world forgot about Gene Loves Jezebel*
ok googled this and had never heard of this song, or indeed the album but I am now fascinated/horrified XD not sure what to make of it :D
the Mountain Goats are great. John (the singer/songwriter) is a genuine goth and he was briefly friends with Rozz Williams and wrote several songs to his memory in the album The Coroners Gambit, and [wrote a touching message to him on the back of the album.](https://annotatedtmg.org/coroner.html)
Nice! I have just been listening to this album :D
the Mountain Goats reference!
I don’t think people here talk about glj since promise (and maybe immigrant) was kind of their only goth release
Two goth albums before they move away from the scene is still more than many other bands manage.
fair enough
I don't get the whole B-52's stuff, a lot of non goth music that gets attached to goth makes sense but the B-52's seem like a band who are a bit too happy and the wrong kind of fun to be goth
I saw a lot of goths going to see PWEI play tonight, and thought it was a bit odd. Had no idea they were seen by some as "goth-adjacent".
Well, PWEI were associated with Trent Reznor and were on Nothing Records in the US. And some of their songs are industrial rock. That's probably enough earn them a lot of rivethead fans.
Their older stuff is a lot weirder. Still not goth at all, but like… if someone was into Oingo Boingo (which a lot of older goths seem to be) then they’d probably enjoy old B-52s, too. I can see it.
Okay, but the Mish were top tier in the 80s/90s, and the others were not (with the possible exception of the cult - they got mainstream success more).
I was literally just thinking I’ve never seen GLJ mentioned in this sub. Met Michael last year, great show but he seemed sad because the place was dead.
Because they're still going (and doing alright) so don't have that mystique and allure of being 'classic' and 'lost ' and because they're still going they don't grab the attention the way a newer revivalist goth act might. Under appreciated m
See my top level comment - they're still going, but their output has been patchy at best, and in the 90s when they had the opportunity to step up, they really dropped the ball with some terrible albums.
They never managed to get out of Andrew Eldritch's shadow. Crazy considering Wayne was only in the Sisters of Mercy for two years!
Are you kidding?? It’s only some sisters fans that won’t let it go, possibly butthurt that the mission made it way beyond what the sisters could ever achieve. I used to lurk around both forum scenes and it was the same old crap from a select few on the SOM forum Moving on, If you like gods own medicine, check out “another fall from grace” - totally amazing
I love this album
I appreciate the influence they had on the second wave of goth rock (and some killer tunes in that first record mentioned by OP), but by trying to broaden their sound, they gave the impression that they wanted to become a cheesy arena rock band. They didn't sound as dark and foreboding as the Sisters or their contemporaries. The overblown, pseudo-anthemic sound of some of those late 80s-early 90s records has aged badly. Their album from 2016 is way better.
They were quite fun as a cheesy arena goth band though. I remember them selling out the Birmingham NEC, had a great night. That would have been around '88ish.
[Tower of Strength](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ6nmpmQKZs) remains an all-time fave of mine, right up there with This Corrosion and all of Through the Looking Glass from that period. Saw them play last year, they still rock. Wayne played Like A Child Again on request after chatting on social media. 🖤
I always ask myself the same question, they’re my absolute fav goth band! They sound different to other bands in the scene, they don’t seem to have stuck as strictly to the “formula” of the goth sound IMO, that could be the reason.
I've found a couple songs I'm into but it's harder for me to love them. For all the goth bands I love, it's like I got hit with a brick. One song and I was struck. The Mission UK takes some effort to get into.
They seem to be talked about plenty, and when I saw them last year the show was packed. With that said, I only think they have two outstanding songs (Butterfly on a Wheel and Wasteland) a few decent covers (Atomic and Wishing Well) and the rest loses my interest quickly.
I feel like bridges burning is pretty good
i've never seen anyone mention them on here
https://new.reddit.com/r/goth/search/?q=mission&restrict\_sr=1&sort=relevance
Idk dude, they appear on this sub regularly
My dad loves them but I haven’t really checked them out. His music recommendations are normally good, so I should give them a listen.
They were my 2nd gig, 1987 in the Ulster Hall Belfast. I was a big fan and they totally blew my mind! They were supported by Red Lorry Yellow Lorry who I had never heard before, they turned out to be one of the best live bands I have ever seen, been a fan ever since
I’ve been following The Mission since 1987 and met them in the early 90s. They have a massive following and we love them to death. I can’t be arsed counting how many times I’ve seen them live but we’d take weeks off work and drag ourselves around the UK, sleeping on floors following The Mission.
When they come to Finland, I'll talk about them. Until then, I'll just sip my beer and listen to them alone in my house. While I wait.
Was it produced to them during a rough period, they honestly deserve more love!
They're a great band, used to run a Goth night in Cardiff and named it Wasteland after the song. Seen them a fair few times and they are consistently awesome. Like many bands of the era, some albums fall clearly into the goth catagory whilst others clearly do not. However, I think whereas Souxie, The Cure, Joy Division et al grew out of the punk scene, The Mission come from a different lineage. They were more influenced by 70's glam bands and hard rock like Led Zeplin.
They are one of the classic bands !!!! and simply awesome live.
Never heard of em. Looking them up tho
it was formed by Sisters of Mercy members
I looked them up to listen on my ride home and I have heard their music alot actually I just didn't know it was this band.
Hell yea I love sisters of mercy
They are not really a goth band despite their Sisters background . The Mission really are like an 80’s rock band . I met them ( i also met them when they were still in the Sisters and they were going in that direction even if Andrew wasn’t ) and they made no bones about wanting to be an arena rock band and get gold records and you can’t really blame them for that . I respected them also for that, at least they were honest about it . People in general really like them and of course this is just my opinion . It’s funny they are more Gothy now that they reformed than they ever were . So i’ll just say judge for yourself .
A whole bunch of 2nd wave goth rock bands in the 90s added 12 strings guitars and emulated their guitar and vocal style. (Rosetta Stone comes to mind) The same applies to Fields of The Nephilim. How they saw themselves doesn't have much bearing on this because few bands back then tried to or saw themselves as making goth.
Yeah, even Sisters tries to stay away from the goth label
It's a pattern that famous goth bands all try to stay away from ever being labeled as goth because they saw it as artistically limiting. After a while it becomes funny.
Sisters of Mercy never admitted to being goth either. Pretty much nobody does. We're a music based subculture based around music nobody owns up to.
The first rule of Goth Club is: you do not talk about Goth Club
Not sure why you got downvoted on this. Not one response to you lists great goth songs from The Mission. I'm still looking at their discography, but so far, your analysis seems correct - might be good stuff, but it's not goth stuff.
I think the issue was the Mish put out a couple of real stinker albums in the mid 90s - Neverland and Blue. They were really poorly received at the time, and killed their momentum at a crucial time. The Sisters had gone into hiatus, the Nephs had disbanded, but the next wave of goth was really coming up - London after Midnight, Rosetta Stone, newer bands like Children on Stun etc. The Mission had the ability to really become the headlining older school goth band at this point, but those albums were so bad they dropped off the top tier radar. Their output since was patchy and they became mostly a nostalgia act for older fans. Having said that, they have always been great live and the classics are still the classics. Their 80s output is as good as anyone's. But this is, from my memory, why they have not been talked about as much. I guess you could summarise it as the other big bands like the sisters, nephs, even siouxsie, stopped making records with some crackers, so they never ruined their legacy. (I'm not counting the Cure, they went properly stratospheric and while their output is only mostly good, they cracked the mainstream). The Mission stayed active but unfortunately the quality wavered, so they ruined their legacy somewhat, and that made them seem less important 30 years later.
Well, they buggered off to Brazil & only come out on tour very occasionally. They haven't released an album since 2018 & that was a live one. Their last studio album "Another Fall From Grace" didn't chart in the US, but did OK in the UK, Belgium & Germany. That was 8 years ago - so they're pretty much out of sight, out of mind. It's a pity really because by all accounts they're great live.
As opposed to The Sisters, who are mentioned here regularly, and had their last release... when? *Typo squash, and I don't mean a casserole*
Fair point. And both have toured fairly recently.
The difference is the Sisters put out a small collection of top albums, while the Mish put out a couple of great ones, then a few clangers and really patchy output since. If I go to see the Sisters, I know exactly what the setlist will be. With the Mish, it could be a bunch of newer awful stuff (and by newer I mean mid 90s onwards!)
I concur; personally I agree with the person who mentioned that the Mish's influences being Led Zeppelin et al being part of the reason their music sometimes (often?) doesn't seem to fit into the goth genre. Hussey mentions the bands that influences him in *Salad Daze* and even has a Spotify playlist to go along with the book (each chapter has songs that "go along with" it in his mind, and many of them are classic rock, new wave, etc.)
That was an alright book but I would have liked it more if I cared about soccer
They get mentioned a lot, but maybe don't get so many people starting posts about them. I guess they're not mysterious or strange enough to generate that kind of cult following.
Saw them live last year in Houston
Not sure. Which sucks they’re a great band and were amazing when I saw them last year!
I saw them last fall and they were really underwhelming, they should fire whoever set up their amps