One of the strange things about The Sisters of Mercy’s first
European jaunt in 1983 (Trans Europe Excess) is that although there seems to be plenty of memorabilia
and evidence from one country (Germany, with audio from three of the four gigs
– including video for one - plus photos), there seems to be much less available
for the Dutch leg of the mini tour. Naturally, for the Amsterdam Paradiso gig,
the last gig of the four, there is plenty to be found, including superb audio
recordings and the following review which was published in West Yorkshire
fanzine Whippings and Apologies.
But for the others, very little evidence remains. In fact,
no tickets, photo or audio have surfaced for the gig at the Effenaar in
Eindhoven on Friday August 26th 1983, although a copy of the
legendary poster (with the band’s name on the back of a leather jacket) was
sold on Ebay some years ago for a mind-boggling price, whilst for the following
evening’s show at the Rotterdam Arena, only a poster advertising gigs that
month (listing the Sisters as “pop uit Engeland”) under a much larger advert
for Jo Lemaire (who was to support the band in Genk two short years later) has
materialised.
The
first gig of the tour, and the first indoor Sisters gig in Europe, is much
better documented, partly because the venue, the Vera in the northern
university city of Groningen, is still very much thriving today, and on its
website can be found the results of their annual poll of gig-goers nominating
their favourite concert of each year. As can be seen below, the fledgling band
came in a very respectable fifth place, well ahead of Sonic Youth, Killing Joke
and The March Violets (down in 29thplace), and indeed one place
higher than their gig at the same venue the following year managed in the 1984
poll.
Whilst a recording of the 1984 concert has been in
circulation for many years (including the infamous soundcheck which included
the likes of Heartbreak Hotel and, many years before Von would finally have the
courage to sing it ‘live’, Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around), unfortunately there
was no audio recording of the ’83 gig, although one collector has unearthed the
original poster for the gig.
The Vera itself is something of an institution in Groningen,
with its distinctive fish carving above the door, and was founded as a debating
club in 1899 according to Dutch Wikipedia, and was an acronym of the Latin for
“true and sincere friends”, becoming a more left-wing youth centre in the 60s
and 70s. TSOM returned to Groningen on their thirtieth anniversary tour in
2011, playing at the much larger and more modern Oosterpoort.
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