The Mission / Rock City / Nottingham
The Mission rose to popularity in the late 80’s 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, relying on the strength of their material…. Delivering a no fuss, straightforward set, but 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 12-string from which he raws that wonderful Eighties goth sound. Joined either side by guitarist Simon Hinkler (dressed all in black with a western style hat, which in the misty light reminding 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 and it’s half time and they’re 2-0 up against Manchester United lol.
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 .
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 “Gods Own Medicine”.
The main set ended 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 returned to the stage twice for a total of five extra songs. A fantastic set which had the crowd singing along throughout and although The Mission play their rock straight, with no fancy stuff, no one left disappointed. A band rooted in late 80’s goth rock culture, but sounding as fresh, bright and powerful in 2022.
Set List
Beyond the Pale
Hands Across the Ocean
Serpents Kiss
Met-amor-phosis
Naked & Savage
Garden of Delight
Swoon
Severina
Belief
Butterfly on a Wheel
Wasteland
Deliverance
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Sacrilege
Blood Brother
Crystal Ocean
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Fearful
Tower of Strength
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 1980’s. 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.
Set List
Don’t Fly Too High
Too Many Castles in the Sky
Not Another Day
Velveteen
Goddess
Always There
Dreamland
LA Rain
Loose
