UK Goth-Rock legends The Sisters of Mercy bring their Darkness and “Corrosion” to the St. Augustine Amphitheatre this Fall

Local fans of first-wave gothic rock have a chance to experience a rare performance of The Sisters of Mercy, when the British band performs with openers Blaqk Audio at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre on Thursday, September 26. 

Formed in Leeds, England in 1980 by Gary Marx and Andrew Eldritch, the band found their name courtesy of the Leonard Cohen song, “Sisters of Mercy.” Early albums by the band were fueled by postpunk riffage and primitive drum machines, with Eldritch’s gloomy bass-baritone offering the band a standout quality that pushed them ahead of the pack of the burgeoning gothic rock scene.

 In the mid-eighties, Marx left the band to form The Mission and a new lineup of The Sisters of Mercy were formed, helmed by Eldritch and featuring the arrival of bass guitarist Pamela Morrison from The Gun Club. In 1987 they released the album Floodland, featuring the song “This Corrosion,” an international hit that featured much play on Reagan-era MTV. Second only to Bauhaus, the Sisters of Mercy became (and remain) signifiers of goth music and culture.

Due to mishandling by labels, the Sisters of Mercy have not released a new album in more than 30 years. Yet the band still performs new material and their audience remains devoted: their 2023 tour featured 19 sold-out shows and was the band’s first North American tour in nearly 15 years.

The current lineup includes founding member Eldritch along with longtime “sisters” Ben Chistro, Chris Catalyst, Kai and the ever-present Doktor Avalanche—the band’s longstanding name for the series of drum machines that fuels the band’s self-described mix of “punk-psychedelia, metal, dance beats and guttural growls.”

The Sisters of Mercy perform with Blaqk Audio at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre on Thursday, September 26. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 10 and are available here.