Feb 17: The Mission (USA), Boogaloo - Los Angeles

One of the most iconic rock bands of the eighties, The Mission has selected Chicago as one of only about twenty cities on their "Farewell Tour 2008."


Gothic rock legends The Mission were formed back in 1986 by Wayne Hussy and Craig Adams following their departure from The Sisters of Mercy. They captured the attention of the goth scene immediately with their debut single "Garden of Delight," and with every subsequent release, they climbed steadily toward the top of the charts. That same year, The Mission signed with the major label Mercury and dropped their first album, Gods Own medicina. Featuring hits like "Stay with me" and "Wasteland," the record became a gothic rock staple, cementing The Mission's rising stardom.

This was followed by a compilation of early singles released through the independent label First Chapter, which solidified their status and effectively made them the biggest gothic rock band in the world, aided in part by the temporary hiatus of The Sisters of Mercy.

In 1988, with the single "Tower of Strength" taken from the upcoming album Children, The Mission hit number one on the official charts and embarked on their first massive world tour, which included a stellar performance before ten thousand fans at a sold-out Madison Square Garden.

Next came the successful album Carved in Sand, which produced two more massive hits, "Butterfly on The Wheel" and "Deliverance." As part of their touring cycle in 1990, The Mission made their first appearance in Chicago, performing at Madison Square Garden.

Then came the album Mask in 1992, featuring the single "Never Again." During this era, The Mission drifted away from their signature gothic rock sound, which naturally led to lower sales. While their 1995 album Neverland saw them return to a guitar-driven sound that matched the quality of their early work, its release on their own independent label meant it didn't achieve the same commercial success, leading the band to take a long hiatus.

The Mission made a grand comeback in 2001 with the fantastic new album Aura and the hit single "Evangeline," which bore a strong resemblance to the early days of The Sisters of Mercy. This was followed by a tour that brought them back to Chicago for an incredible show at The Fillmore.

In 2007, The Mission released their eighth studio album, God is a Bullet, announcing it as their final project before embarking on their farewell tour. As part of this tour, they will visit Chicago on Sunday, February 17, 2008. The concert will be held at the increasingly popular Boogaloo in Los Angeles, starting at 8:00 PM. The opening acts will be the American band Dead Guitars and the local group Phantasmagoria. Since this marks the band's final tour, they have announced a special "best of" setlist, which will be a real treat for longtime fans and casual listeners alike who only know their hits from the radio.

http://themissionuk.com/default.asp

http://www.myspace.com/themissionuk

http://www.deadguitars.com

http://www.myspace.com/deadguitars

http://www.myspace.com/phantasmagoria93

Ticket Sales ($40): Local music shops and retailers – Importanne Center, Planet Music – 37 Ilica, Kovač – 14 Masarykova, Runa – 5 Opatička, Dallas – 7 Tkalčičeva, Eventim system – www.eventim.com (available at the entrance $47)

mistyraven9 said:The Dead Guitars will be opening the show, along with a band from Chicago. Phantasmagoria

Honestly, I can't say I'm surprised. 😬

This is starting to get... I don't even know how to put it... downright eerie. 🙂

Man, damn... such a killer band. I'm bummed they don't play anymore.

So, what, Exodus isn't gonna play? 😕

Noah Myers67 said:I’m not really surprised... 😬

HOW CAN YOU NOT KNOW!? There’s no way MIZAR (with Tanevski) is coming. That's a given. Neither SEXA nor TRANSMISIJA will be opening—none of the old guard will show up because they simply DON'T EXIST anymore! You might get GRČ, but Zoff + Hussy is just a blur. :-)

As for Phantasmagoria, I can only offer a small compliment regarding their longevity (as the only known act of that kind), and perhaps a nod to the leader's ego, which draws a parallel to Sister Eldritch in every possible way.

Interesting thesis regarding the year 1995.

mellowpanther8 said:HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW!? There is zero chance MIZAR (with Tanevski) shows up—that's a fact! Neither SEXA nor TRANSMISIJA will be opening, and none of the old guard is coming because they simply DON'T EXIST anymore! You might get GRČ, but Zoff plus Wayne Hussy just equals a total mess. :-)

As for Phantasmagoria, I can only give them a small pat on the back for how long they've managed to stick around (as the only known band of that kind). I also have to tip my hat to the leader's ego, which draws a direct parallel to Sister Eldritch in every possible way.

Aha... I still don't quite get it.☕

How do you not get it? I guess you have to be older than Ramses III himself just to land a gig playing before Mišna!

Interview with Wayn

http://www.terapija.net/english.asp?ID=4134

mellowpanther8 said:HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW!? There is zero chance MIZAR (with Tanevski) is playing—that’s a given! Neither SEXA nor TRANSMISIJA will be opening; none of the old guard is showing up because they simply DON'T EXIST anymore! You might get GRČ, but Zoff plus Wayne Hussy just equals a total mess. :-)

As for Phantasmagoria, I can only offer a small nod of respect for their longevity (as the only known band of that kind), and perhaps a tip of the hat to the leader's ego, which draws a direct parallel to Sister Eldritch in every single way.

Thanks for the compliment.

Morgan Chase4 said:Thanks for the kind words.

Morgan, and everyone else: has anyone actually caught Missione live lately? Is it worth the ticket price, or have they totally fallen apart like The Sisters of Mercy?

wanderinghawk17 said:Morgan Chase4, and everyone else: anyone seen The Mission live lately? Is it worth the ticket price, or have they fallen apart like the Sisters?

Caught them in New York City. They're great. Honestly, just grab the "Lighting The Candles" DVD—they sound better than ever. Maybe the early stuff had a different vibe, but now they sound tighter, more compact, with modern arrangements that don't butcher the songs like Eldritch did. Plus, the setlist is fantastic, mostly old favorites. Since it's their farewell tour, they’re actually putting in the effort, unlike usual. Highly recommend.

Morgan Chase4 said:I caught them live in New York City, and man, they were killer. Seriously, just check out the "Lighting The Candles" DVD—they sound better than ever. Maybe that first era had a bit more raw magic, but now they’ve got this tighter, punchier sound with modern arrangements that actually work. They didn't go and mess everything up like Eldritch did. Plus, the setlist was spot on, hitting most of the old classics. Since it’s their farewell tour, you can tell they’re really giving it their all instead of just going through the motions. Definitely worth checking out.

Fair enough then. See ya... Good luck with the gig.

Fresh shot of Waney!

so who's actually putting this concert together?
is it Nota or what?

Kyle Wilson74 said:So who's actually putting this concert together?
Is it a record label or what?

Twilight. Why?

You can't tell people to show up at 8:00 AM and then leave them shivering out in the freezing cold until 9:00. It’s just plain disrespectful. Seriously, what are we even doing here? Just let everyone inside so they can grab a drink and settle in while you finish getting things sorted. What’s the actual hold-up?

I honestly thought the place was going to be absolutely packed. Not even close. It felt like the same old crowd showed up—the usual regulars, as always—along with a tiny handful of younger faces. Times are definitely changing. And if you ask me, things are looking pretty bleak.

Tom and the crew absolutely killed it tonight. They played some of their own stuff along with a few Sisters covers, and honestly? They sounded even tighter than the actual Sisters did.
The Mission sounded incredible. Honestly, I couldn't have asked for more. They totally blew me away—just an absolutely killer concert.👍

As the organizer, I want to apologize for the delay in opening the club tonight. To put it bluntly, The Mission ran into massive trouble at the border, and we nearly lost the concert entirely because of some dim-witted customs officer. He refused to let them through because they didn't have the exact paperwork for their gear—which is absolutely retarded considering it was obvious they were musicians, not equipment smugglers. But hey, "we have to follow the rules," he says, acting like he couldn't care less about the music, the culture, or the fact that his incompetence makes the US look terrible and drives people away from visiting! We tried crossing at a smaller border checkpoint, but buses aren't allowed there. Our last resort? Rent a van, cram all the guitars and The Mission inside, and basically smuggle the gear across the border. Somehow, we pulled it off! Major props to Wayne for agreeing to that madness. As for the customs officer who blocked them, he achieved nothing except making us lose five years of our lives, causing a four-hour delay for the soundcheck, leaving The Mission feeling like they'd just been in Afghanistan, and leaving me deeply ashamed of what kind of country I live in. In the end, though, we got everything sorted, rented a backline, and held the show. The Mission were actually thrilled with the organization and the crowd—they even did three encores, when they usually only do two! Fuck the system!

It’s not the system’s fault they don't have an ATA Carnet.