A colorful delight back in the eighties...Bringing back people to the past is not an easy task. Many have tried, most of them failed.
On TV, the sci-fi Netflix show Stranger Things is among the ones who succeeded.
And that is mostly thanks to its original soundtrack.
Last Saturday night at Belval was kind of the same situation. The Sisters brought a pleasant musical journey to the audience, all of whom became totally addicted to the trip.
It is a few minutes past 9.30pm when the trio took to the stage. Eldritch wearing a simple attire, composed of small black sunglasses and a hoodie; guitarist and backing vocalist Ben Christo strode out along with Dylan Smith as Eldritch's partners in crime. And, for the next 90 minutes or so, during which the band will play a total of 20 songs, including 3 for the encore, the crowd at Rockhal are held rapt.
The show opens with "I Will Call You" and all members remain hidden behind their sunglasses, this helps in bringing a gothic style cold atmosphere to the stage. Eldritch vocals appear first low in the mix, behind an orchestration perfectly in sync.
It will take a few tracks ("Ribbons", "Don't Drive On Ice", "Alice" and "But Genevieve") before Christo starts playing with the crowd, assisted by an over the top charisma; from now and until the end of the show, he will be the one carrying the band on his ripped shoulders.
The hits keep coming "Dominion/Mother Russia", intro tracks from the album "Floodland", and the crowd is now heading to its destination, the eighties. Heads are rolling, and while bodies are a bit shy to follow suit they too start to play along to the rhythm. Again, Christo, at the age of 43, is the star of the show. All eyes are on him, in spite of Eldritch also adopting his own special body language. In the back, Smith is still totally frozen behind his small black glasses, but that only adds to the charm of the act.
Songs continue to cascade, from "Summer" to the electrifying "When I'm On Fire" and nine songs in between. I'm looking at the people around me, in the near sold out Rockhal Club, and they all seem happy.
The band disappears backstage for a few minutes before coming back on stage and bringing out their encore, starting with the classic and long awaited "Lucretia My Reflection", followed by their anthem "Temple of Love", and finally "This Corrosion" closing the show.
Here again, guitar player Ben Christo moves from one side of the stage to the other, playing with the lucky ones being closer to the barriers, that guy is simply phenomenal. He is the element of the tableau that people will bring back in their memory, back to the 21st century, back to 2023, after having been transported to another time, another space.
Yes, the trip was great, and the Sisters were its instrument.
