The Fillmore in San Francisco, California hosted the Sisters of Mercy with Blaqk Audio as the opener on October 8, 2024. The Fillmore, originally called the Majestic Hall, opened in 1912 but was renamed the FIllmore in 1954. It has been a institution of modern music since it’s inception.
Blaqk Audio, hailing from Oakland, California, banged out an awesome set to a plethora of hometown heroes. Starting their set with “Stiff Kittens”, Davey Hovok came out wearing a suit covered in sequins to a round of applause. The song allowed him to dance and have fun while performing. As they entered the next song, “Dark Times at the Berlin Wall” the two were jamming already and so was the crowd. The dancing was off the chart and never quit as long as the music was going. This guy was a beast, and it showed. They played several more songs with theatrical fanfare from the crowd. After that song, they took a break to say how much they loved The Fillmore and reminisced about how many of the awesome shows they witnessed. It was nice to hear they were normal guys and they dug a lot of the same music the crowd did. When Blaqk Audio began “Waiting to be Told”, they were getting into the crowd and it showed. After the conclusion of the song they instantly went into “Unstained”, a highlight of the set. After a few more songs, it was time to say good night to the crowd and they gave them tremendous rounds of applause. It was an amazing welcome home show for them.
Follow Blaqk Audio band members:
Davey Havok – lead vocals, lyricist
Jade Puget – keyboard, synthesizer, backing vocals, composer
Setlist:
1). Stiff Kittens
2). Dark Times at the Berlin Wall
3). Cities of Night
4). OK, Alex
5). 1948
6). The Viles
7). Waiting to Be Told
8). Unstained
9). Material
10). Bitter for Sweet
11). First to Love
the crowd was giddy with anticipation when Sisters of Mercy hit the stage. They Began with “Doctor Jeep/Detonation Boulevard“, a compilation track, the band kicked it off with a bang. That first song set the pace for what was to come. The next song was a newer song, “Don’t Drive on Ice” which was a solid song that had the crowd rocking as they slayed the tune. The song had stunning guitar riffs and solid vocals. Next, there they headed into “Ribbons” which much like the last song, had a tremendous guitar track that accompanied the vocals perfectly.
Then they went way back and did “Alice“, a culturally significant tune that still radiates today followed by “Summer” and the crowd was in full swing. That song is surely a hit given its popularity with the audience. “Dominion/Mother Russia“, was next off of the Floodland album, which is always a hit no matter how many people sing it with them. Following that was “I Will Call You“, “We Are the Same, Susanne” and “Quantum Baby” before hitting “Eyes of Caligula“. The melodies and tempo were just perfect. Then, a Sisters song, “More” with a hard-diving beat, awesome lyrics, and some lulls just to change it up a bit. That song really rocks! “But Genevieve” eased the pace a bit and took the edge off. The last song of this part of the set was “Temple of Love” which just shredded.
If “Temple of Love” were the last song, the audience would have been satisfied. But no, coming back on stage after a few minutes, they laid into “Lucretia My Reflection” and dominated it. A crowd favorite for sure. The final song of the evening was “This Corrosion” and the crowd exploded with cheers as they ripped through the song. When they were done, they all said goodbye and it was time to go, but not before they handed out setlists to several people up front. It was a well-thought-out show and it gave everyone a lot to digest as we all made our way back home.
Follow Sisters of Mercy band members:
Andrew Eldritch – vocals, keyboards, guitars, drum programming
Ben Christo – guitars, backing vocals, bass
Kai – guitars, backing vocals
Chris Catalyst – Doktor Avalanche operator
Setlist:
1). Doctor Jeep / Detonation Boulevard
2). Don’t Drive on Ice
3). Ribbons
4). Alice
5). Summer
6). Dominion / Mother Russia
7). I Will Call You
8). We Are the Same, Susanne
9). Quantum Baby
10). Eyes of Caligula
11). More
12). But Genevieve
13). I Was Wrong
14). Here
15). When I’m on Fire
16). On the Beach
17). Temple of Love
Encore:
18). Lucretia My Reflection
19). This Corrosion
Follow Blaqk Audio on social media
Follow Sisters of Mercy on social media
Photographer of about 10 years, I have been shooting concerts for about 8 of those years. I started to get serious about concert photography about 6 or 7 years ago and now try to shoot as many as I can. I shoot mostly rock but, have done some country and big band stuff. I love music and since I am nowhere close to being a musician, this is a way I can be a small part of what, in the words of Henry Rollins, “gets me through the highs, the lows and everything in between”.
