Who We Are: The Sisters of Mercy, Leeds 1980

We're The Sisters of Mercy, and we started in Leeds, West Yorkshire, in 1980. This is the short version of how we got here, and why our merch looks the way it does.

Where did we start?

Andrew Eldritch and Gary Marx formed the band in Leeds in 1980. The aim was simple: to hear ourselves on the radio. The first single, "The Damage Done", came out on our own label, Merciful Release, in a pressing of 1,000 copies.

Where does the name come from?

From the Leonard Cohen song "Sisters of Mercy", heard in Robert Altman's film McCabe & Mrs. Miller from 1971.

Who has been in the band?

A lot of people over the years. Craig Adams played bass from 1981 to 1985, Ben Gunn guitar from 1981 to 1983, and Wayne Hussey guitar from 1983 to 1985. Gary Marx left in 1985. Patricia Morrison played bass from 1987 to 1989, then came Andreas Bruhn, Tony James, Tim Bricheno and Adam Pearson. Chris Catalyst, Ben Christo, Dylan Smith and Kai have all played with us since.

Two things never changed: Andrew Eldritch on vocals, and Doktor Avalanche, our drum machine.

What kind of band are we?

The press files us under gothic rock and post-punk. We'd rather you just listen. We've been active from 1980 to 1985 and again from 1987 to now, and we're still out on the road, including a North American tour in 2024.

What does that mean for the merch?

Our designs come from the same world as the records: the head-and-star emblem, stark photos and names from our releases. They're dark, plain and made to be worn, at a show or anywhere else.

Tip: start with the emblem. It's the design people recognise from across a room.

Ready to find yours? Browse the full collection.