Members (past and present)

Like plenty other bands, The Sisters of Mercy changed more or less often over the years, apart from one founding member, i.e. singer, lyricist and - with time - band leader Andrew Eldritch, who himself has often pointed out that he's never felt quite comfortable with that much responsibilty and that, anyway, things had initially never meant to come to this.

The second almost alltime-member, who will probably last as long as The Sisters will is Doktor Avalanche.

Anyway, Andrew Eldritch has always been able to convene around The Doktor some remarkable staff whenever for whatever task necessary. Basically, bandmembers - like The Doktor's constituent parts - changed with every new album release, which does of course count as well for The Sisterhood and the SSV project (1997). Since then, The Sisters of Mercy have mostly consisted of long-lasting live performance members.

In 2019, long-term Sisters guitarist Chris Catalyst did not join the band for their European Summer Festival appearances and the following worldwide club tour in autumn.
He was replaced by Australian multi-instrumentalist and composer Dylan Smith, who did his first gig with the band at HELLFEST 2019 in France. From 2019 on, he was involved in writing quite a large bunch of new Sisters songs. After the International Treasure Tour (2022), the Sisters At The Planet Edge Tour to North and South America and few summer festivals in 2023, he left the band at the start of The Sisters of Mercy's Tour of Europe in autumn that year, apparently due to unlucky circumstances. A few concerts later, Kai of Esprit D'Air stepped in for Dylan on guitars and backing vocals. Time will tell, whether we will see Dylan on stage with The Sisters of Mercy again. Anyway for this trunch, Chris Catalyst also re-joined The Sisters of Mercy, but took over new duties as nurse to The Doktor - Ravey Davey was urgently needed at home and therefore not available.

Current Band Members

Name	Years Active	Instruments	Release Contributions & Other Notes
Andrew Eldritch	1980 - present	lead vocals, keyboards, guitars	all releases and non-releases by The Sisters of Mercy all releases by The Sisterhood and SSV
Ben Christo	2006 - present	guitars, bass, backing vocals	live during all tours since 2006 Unreleased songs (with Andrew Eldritch & Dylan Smith): Kickline, Show Me, Better Reptile, Instrumental 86, Eyes Of Caligula, But Genevieve, I Will Call You, Black Sail, Don't Drive On Ice, Six Ways To Sunday, When I'm On Fire, Here, She's A Monster
Kai	most of Europe 2023 - present	guitars, backing vocals	Kai joined The Sisters as their second guitarist on 14/09/23 at Posthalle, Würzburg, Germany filling the gap that Dylan had left at the beginning of this tour.
Doktor Avalanche	1981 - present	drums, keyboards, bass	all releases and non-releases by The Sisters of Mercy apart from The Damage Done (single)
Chris Catalyst	2005 - 2017 2023	guitars, bass, backing vocals, nurse to The Doktor	live during all tours from 2005-2017 Unreleased songs: Still, Arms Autumn 2023 - present

Former Band Members

Note: This list does not include short-lived members, members of The Sisterhood or SSV and album or performance contributors.

Name	Years Active	Instruments	Release Contributions & Other Notes
Dylan Smith	2019 - 2023	guitars, backing vocals	live from 2019 to 2023 Unreleased songs (with Andrew Eldritch & Ben Christo): Kickline, Show Me, Better Reptile, Instrumental 86, Eyes Of Caligula, But Genevieve, I Will Call You, Black Sail, Don't Drive On Ice, Six Ways To Sunday, When I'm On Fire, Here, She's A Monster
Ravey Davey	1996 Summer 2012 Sisters 2014 until Summer 2023	programming	live during 1996: Roadkill Tour - as the first official nurse to The Doktor 2012: Summer 2012 2014: Sisters 2014 - Ever Forward and all further tours until Summer 2023.
Si Denbigh	1997 - Spring 2012 except Spring 1998	programming	long-time nurse to The Doktor. After The Sisters' XXX 30th Stage Anniversary Tour 2011/2012 Si Denbigh went to concentrate on The March Violets' album project. Si was also replaced by Mike Hall for the Event Horizon tour in 1998, but returned in Summer 1998.
Mike Varjak	1997 - 1999	guitars	live during 1997: Distance Over Time 1998: Event Horizon and Summer 1999: Sisters To The Planet Edge Unreleased Songs: We Are The Same, Susanne, Will I Dream? (with Adam Pearson)
Chris Sheehan aka Chris Starling	1996 2000 - 2003	rhythm guitar, backing vocals	live only during 1996: Roadkill Tour 2000: Sisters Trip The Light Fantastic 2001: Exxile On Euphoria and Summer 2001 2002: Summer 2002 2003: Smoke And Mirrors
Adam Pearson	1993 - 2005	lead guitar, backing vocals, bass	Singles & EPs: Under The Gun Unreleased Songs: Come Together, Crash And Burn, Romeo Down, Snub Nose aka Top Nite Out, Summer, I Have Slept With All The Girls In Berlin Will I Dream? (with Mike Varjak)
Tim Bricheno	1990 - 1992	guitars	Album: Vision Thing Singles & EPs: More, Doctor Jeep, When You Don't See Me, Temple Of Love (1992)
Tony James	1989 - 1991	bass	Album: Vision Thing Singles & EPs: More, Doctor Jeep, When You Don't See Me, Temple Of Love (1992)
Andreas Bruhn	1989 - 1993	guitars	Album: Vision Thing Singles & EPs: More, Doctor Jeep, When You Don't See Me, Temple Of Love (1992)
Patricia Morrison	1985 - 1989	bass, backing vocals	Albums, Singles & EPs: The Sisterhood: Member of The Chorus Of Vengeance Album - Gift / Single - Giving Ground The Sisters of Mercy: Album - Floodland Singles - This Corrosion, Dominion, Lucretia
Wayne Hussey	1984 - 1985	guitars, backing vocals	Album: First And Last And Always Singles & EPs: Body And Soul, Walk Away, No Time To Cry
Ben Gunn	1981 - 1983	guitars	Singles & EPs: Alice, Anaconda, Alice EP, The Reptile House EP, Temple Of Love
Craig Adams	1981 - 1985	bass	Album: First And Last And Always Singles & EPs: Body Electric, Alice, Anaconda, Alice EP, Temple Of Love, The Reptile House EP, Body And Soul, Walk Away including Long Train Flexi, No Time To Cry
Gary Marx	1980 - 1985	guitars, lead vocals on two early tracks	Album: First And Last And Always Singles & EPs: The Damage Done, Body Electric, Alice, Anaconda, Alice EP, The Reptile House EP, Temple Of Love, Body And Soul,Walk Away including Long Train Flexi, No Time To Cry

Short-lived Members And Other Contributors

Note: This list does not yet include all short-lived members from 1980-1981, live band members from 1990 onwards, and album or performance contributors.

Image	Name	Years Active	Instruments	Release Contributions & Other Notes
	Lisa Cuthbert	2012, 2014, 2017	additional vocals in 2012: keyboards & vocals	live surprise act during Amphi Festival 2012, Cologne, Germany background vocals at Rock Zottegem 2014 and at several gigs of the Sisters 2017 Tour
	Mike Hall	1998	programming	nurse to The Doktor in 1998 for Event Horizon Tour only, originally the keyboard technician of Erasure
	T. Schroeder	1997	lyrics	Studio only Album: Go Figure (SSV)
	Peter Bellendir	1997	composing, programming, production	Studio only Album: Go Figure (SSV)
	Rodney Orpheus	1993	keyboards	Top Of The Pops - TV performance of Under The Gun
- no picture available -	Hermine Karo aka Hermine von Wiro	1993	backing vocals	live only during 1993: Overbombing Tour
	Terri Nunn	1993, 2023	additional vocals	Single & Video: Under The Gun (single), Under The Gun (video) TV performance on 26 August 1993 - Top of the Pops Live: additional vocals on Temple Of Love on 23 May 2023
	Jovanka von Wilsdorf	1992 - 1993	backing vocals keyboards	live only during 1992: GoBang Tour 1993: The Summer Festivals and Overbombing Tour also: TV playback performance of Under The Gun on 26 November 1993 in VOX TV feature Elf 99
	Ofra Haza	1992	additional vocals	Single & Album: Temple Of Love (1992) A Slight Case Of Overbombing (the same track) TV performance on 30 April 1992 - Top of the Pops
	Suzanna Josefowicz	1991 - Summer 1993	keyboards, backing vocals	live only during 1991: Tour Thing 2 and Tune In Turn On Load Out 1992: GoBang Tour 1993: The Summer Festivals
	Dan Donovan	1990	keyboards	live during 1990 Tour Thing 1 - Vision Thing Tour Singles & EPs: When You Don't See Me (live tracks)
	John Perry	1990	slide guitar	Studio only Album: Vision Thing - Track: Detonation Boulevard
	Maggie Reilly	1990	backing vocals	Studio only Album: Vision Thing Tracks: Vision Thing, More, Detonation Boulevard, Something Fast, Doctor Jeep
	Jim Steinman	1987 - 1990	production, co-production	Studio only Tracks: 1987 Floodland - This Corrosion, Dominion/Mother Russia 1990 Vision Thing - More
	Lucas Fox	1986	co-production percussions, vocals	Studio only Albums: The Sisterhood: Gift (album) (1986) Member of The Chorus Of Vengeance Singles & EPs: Giving Ground
	Alan Vega	1986	vocals	Studio only Albums: The Sisterhood: Gift (album) (1986) Member of The Chorus Of Vengeance - not 100% confirmed -
	Carl Harrison	1985 - 1988	keyboards	live only during various TV appearances in 1987/8 as a member of James Ray And The Performance see ultimatesistersguide/TV Appearances/1988
	James Ray	1985 - 1988	vocals, keyboards	The Sisterhood: Gift (album) & Giving Ground (single) Member of The Chorus Of Vengeance various TV appearances in 1987/8 see ultimatesistersguide/TV Appearances/1988
	Boyd Steemson	- 1992	tour management and organisational tasks with Merciful Release	administrative tasks only
	Tom Ashton	1983	guitars	Tom Ashton is originally a member of The March Violets and stepped in for some Sisters live gigs in 1983 when Ben Gunn had left more or less all of a sudden.
	Dave Humphrey	1981	guitars	live only
	Jon Langford	1981	bass	live only while The Sisters were searching a bass player