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.
Time will tell, whether he will be seen on stage with The Sisters of Mercy one day or other again. Anyway, he was replaced by Dylan Smith, who did his first gig with the band
at HELLFEST Festival 2019 in France.
Current Band Members
| Image | 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 only during all tours since 2006 |
|
Dylan Smith | 2019 ... | guitars, backing vocals |
live guitarist for the current festival and club tour |
|
Doktor Avalanche | 1981 - present | drums, keyboards, bass |
all releases and non-releases by The Sisters of Mercy apart from The Damage Done (single) |
|
Ravey Davey | 1996 Summer 2012 Sisters 2014 - present |
programming | live only during 1996: Roadkill Tour 2012: Summer 2012 2014: Sisters 2014 - Ever Forward Ravey Davey has been the first official nurse to The Doktor and returned to duties in 2012. |
Former Band Members
Note: This list does not include short-lived members, members of The Sisterhood or SSV and album or performance contributors.
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 |
Graph Timeline
This timeline shows the members of The Sisters of Mercy from 1980 to 2010. It is not complete, though. See also The Sisters of Mercy Family Tree
