Sisters
At the Reading Festival circa 91-92, the year the Sisters of Mercy headlined.

In those days you could freely get on to the campsite, the only difficult bit was getting into the arena but I'd always managed either by standing on someone's shoulders to climb over the fence or by scraping a hole and squeezing under it. This was easier to do at night when security were less likely to notice.

Me and my mate had turned up ticketless and pitched a tent. We were passing the time of day by listening to a rave tape on my portable stereo when a bloke from a nearby tent came over and requested that we turn it off. We refused. He informed us that he was a roadie and offered us a backstage pass, only one, in return for a loan of the stereo. Cool.

So we wondered down the track to the back stage area and I went in and had a scout around. There was a big marquee with a free buffet in it the side of which backed onto the very edge of the festival site and there was no fence there. So I went back outside to my mate and we somehow managed to distract security so that he could get around the side of the marquee and in.

After a hearty free lunch we spent the rest of the day drinking, smoking and observing the various minor popstars going about their business.

My first sighting of Andrew Eldritch was of him being hassled by some German or Dutch bloke and threatening to have him kicked out.

Much later in the evening, the seating area emptied as people went to watch whoever it was playing.

We sat at a table on which we found a pair of sunglasses that had been discarded. I said to my mate "those look like Andrew Eldritch's sunglasses", put them on then did an impersonation: "Waaaaar, Sisters, It's just a kiss away" in a very deep voice. We laughed. Then my mate put them on and did a similar goth mimic only he didn't know any of their lyrics so it may have been "I'm really eviiiiiil" or something. Another fit of stoned giggling.

I glanced across at a figure who had sat down a few feet away and was met with the glare of the prince of darkness himself, Andrew Eldritch minus his sunglasses.

We sat and laughed at him until he got up and walk, walk, walk, walk, walked away.

Awayayayay.

Got my stereo back too, which was nice.
( stopmeandslapme Cometh the hour, cometh your mum, Wed 12 Nov 2008, 23:15, 4 replies)

hey now, hey now na now,
give my sunglasses to me.
(apeloverage committed the vile act of onanism on, Thu 13 Nov 2008, 5:59, closed)

only one reply sniff
I put my body and soul into that.
( stopmeandslapme Cometh the hour, cometh your mum, Thu 13 Nov 2008, 7:49, closed)

The Damage Done now, eh?
*unreleased track joke*
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 13 Nov 2008, 9:42, closed)

Oh come on,
there's no time to cry.
(kitescreech still here, Thu 13 Nov 2008, 14:43, closed)