The Mission still clocking up miles
Until recently, it seemed that the goth-rock band the Mission, one of the more popular bands of the British dark-wave movement of the late 1980s and early 1990s, had run its course. But the group, led by Wayne Hussey – the sole remaining original member – which returned to performing in 1999 following a five-year break, and resuming recording soon after, now has a new album in the making. It is also touring, with one Greek date on its agenda this Sunday night in Athens at the Gagarin Club (205 Liosion, tel 210.854.7600-2). In the mid-1990s, the Mission, following a decade of touring and recording, had decided to go on an extended hiatus. The band re-emerged in 1999 with Hussey as the only original member left in the lineup for an international tour that included a show in Greece. The band’s return, as a performing act, was bolstered by new material on a well-received comeback album in 2001 entitled «Aura.» It was backed by further dates. The Mission were formed in 1986 by Hussey, on guitar and vocals, and bassist Craig Adams after they both abandoned one of that period’s most popular goth-rock acts, the Sisters of Mercy, to form their own band. The group was originally called the Sisterhood, but changed to the Mission after Andrew Eldritch, Sisters of Mercy frontman, strongly objected. Derided by critics as pompous and melodramatic, the Mission nevertheless attracted a considerable audience of goth-rock fans. Prior to their recent return, the group released seven albums which have sold over 3 million copies. The group’s popularity peaked in the late 1980s with the release of their third album, «Children.» Produced by John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin, it reached number two on the British album charts. A couple of lackluster albums in the mid-1990s led to the group’s demise before they reignited interest with the album «Aura» in 2001.
