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Interview conducted
in January 2002
LATEST RELEASE:
"Aural Delight" |
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| |  | |   | | By Christophe Labussière | | Photos all rights reserved |
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The Mission was born in January 1986 on the still hot ashes of The Sisters of Mercy who split the previous summer. Mick Brown and Simon Hinkler accompanied by Wayne Hussey (on guitar), and Craig Adams (on bass) founded Sisterhood, which would become The Mission on the first single, "Serpents Kiss/Wake" in May 1986. Four other singles followed and preceded the release of the album "GOD'S OWN MEDICINE" at the end of 1986. Even if the filiation with The Sisters of Mercy was obvious, especially with the guitars, the sound was quite different. The whole was more emphatic, more epic. The single format, which made the best hours of the Sisters, seemed to suit well The Mission once again. A compilation, "The First Chapter" was released in June 1987 and contained their main first hits. Squatting the first places on the English charts, and touring throughout Europe and America, the band reached then the top of their popularity. In February 1988, John-Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) produced the album "CHILDREN" and ratified The Mission's sound, creating with him a new movement, a kind of neo-beatnik gothic rock where the lyrics and the image took an importance they didn't have before. Tower of Strength placed itself well in the American Billboard and the band started a new tour in the United States. Everywhere they went, The Mission carried along an incredible following which was almost enough to fill each venue where the band played. Their concerts became real shows, as much in the public watching as on stage where the band was in perfect osmosis with its audience. In February 1990, "CARVED IN SAND" ended a sumptuous trilogy. Then, The Mission started a new tour during which Simon Hinkler forsook the band. "Grains of Sand" was released at the end of the year and contained tracks that were not taken on "Carved in Sand". In June 1992, "MASQUE", there was an unexpected pause in the band's success story. Produced by Jaz Coleman (Killing Joke), it created a rupture with the previous albums. Over-produced, the album totally changed style by using electronic sounds and sometimes dance rhythmics. Any trace of The Mission's personality had disappeared. The band didn't tour. Then, it was Craig Adams' turn to leave, he joined The Cult. In February 1995, "NEVERLAND" was released. Despite some very good tracks, it didn't manage to straighten things up, the magic was gone. A few months after the release of "BLUE" in 1996, which was in the same line as "Neverland", produced by Wayne Hussey himself, the band split up. At the end of 1999, the album "Resurrection", a luxury compilation offering some remixes and strange versions, announced the reformation of the band, at least the return of Craig Adams beside Wayne Hussey. Then, the band began an interminable tour and released a live album, "Everafter" in August 2000. A new era seemed to start for The Mission who offered convincing performances and released in November 2001 its first honourable studio album for five years, "AURA".
In May 2002, right in the middle of a South American tour, Craig Adams left the band again. Wayne Hussey went on with the tour alone. "Aura Delight", released a few months ago showed Wayne's will to hang on to it, but it didn't presage of the best as for the Mission's real survival. | | |  | | | | | |        | |
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