Are They Related to Aleister Crowley?
By Carson Parkin-Fairley.
Sister at the Buffalo Bar, September 2007
Seeing Sister live is like going back in time, not a time I was born in, for it’s part Elsa Lanchester in Bride of Frankenstein, part Siouxsie and the Banshees. The lead singer Gemma dominates the stage with her unforgettable voice — high and low — and haunting presence. The rest of the band dressed in black keep it slick: they are her musical zombies and as the music starts, we are all feeling it feeding through our veins.
Laid back and rock’n'roll are not words you would usually piece together, but that is exactly what Sister are, a kind of chill-out rock, reminiscent of Stardust Bowie. yet they’ve created their own sub genre. It might seem strange to label them in this way because their look is pretty hardcore and bares little resemblance to the sound…yet fits it perfectly. Gemma, parades the front of the stage with her sharp black 60’s zoot suit, crisp white shirt, six inch heels and her punk bouffant of jet black hair. Her zombieesque dance moves only add to the all-round mystical feel of the band, which made the dark habitat of the Buffalo Bar well suited to them.
As soon as they took to the stage you could feel their presence, like a Peter Lorre shadow. Their mellow and soft but all the while insanely catchy music fills the bar with a sort of buzzing energy, lifting us all along and away, and it seems like you’ve always known it. New single “Satellite” uses captivating lyrics and catchy riffs to hold you in their spell. “In My Darkest Hour” portrays a kind of music not often heard nowadays, reminiscent of early Sonic Youth and the Velvet Underground, but which still has Sister’s homebrand sound printed all over it. Despite the feeling of recognition, their music is entirely their own.
Whether you want to or not, you’ll love Sister, their eerily distinct sound will be haunting your ears for years to come. Without even realising it, I found myself singing “Satellite” whilst painting my nails before going out to mass in Brixton. Somehow it seemed to suit the sinister side of Sister. Wish they were part of my family. I wonder if they’re related to Aleister Crowley?
Sister’s first single is out on Regal in December. Collage pictures by Ben Meadows.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carson Parkin-Fairley, a born and bred Londoner, is sweet 17. She is currently doing her A levels at Eliot School and is applying to Art School (looking for funding to study in Amsterdamn!) In the summer she will be worldwide sofa serving, so beware, she knows how to party. She has written for the Daily Mail, London.
First published in 3:AM Magazine: Friday, October 5th, 2007.
