Members (past and present)
Like many bands, The Sisters of Mercy have gone through frequent lineup changes over the years. The one constant has been founding member Andrew Eldritch, the singer, lyricist and, over time, band leader. He has often said that he was never entirely comfortable with that level of responsibility, and that things were never supposed to develop that way.
The band's second near-permanent member, and probably the one who will remain for as long as The Sisters exist, is Doktor Avalanche.
Even so, Andrew Eldritch has always been able to assemble strong musicians around himself and The Doktor whenever needed. As a rule, band members, like The Doktor's own component parts, changed with each new album. The same was true of The Sisterhood and the SSV project (1997). Since the mid 90s, The Sisters of Mercy have mostly been built around a stable group of live musicians.
In 2019, long-time Sisters guitarist Chris Catalyst did not join the band for their European Summer Festival appearances or the following National Treasure worldwide club tour that autumn.
He was replaced by Australian multi-instrumentalist and composer Dylan Smith, who played his first show with the band at HELLFEST 2019 in France. From 2019 onward, he was involved in writing a substantial number of new Sisters songs. After the International Treasure Tour (2022), the Sisters At The Planet Edge Tour of North and South America, and a number of summer festivals in 2023, he left the band at the start of The Sisters of Mercy's Neon Faust Tour of Europe that autumn, apparently because of unfortunate circumstances.
A few shows later, Kai of Esprit D'Air stepped in for Dylan on guitar and backing vocals. For this run of shows, Chris Catalyst also rejoined The Sisters of Mercy, taking on new duties as The Doktor's nurse, since Ravey Davey was urgently needed at home and was unavailable. Since then, Kai has established himself as a full member of the band, while Chris Catalyst once again moved on to other commitments in summer 2025 after The Sisters' all wires red tour, which ended with a double show at the Camden Roundhouse. For the Summer Festivals and most likely the Latin America shows in 2025, The Sisters of Mercy brought in Frederick Thunder as The Doktor's nurse.
Current Band Members
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 and other notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Error creating thumbnail: File missing | Lisa Cuthbert | 2012, 2014, 2017 | additional vocals in 2012: keyboards and vocals |
Live guest appearance at Amphi Festival 2012, Cologne, Germany Backing vocals at Rock Zottegem 2014 and at several shows on the Sisters 2017 Tour |
| Error creating thumbnail: File missing | Mike Hall | 1998 | programming | Nurse to The Doktor during the Event Horizon Tour in 1998 only Originally the keyboard technician for Erasure |
| - no picture available - | T. Schroeder | 1997 | lyrics | Studio only Album: Go Figure (SSV) |
| Error creating thumbnail: File missing | Peter Bellendir | 1997 | composing, programming, production | Studio only Album: Go Figure (SSV) |
| Error creating thumbnail: File missing | 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 on the Overbombing Tour in 1993 |
| Error creating thumbnail: File missing | Terri Nunn | 1993, 2023 | additional vocals | Single and video: Under The Gun (single), Under The Gun (video) Top of the Pops TV performance on 26 August 1993 Live guest vocals on Temple Of Love on 23 May 2023 |
| Error creating thumbnail: File missing | Jovanka von Wilsdorf | 1992 - 1993 | backing vocals, keyboards | Live only in 1992 on the GoBang Tour Live only in 1993 on The Summer Festivals and the Overbombing Tour Also appeared in the TV playback performance of Under The Gun on 26 November 1993 in the VOX TV feature Elf 99 |
| Error creating thumbnail: File missing | Ofra Haza | 1992 | additional vocals | Single and album: Temple Of Love (1992), A Slight Case Of Overbombing Top of the Pops TV performance on 30 April 1992 |
| Error creating thumbnail: File missing | Suzanna Josefowicz | 1991 - Summer 1993 | keyboards, backing vocals | Live only in 1991 on Tour Thing 2 and Tune In Turn On Load Out Live only in 1992 on the GoBang Tour Live only in 1993 on The Summer Festivals |
| Error creating thumbnail: File missing | Dan Donovan | 1990 | keyboards | Live in 1990 on Tour Thing 1, the Vision Thing tour Singles and EPs: When You Don't See Me (live tracks) |
| Error creating thumbnail: File missing | John Perry | 1990 | slide guitar | Studio only Album: Vision Thing Track: Detonation Boulevard |
| Error creating thumbnail: File missing | Maggie Reilly | 1990 | backing vocals | Studio only Album: Vision Thing Tracks: Vision Thing, More, Detonation Boulevard, Something Fast, Doctor Jeep |
| Error creating thumbnail: File missing | Jim Steinman | 1987 - 1990 | production, co-production | Studio only Tracks: 1987, Floodland: This Corrosion, Dominion/Mother Russia 1990, Vision Thing: More |
| Error creating thumbnail: File missing | Lucas Fox | 1986 | co-production, percussion, vocals | Studio only The Sisterhood: Gift (1986) Member of The Chorus Of Vengeance Singles and EPs: Giving Ground |
| Error creating thumbnail: File missing | Alan Vega | 1986 | vocals | Studio only The Sisterhood: Gift (1986) Member of The Chorus Of Vengeance Not fully confirmed |
| Error creating thumbnail: File missing | Carl Harrison | 1985 - 1988 | keyboards | Live only during various TV appearances in 1987 and 1988 as a member of James Ray And The Performance See ultimatesistersguide/TV Appearances/1988 |
| Error creating thumbnail: File missing | James Ray | 1985 - 1988 | vocals, keyboards | The Sisterhood: Gift and Giving Ground Member of The Chorus Of Vengeance Also appeared in various TV performances in 1987 and 1988 See ultimatesistersguide/TV Appearances/1988 |
|
Boyd Steemson | until 1992 | tour management and organisational work with Merciful Release | Administrative work only |
| Error creating thumbnail: File missing | Tom Ashton | 1983 | guitars | Originally a member of The March Violets Stepped in for several Sisters live shows in 1983 after Ben Gunn left abruptly |
| Error creating thumbnail: File missing | Dave Humphrey | 1981 | guitars | Live only |
| Error creating thumbnail: File missing | Jon Langford | 1981 | bass | Live only while The Sisters were looking for 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
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