Mission UK

The Mission (known as The Mission UK in the United States, because of a naming clash with a Philadelphia R&B band) is a Gothic rock band formed in 1986 by Wayne Hussey and Craig Adams (both of The Sisters of Mercy), soon adding Mick Brown (of Red Lorry Yellow Lorry) and Simon Hinkler (of Artery/Pulp).

Related Topics:
Gothic rock - 1986 - Wayne Hussey - Craig Adams - The Sisters of Mercy - Mick Brown - Red Lorry Yellow Lorry - Simon Hinkler - Artery - Pulp

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Initially touring as the Sisterhood, their former employer Andrew Eldritch threw out a quick spoiler to force a name-change. However, the combination of Mick's brand of speakers and a book relating to Hussey's Mormon upbringing makes them decide on The Mission. Using rejected demos from their sessions with Eldritch, the band quickly put out two indie singles on the Chapter 22 label, generating fever pitch interest from various record companies.

Related Topics:
Sisterhood - Andrew Eldritch - Mormon - Chapter 22

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Signing a seven-album deal with Phonogram, Hussey now becomes the main songwriter and frontman. Their debut album, God's Own Medicine, is recorded in six weeks with novice producer Tim Palmer - an acquaintance from Hussey's Dead or Alive days. It proves to be an emotional rollercoaster for Hussey, who has to exorcise various demons, lyric-wise, for this release.

Related Topics:
Phonogram - Tim Palmer - Dead or Alive

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The band embark on a succesful jaunt around Europe, culminating in a prestigious slot at the Reading Festival. The heavy schedule leads to the temporary departure of Adams, when their US-leg of the 'World Crusade Tour' goes into overdrive. A reflective mood follows when Adams returns and Hussey finds that he has fathered a daughter, Hannah. The John Paul Jones-produced second album, Children, includes their biggest UK hit to date, 'Tower of Strength', but its recording is not without problems. Most of the related personnel are kept out and the lush and epic nature of the release alienates some fans.

Related Topics:
Reading Festival - John Paul Jones - Tower of Strength

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The 'Children Play' world tour sees the band visiting South America and developing itself as Britain's premier touring outfit, supported by a legion of devoted fans (Eskimos/Missionaries). To recapture the intimacy of the earlier gigs, the band do a jaunt around the Scottish islands and Highlands to test out some new material. The Carved in Sand sessions see Tim Palmer return and a tried and tested formula expanded.

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Recording is interrupted for the Hillsborough Benefit, initiated by Hussey who is a lifelong Liverpool fan. Problems revolving around the final tracklisting result in a somewhat unbalanced release. The album is followed by 'Grains of Sand', including some of the other material recorded, showing a lighter side to the band. Injecting some further humour the four members decide to camp it up and form a glam tribute band The Metal Gurus. They support The Wonder Stuff on some of their UK dates and record a version of Slade's 'Merry Xmas Everybody'.

Related Topics:
Hillsborough - Liverpool - Glam - The Wonder Stuff - Slade

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The Deliverance World Tour is now starting to show the strains between the founding members and various weary arguments result in Hinkler storming off stage during a gig in Toronto. He is initially replaced by David Wolfenden for the remainder of the tour, while Tim Bricheno (All About Eve) guests before joining The Sisters of Mercy. With Paul Etchell (ex-Ghostdance) on keyboards and guitars, the last leg of the tour is finished. The band retreat after the bruising experience and Hussey moves to the Herefordshire countryside enjoying his newly-wed status and getting a drivers licence. Some new musical ideas are demoed while equipment is moved into an adjacent barn.

Related Topics:
Toronto - David Wolfenden - Tim Bricheno - All About Eve - The Sisters of Mercy - Paul Etchell - Ghostdance - Herefordshire

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The band team up with engineer Joe Gibb to create a high-tech studio setup. Brown has been soaking up the dance scene in Leeds, with Hussey taking in various folk elements. The band are asked to perform a lucrative headlining gig at Finsbury Park in 1991, and bring out a different side. Joined by Martin Allcock (ex-Fairport Convention) and Anthony Thistlewaite (ex-The Waterboys), the whole thing becomes a rather jointy affair which leaves many of old fanbase worried about the forthcoming release.

Related Topics:
Joe Gibb - Leeds - Finsbury Park - 1991 - Martin Allcock - Fairport Convention - Anthony Thistlewaite - The Waterboys

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Masque will become a highly contested release which sees a maturing of Hussey's songwriting and musical experiments, but seriously alienating the traditional gothic rock followers. The Mark Saunders-produced album is very beats-driven and folk inspired. The lyrical themes, a combination of betrayal, past vices and new-found happiness make it a very personal album and one of Hussey's favourites to this day. No tour is planned and the new direction forces the departure of Craig Adams, who soon after joins The Cult. Reduced to a duo, the band begins search for new members and places an ad in the Melody Maker.

Related Topics:
Gothic rock - Mark Saunders - The Cult - Melody Maker

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The Mission 'Mk. II' consists of Brown, Hussey, Mark Gemini-Thwaite on guitar (ex Spear of Destiny, National Velvet), Rik Carter (ex Pendragon) on keyboards and eventually Andy Cousin on bass (ex All About Eve). The first release by this lineup is a cover of the Osmonds 'Crazy Horses', released on a fanclub-only flexi disc in early 1993. The recording of the new album starts while a BBC live album '"No Snow No Show" for the Eskimo' is compiled by Hussey and Gibb. For the first time in three years the band decide to tour and a warm up is arranged as the 'Off the Street' Benefit for the homeless in Leeds. Andrew Eldritch signs up and press speculation about a Hussey/Eldritch reunion is high but completely unfounded. The Club Mission tour visits some the smaller venues around Europe with new tracks, 'Afterglow' and 'Raising Cain' becoming a regular feature in the set.

Related Topics:
Mark Gemini-Thwaite - Spear of Destiny - National Velvet - Rik Carter - Pendragon - Andy Cousin - All About Eve - Osmonds - Crazy Horses - BBC - Andrew Eldritch

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The end of 1993 sees Hussey remixing 'Tower of Strength' with Youth and revisiting some of the past material for a greatest hits compilation. "Tower '93" charts in January 1994 and the band make their last appearance on Top of the Pops. Sum & Substance is released in February 1994 and brings together most of the single releases and two new tracks; Sour Puss (relating to Adam's depature) and a ragged Afterglow remixed by Mark 'Spike' Stent. The latter is also released a the final single through Vertigo/Phonogram.

Related Topics:
1993 - Youth - 1994 - Top of the Pops - Mark 'Spike' Stent - Vertigo

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The seven album contract is up for renewal and neither of the parties is interested in continuing the relationship. A short UK tour and some scattered summer dates have the band keeping a low profile while Hussey's second daughter, Dylan-Rae, is born.

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The recording of the new release proceeds slowly while a new independent deal is negotiated in the UK. A collection of BBC sessions is produced by Hussey and released as Salad Daze spanning three sessions. In late 1994 a single Mission:1 is released on the Equator Records label containing an edgy "Raising Cain" while Hussey now sports a cropped up haircut and lamblasts the corporate music industry.

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Early in 1995 the album Neverland is preceded by the single 'Swoon', which charts in the Indie listings. The band have signed a distribution deal with Sony Records for the rest of Europe and the Neverland Tour signals a slight revival as two concerts of the band are filmed for German television. A promo only Live EP is released and a handful of summer festivals played.

Related Topics:
1995 - Sony Records - German

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In early 1996 Hussey locks himself into an apartment in Bath with a six-track recorder and a few ideas. In March the rest of the band sets up in Bristol for a whirlewind recording of eight weeks. When Blue is released its under-produced feel touches a nerve with the critics, but leaves some of the fanbase unimpressed. Later Hussey would cite it as his least favourite album and only the reworked b-side Evermore & Again would later become a regular feature in subsequent tours. A short stint around the UK, Belgium, Germany & the Netherlands turns out to be a farewell tour.

Related Topics:
1996 - Bath - Bristol - UK - Belgium - Netherlands

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After ten years Hussey and Brown decide that enough is enough and that it is time to look for different opportunities. The band finish it all off with festivals in Spain and South Africa, the latter being their final gig at the Kyalami Racetrack in Johannesburg.

Related Topics:
Spain - South Africa - Kyalami Racetrack - Johannesburg

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However in 1999, after releasing re-recorded versions of some Mission classics under the Cleopatra Records label, The Mission was resurrected (with Craig Adams, Mark Thwaite and Scott Garrett (formerly of The Cult), for what was a one-off tour with Gene Loves Jezebel across the USA and All About Eve across the UK. The success of the tour and the reaction of the crowds gave the band plenty of encouragement to continue beyond the tour. 2000 saw the band take on a mamouth world tour, headling festivals in Europe and sharing the bill with the Sisters of Mercy at the Me're Luna fest in Germany. A souvenir of the 1999 tour is released as EverAfter with various live tracks recorded that year and complemented by 3 tracks from the 1995 Live EP (promo only) and a studio outtake Crazy Horses previously only available to fanclub memebers.

Related Topics:
1999 - Cleopatra Records - Craig Adams - Mark Thwaite - Scott Garrett - The Cult - Gene Loves Jezebel - USA - All About Eve

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At the end of 2000 the band record some initial tracks in the Levellers Brighton's studios while studying some ideas. The rest of 2001 sees recording of the new album completed in Hussey's home studio in LA while Dave Allen (producer of the Sisters First & Last & Always) is drafted in to oversee the recording of other tracks in Bath. Before the release of the album the band were invited to take a support-slot for popular goth-rock outfit HIM touring in Germany. At this stage Mark Thwaite has left the band to pursue his own career and his place is filled by Rob Holliday of 'Sulpher', who had also been touring guitarist with Gary Numan.

Related Topics:
Rob Holliday - Sulpher - Gary Numan

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The band undertake a large world tour in support of the new album, released on their own Playground label, run by former Phonogram A&R man Charlie Eyre. However, stress of touring and diminishing returns saw tensions grow and during a shambolic South American leg of their 2002 tour, Craig Adams also decided to leave - later joining the Alarm. Hussey continues this leg of the tour by himself with some local muscians performing with him. On his return to Europe Richie Vernon is recruited on bass as the tour proceeds. Hussey also lines himself up for a number of solo acoustic shows to much acclaim.

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In 2003, the Mission gained a new bass player in the form of Ritchie Vernon - losing Scott Garrett due to personal reasons - and gained a new drummer in the form of Steve Spring. This new line-up saw stability return to the band, and a new fire in their bellies, resulting in some blistering shows across Europe, which carried on through to mid-2004.

Related Topics:
Ritchie Vernon - Steve Spring

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In Spetember 2005 the band release their first DVD 'Lighting the Candles' complemented by a live CD through the German SPV label. The single 'Breathe Me In' hits the top of the Alternative Chart in Germany and the band undertake an extensive UK/European tour. Mark Thwaite is back on station as Rob Holliday is occupied with the touring Prodigy. The band display a much more hard-rock angle while audiences grow throughout the tour. Hussey also announces that next year there will be no tour as he concentrates on the new album and some personal projects.

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The Mission have also recorded under the name The Metal Gurus, teaming with Noddy Holder and Jim Lea from Slade to record a charity version of Merry Xmas Everybody.

Related Topics:
The Metal Gurus - Noddy Holder - Jim Lea - Slade

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Wayne Hussey now lives in Brazil.

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