The Mission

The Mission

The Mission is a gothic rock band from Leeds, United Kingdom, active from 1985 to the present. The group forms around singer and guitarist Wayne Hussey, and it is known in the United States as The Mission UK because of a naming clash with another band.

Formation and early line-up

The band forms in 1986 from the remains of The Sisters of Mercy. The original line-up consists of Wayne Hussey on vocals and guitar, Craig Adams on bass, Simon Hinkler on guitar and Mick Brown on drums. Hussey and Adams both previously play in The Sisters of Mercy, Brown comes from Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, and Hinkler has also played in Artery and Pulp. Hussey remains the only constant member.

Style and catalogue

The Mission’s music sits within gothic rock, gothic and alternative rock. Their main catalogue centres on a run of studio albums that includes Gods Own Medicine, Children, Carved in Sand, Masque, Neverland, Blue, Aura and God Is A Bullet, alongside a range of additional albums, compilations and other releases. The band records for labels including Phonogram and Playground Recordings.

Line-up changes and later activity

Over the years the group includes a number of other members, among them Mark Gemini Thwaite, Andy Cousin, Rik Carter, Scott Garrett, Rob Holliday, Richard Vernon, Steve Spring, Tim Bricheno, David Wolfenden, Ritchie Vernon, Mike Kelly and others. Mark Gemini Thwaite plays guitar in several periods, Andy Cousin plays bass, Rik Carter handles keyboards, and Scott Garrett, Steve Spring and others appear on drums at different points in the band’s history.

Audience and performances

The band builds a devoted following known as the Eskimos. Its concerts are associated with a particularly energetic audience response, including a mosh pit culture that develops around the band’s live shows.

Breakup and reformation

In 2007 Wayne Hussey announces that the band will split after a final run of concerts in London. The Mission later reforms and continues to perform.