If you’re a fan of The Sisters of Mercy, Trevor’s Ristow’s band biography Waiting for Another War is a must. Reading it felt immersive and vivid, and it’s amazing how Ristow brings scenes to life through his detailed research, from evocative descriptions of early gigs at iconic venues like New York City’s Danceteria, to the songwriting that took place in the cellar of the Leeds apartment where The Sisters practiced. According to Ristow, Andrew Eldritch never rehearsed with the band, not even once, preferring to remain “…upstairs in his armchair listening to the rehearsals through the floorboards, poring over draft contracts from WEA, writing lyrics, smoking, watching television, and stroking his cat.” Ristow describes the apartment as a lair, where the curtains were perpetually drawn. These are the kinds of wonderful details you will encounter if you read the book.
One of my favorite scenes that Ristow crafts relates to the genesis of the song “Afterhours,” from the Body and Soul EP. “Afterhours” is one of my favorite Sisters songs. I’ve lazily speculated about its meaning over the years, but never probed too deeply, figuring it was probably about chopping lines of coke on a hot night, perhaps struggling with addiction, but mostly just losing myself the slow, dark churn of the music. Apparently, the song was written in the midst of a heatwave while Eldritch was in New York City for the New Music Seminar, trying to promote The Sisters. Ristow writes:
In the sweltering heat of New York’s high summer – the temperatures hovered around 95 degrees that week – Eldritch hooked up with friends and pressed the flesh with journalists and label reps, handing out copies of The Reptile House EP and “Alice.”
He also sampled the New York nightlife, going to gigs and clubs. He was so frightened of the New York City subway, then notorious for its crime, that he refused to travel on it and walked everywhere instead.
He later immortalized one humid, druggy night from this trip in the epic “Afterhours”:
One more night spent on your mirror
Black maria, in your eyes
This stuff so strange and lonely
England fades away
In your eyes
Two o’clock in the morning
Ninety-four degrees
Through the stillness through the heat
The cars go by on Fifth and
Breathing slow
Get up off the floor and angel
Put your clothes on
It’s time for us to go
Let’s take a rideExactly whom he spent this night with remains a mystery, but he palled around with Patricia Morrison, his friend from The Gun Club, for most of the short visit.“
So apparently this song is likely about Andy and Patricia hooking up while high on drugs in the heat of the New York night?
Oh my.
Regardless, I love the added context to the song Ristow’s biography provides, and smile at the idea of Eldritch, a man from The North of England, land of frigid weather and misty moors, wearing too much black and wilting in the aggressive summer heat of New York City on his first visit to the U.S. Apparently poor Andy didn’t eat much back then, but I thought he might have been able to manage a popsicle.
Find the recipe below, and read on after the recipe for more about Waiting For Another War.
RECIPE: SISTERS OF MERCY “AFTERHOURS” HEATWAVE POPSICLES
“Beet” the heat with these spicy goth popsicles that look like blood. They’re made with beetroot, strawberries, oranges, fresh ginger, cayenne pepper, and balsamic vinegar, and taste like a beautiful, nuanced sorbet. Let them thaw in a glass of chilled vodka for 10 minutes before partaking if you’re feeling festive.
INGREDIENTS
1 heaping cup of frozen strawberries
2 navel oranges
Two 8.8 ounce packages of steamed beets
Half a teaspoon of fresh grated ginger (peeled)
2 very light shakes of cayenne pepper
Half a teaspoon balsamic vinegar
SERVINGS
Makes 8 Popsicles
RECIPE NOTES
Don’t use too many strawberries or you’ll dilute the gothic color of these popsicles. Regarding the cayenne pepper, I cannot stress enough that you must exercise restraint or the nuance of these popsicles will be destroyed. Use a light hand: just 2 feather light shakes of the jar. If your cayenne pepper jar doesn’t come with a sifter lid, just add a very scant pinch to the blender, blend well, and adjust seasoning as needed. You just want a small kick of heat – a little goes a long way.
For the beets, go easy on yourself and buy those pre-cooked packages of steamed beets that they sell in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores these days. That’s what I used and the popsicles came out great.
If you want electric blue popsicle sticks that match the cover of the Body and Soul EP, I got mine from Amazon (not sponsored).
INSTRUCTIONS
Chop the oranges into large wedges, and juice them thoroughly with your hands over the blender. Feel free to tear off some of the flesh and pulp and throw it in there – the more the merrier.
Add the frozen strawberries, beets, fresh grated ginger (make sure you peel it first), cayenne pepper, and balsamic vinegar to the blender, and blend on high speed for 2 minutes, or until all of the ingredients have thoroughly emulsified. This might take longer than 2 minutes, depending on how powerful your blender is.
Allow the popsicles to set overnight, and remove them from the freezer 15 minutes prior to consumption so they slip out of the molds more easily. They taste better if you listen to “Afterhours” while partaking.
MORE PRAISE FOR WAITING FOR ANOTHER WAR
I also recommend Ristow’s book for his insightful and illuminating lyrical analysis, and found his thoughts on “Lights,” “Burn,” and “Nine While Nine” to be particularly stunning. There are also fun details about romances with various band members, including interviews with a few old girlfriends, plus details on the dynamics between band members, and why relationships turned sour. So, grab this book, whether via Kindle or hard copy, and make these popsicles.
