Sister Sin - Broadway Joe's - Buffalo , NY - 05- 26-2011
Friday, June 3, 2011 at 7:30AM 
Review by John Jeffrey
Photos taken by Diana MacDonald
"Stockholm Syndrome" is a term used to describe a phenomenon when someone is taken hostage and becomes sympathetic to their captors. On May 26th, 2011, I believe I experienced a similar, yet different kind of 'Stockholm Syndrome,' after spending the day with Sweden's very own, Sister Sin. While I was certainly not kidnapped by the band (I was kindly invited to come down to the venue and meet the band during 'load in'), I did begin to feel a certain amount of empathy for the group, as their gig that evening was met with quite a few obstacles, as at some points it did not seem like the show would happen at all.
Prior to driving to Broadway Joe's to meet the band, I was informed that our interview with Sister Sin vocalist Liv was canceled, due to the fact that the entire band was ill from some sort of flu type bug, and she had it the worst. Liv not only needed her rest for that night's show, but ultimately wanted to fully recover for the opening night of the Atavisit tour (which was only four days away - 5/30), where Sister Sin would be opening for Otep, and playing along side their labelmates, Blackguard & Destrophy. After meeting with the three guys from the group (which btw, the band members only goes by their first names, as they feel their Swedish last names are too hard to pronounce) - Dave (guitars), Jimmy (drums), and Strandh (bass), it was clear that they were all under the weather, but at the same time, they were in high spirits, excited for their upcoming tour with Otep. There was also a certain level of anxiety present, as the band checked in from time to time on Liv's condition (while she was resting at the hotel), seeing if there was any improvement, as she was still running a high fever.
Just before 11pm, Liv arrived at the bar, and she gathered up enough strength to take the stage and do a shortened, 40 minute set. Unfortunately, it seemed as though Broadway Joe's and the four opening bands didn't do a great job promoting the show, as there was less than 50 people in attendance. Liv took the stage and addressed the crowd, making everyone aware of her illness, and we all supported her 'show must go on' attitude.
To describe what Sister Sin sounds like, you would have to imagine Anthrax, playing riffs from the first Motley Crue records, with a raven haired Doro Pesch, singing like a banshee. Even with Liv and the guys not at 100%, they brought the metal, 'old school' style, with the very intimate crowd enthralled by their performance. After systematically blazing through 8 songs from their "Switchblade Serenades" (2008) and "True Sounds of the Underground" (2010) CDs, the show was over and the place cleared out. After seeing Sister Sin on Youtube, playing to huge crowds, and then seeing them play in a place smaller than an average basement, the feeling was rather surreal. I look forward to seeing Sister Sin keeping the metal alive, and playing in much bigger and better places in the future.
For more on Sister Sin check out www.SisterSin.com
to view this entire concert, click here
Thomas