Cemetery Sessions Present Sister Chain & Brother John with The Cutlery Drawer and DJ Annie Frax

Cemetery Sessions Present Sister Chain & Brother John with The Cutlery draw and DJ Annie Frax

About Sister Chain & Brother John

The duo Sister chain & Brother John formed in the mid-aughties when singer and poet Sister Chain – of Skin Blues and Spinster Sister – met Brother John Higgins  – former frontman of London band Val’s Basement and fly-by-night producer – in a mysterious Berlin bookshop.

Since that day they’ve performed worldwide in dungeons and churches, on boats, street corners and gambling houses as well as the usual nightclubs, festivals and concert halls. They’ve released several vinyl babies and a couple of flesh and blood ones into the world, and with their latest digital release “Number 10” have been raising money for the RMT strike fund.

Looking like Victorian gentlefolk, wielding a bass guitar and a circus drum, Sister Chain & Brother John sing tales of the wicked set and the lovelorn, of moonage daydreams and erotic nightmares, celebrating the musical stories of London club cads and tipsy country ghosts, misled heiresses, feverish painters, Vegas vagabonds and deranged dominas in a show that can best be described as parlour punk or electric music-hall.

“Weird and wonderful…gloriously bizarre, perfectly minimalist”  – Christian Carlisle, BBC Introducing

“Subversive, interesting and unique. What more could you want?”  – Gareth Owen, Electronic Beats

“Strange, seductive, macabre and highly dramatic…there’s something absolutely alluring about Sister Chain & Brother John’s peculiar world” – Gaffa Magazine, Denmark

“They are fantastic. You have to see them live” – Jennebo Radio, Sweden

“Sister Chain & Brother John are something else: Esther Ofarim and Klaus Nomi spring to mind, but also Bauhaus and The Sisters of Mercy, the Brecht and Kurt Weill cabaret and Lotte Lenya… I am at their show now and I am melting with pleasure” – Michael Rorberger, the Town Mouse

About The Cutlery Drawer

The Cutlery Drawer contains Joe Murphy (Sergeant Buzfuz) and Polly MacLean (Slate Islands)
Joe was born into a Sheffield Irish family whose men all worked in steel factories and went to bed early while he listened to John Peel under the covers. His London-based band Sergeant Buzfuz have played three BBC 6 Music sessions and released seven albums. Joe founded and co-runs cult label Blang (Jeffrey Lewis, Thomas Truax, Meatraffle, Brix & The Extricated).

Praise for Joe’s music includes:
“That is, I do believe, what you call a pop tune” – Marc Riley, 6 Music
“Absolutely brilliant” – Tom Robinson, 6 Music
“Wry storytelling, sharp tongued in the most amiable way” – Shindig

Polly grew up on a small Hebridean island. She later fell southwards into London’s clutches and spent many years working in a library and writing murder ballads, before finally escaping to Sheffield. Her band Slate Islands has played at the the Mosley Folk Festival, recorded a BBC 6 Music session, and contributed a track to the critically acclaimed Shirley Collins tribute album ‘Shirley Inspired’.

Praise for Polly’s music includes:
“Wonderful”  – Shirley Collins
“Witty and more than a little disturbing” – SoundsXP

Event Details

• Doors: 8.00pm
• Event Times: 8.30pm-1.00am
• This is an 18+ event; ID will be checked on the door.
• All tickets are sold online via TicketSource – no tickets are available on the door.
• Bags will be checked on entry. Do not bring any alcohol into the venue.
• The Samuel Worth Chapel has a fully licensed bar selling local beers, wine, spirits, soft drinks and hot drinks. Card payments are accepted.
• Tickets for this event are non-refundable. However, if for any reason the event is cancelled by SGCT, we will refund your ticket.
• If you have bought a ticket but are unable to attend the event, please contact [email protected] so we can try to reallocate it.
• Email [email protected] if you have any additional questions about the event that have not been answered here.

This is a SGCT volunteer led event. This is a fundraising event for Sheffield General Cemetery Trust and proceeds go to fund the charitable aims of the Trust. Email [email protected] with any questions about this night. Thank you for your support.