ANDREW ELDRITCH is currently at number one in the indie charts with his band THE SISTERHOOD while CRAIG ADAMS and WAYNE HUSSEY have just finished a European tour with their band... THE SISTERHOOD. Confused? Yes, so were we so we assigned a special investigative team of two reporters to the case. MR SPENCE and MARTYN STRICKLAND get behind the ELDRITCH beard. NEILPERRY and GREG FREEMAN go French with ADAMS and HUSSEY.

THE ADAMS, HUSSEY STORY

Big things, little things. Steel cold sky, under which torrents of maniacally-driven automobiles flow like molten lava, past the ultra-flash shops and the shivering hookers.

Paris in the winter, tonight playing host to the Cult-Sisterhood mystery trip. Tickets ready please.

Cut to the Eldorado, like a scruffy, scaled down Lyceum. Wayne Hussey walks up to his mike and whispers "Jesus loves the Sisters", and a thousand or so young Parisiennes get very excited.

You can see it in their eyes, we love you too.

This is the sixth gig The Sisterhood have played ever.

During the fag end of last year the magnificent machine that was The Sisters of Mercy ground to a halt amid recriminations, rumours and bitching. The Sisters' vocalist Andrew Eldritch claims, among other things, the rights to the name "The Sisterhood", and brought out a single under that name recently.

With the rise of this Sisterhood, namely Wayne Hussey and Craig Adams from the Sisters, Mick Brown from Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and Simon Hinkler from Artery - the temporary madness that always occurs after the death of something much loved has just started.

As the Cult hurtle into their set, Craig, Wayne and I return to their dressing room in the depths of the building. Simon and Mick are nowhere to be seen. Craig is mischievous and quiet, Wayne elfin like and eager to talk. The spectre of Andrew Eldritch hands over us. Well what about...

"The Sisters' split needs to be documented once and for all," says Wayne, with the air of one about to embark on the telling of a children's story. "As far as Craig and I were concerned, we'd resigned ourselves to sticking it out, and maybe it would've got better. But in fact it was getting worse. I went to Hamburg for a month with Andrew to try and write songs for the second Sisters album, and we came back with all my ideas rejected and Andrew's very skeletal.

"We got to doing the second albuma nd Andrew said, "I'm not singing any of your songs. That's what it boils down to. Craig walked out of rehersals and a day later I did. He was listening to things like Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks, Foreigner, and there was us listening to Motorhead or whatever. And it showed."

But did the Sisters achieve what they set out to?

Wayne" "That was part of the problem, we'd done it, we'd done what we wanted to achieve/ In doing that we'd lost the original essence of it... we'd lost the joke of it. Because that's what it was originally meant to be. A joke."

"A joke?

"A joke, yeah."

But I thought that...

"... It was a culmination of all the f***ing rock and roll cliches." Wayne allows himself a grin. I think he's enjoying my amusement.

But ultimately it came over as original.

"That was the problem. We started taking ourselves too seriously, thinking we were more important than we were. In terms of rock and roll history we thought we were more important than we were. I think Craig would vouch for that." (He does)

But the Sisters were a great rock and roll band.

"They were a great rock and roll band, there's no doubt about that. But I believe that was down to our acknowledgment of our heritage more than anything else."

Was all of it completely contrived?

"It was, it was!"

That cold and clinical?

"Yes."

"The Sisters of Mercy were a conglomerate of everything that's gone before," continues Wayne. "I defy anyone to say they're totally original. It was definitely contrived. You saw me out on stage tonight, playing with the audience. It has to be contrived."

So is the very action of standing on stage and playing contrived?

"Yes, it is. Because you have all these visions of people who have gone before you."

So where does Wayne Hussey come into this? How much of it is you?

"Predominantly, its you. But its your interpretation of everything else. Someone once said to me that the holes in my jeans were well placed. Well contrived holes! Ha!

Is there room in The Sisterhood for ideas that would never have occurred to you before?

"We, we only got Simon three weeks before this tour started. But our songs are good in the first place. We're going to play more than the Sisters ever did. If we wrote a song it would take us three f***ing days because we had to program the drum machine. This is a new band, we'll never cover our old stuff, that would be a mistake. We've got more songs. I'm a songs man."

So what's in a name?

Wayne: "Andrew wanted to start making songs by himself and kill the Sisters. By doing that he wouldn't have come out on top, because as far as most people are concerned The Sisters were Andrew Eldritch. Craig and I are proving that it wasn't.

"The Sisterhood was the name of a group of friends who followed us about. I think it's a wonderful name not because of the old association, but because of the imagery you can actually use with it.

"The thing about Eldritch..." Wayne pauses, and looks around the room, "...is, he's dried up. I personally think he's been one of the best rock lyricists over the last few years, but now he's dried up. I still respect him. Whatever he's done, I reserve judgement."

"Sisters of Mercy - Trans Europe Excess says the roadie's sweatshirt. Have you read Hammer of the Gods?

"Its our tour bible. Instead of a tour itinerary we all got a copy of that book. I asked Jimmy Page to produce our next record."

And? What did he say?

"No."

The Sisterhood are graceful, careful in their songs. The face of The Sisterhood is warmer than its mother's ever was. Wayne is thinking again.

"The potential of this group is enormous. The songs are more melodic, more accessible in a broader sense. Its about the very fact that you're here. If this were the Sisters you wouldn't be here!" Why not?

"Because it was part of the psychology of The Sisters of Mercy. You'd have made the effort, not us."

So why am I here now?

"Because you have to play the game. There are ways of playing the game and keeping your dignity. Not playing the game means copping out. The common accusation of selling out is bullshit. You first sold out when you formed a group! You're in a group and you want to sell records.

"Being in a group is 75 per cent being aware of the business, and that's one thing I learnt from The Sisters. No disrespect to you, but the only reason I'm talking to you is because we need a feature in Sounds , we need the exposure at this time.

I hadn't assumed I was here for any other reason.

"It would be different if you were a mate but you're not. I don't know you. Do you want to share a hooker?"

No, its OK. Are you a star?

"I've got it in me, but that's not the point. It's unfortunate in a way that I've got a music background already. "

Its also very useful.

"Its very useful. But it's a hindrance as well, people shouting for "Temple of Love" or whatever. But that won't last long. One thing that I don't want to happen again is one person becoming the center of attention, because this is much more of a group in that respect."

But you've done all the talking this evening...

"Of course, but that's delegation of responsibility. It's important that this comes over as a group. It will take time, as always. But we are strong in our resolve to do it.

The morning after, and photographer Greg and I are sitting in the hotel foyer at an optimistic eight for The Sisterhood's photo shoot. Nothing stirs, except for Ian Astbury who stumbles over to us looking as rough as I feel.

"Do you know they confiscated 17 knives and two loaded pistols at the gig last night! God, think what got in..." He is happy. He loves touring with the Sisterhood.

"Wayne? Ah salt of the earth that boy, salt of the earth."

The photos are taken, and it's off to the airport for us and a long haul on the coach to Lyons for the band. They pull faces at us from the back window. Games, jokes rule... Wayne's personal philosophy seems razor sharp and muddled all at once, and left , not a little confused, but no matter.

None of it's particularly important, because I believe The Sisterhood are going to be one hell of an electrifying rock experience, because their music touched me. Because.....