THE Mission were formed at a time when Thatcher was at the peak of her power, mobile phones were the size of car batteries and hair was big and vertical.

The Iron Lady may now be rusting in the House of Lords and our camera phones look like credit cards but Wayne Hussey and his band of black clad disciples do not seen to have changed at bit.

Punters, many apparently well into their thirtieth decade, turned out in force at the Rock Caf 2000 on Friday September 9 to grab a dose of nostalgia from the grandfathers of goth.

The crowd was not disappointed, as we melted in the rabid heat of a muggy summer's evening, dry ice and white light gave way to a band who still think they are playing stadiums.

Lead singer Wayne Hussey patrolled the stage like he had never been away, arms raised to the crown or swigging from a bottle of wine, all the time with a grin smeared across his face.

Never a band to push the boundaries, their new songs, from the album Aura, do not seem to deviate from standard Mission fare of a big, heavily effected guitar sound, solid bass and Hussey's distinctive vocal.

The show really came to life during the encore, with tunes like Wasteland and Tower of Strength standing out.

It seems The Mission have stood the test of time well, the slightly premature end of the set being the only clue that the years may have taken a toll.

Either way, it appears struggling to see the stage past raised arms and gravity defying hair is still the norm at an old-fashioned goth night out, the youth of today don't know what they are missing.

Martyn Smith