4Tour World Tour 2007 - 08
August 14th, 2007 -
Auckland, New Zealand (Vector Arena)
Tape (intro), Open, Fascination Street, alt.end, The Blood, The Walk, The End of the World, Lovesong, Pictures of You,
Lullaby, Hot Hot Hot, Push, Inbetween
Days, Friday I'm In Love, Just Like Heaven, If Only Tonight We Could Sleep,
The Kiss, Shake Dog Shake, Never Enough, From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea, Wrong Number, One Hundred Years, Shiver and Shake, End
1st Encore: Plainsong, Disintegration, Faith
2nd Encore: Three Imaginary Boys, Fire In Cairo, Boys Don't Cry,
Jumping Someone Else's Train, Grinding Halt, 10:15 Saturday Night, Killing
An Arab
3rd Encore: A Forest
(Thanks to Jon and Mike for the setlist)
Photos
COF
Videos
Reviews
It took an online petition to get The Cure to come
back to New Zealand on their latest world tour, and fans who were hoping
for a night to remember when the band played at Vector Arena in Auckland
were not disappointed. Reviewer Tracey Bond was there.
View photo gallery
The Cure
Where: Vector Arena, Auckland
When: Tuesday, August 14
The British act that hates to be classified (don't call them a goth group)
thrilled a near sell-out crowd at Auckland's Vector Arena with a massive
3 hour and ten minute set that spanned the band's 12 albums.
It has been fifteen years since The Cure last played in New Zealand but
it was like they'd never been away.
Opening with aptly enough, Open, from their 1992 album Wish, Robert Smith
took to the stage with his hair akimbo, wearing a trademark floaty black
shirt and camoflage pants.
Was he still wearing eyeliner and lipstick? Yes. Can he still carry it
off? Too right, he can.
The man may have aged but his voice hasn't, and listening to him launch
into Fascination Street was like being transported back in time.
The rest of the band looked and sounded pretty good too, Simon Gallup
on base, wearing a black singlet, showed off muscled arms that a 17-year-old
would be jealous of.
While the crowd took a little while to warm up, Porl Thompson's opening
riffs to Lullabye had the crowd swaying and by Friday I'm in Love, most of
Vector was up out of their seats and dancing.
Smith's vocals were strong thoughout, even though he told the crowd he
wasn't talking a lot between songs so he wouldn't lose his voice.
The transitions between songs were slick and the band moved like a well-oiled
machine running the gamet of Cure classics, from pop and rock to the darker
tones of One Hundred Years from the Pornography album and the seldom-played
song Faith.
Smith roamed the stage, oozing emotion, angst and at times looking almost
amused to be there.
After just over two hours, the Cure left the stage for the first time.
But the crowd knew they'd be back, it was a little like the multiple endings
of Lord Of The Rings Return of the King.
The band returned to play an encore of earlier songs - Boys Don't Cry,
Jumping Someone Else's Train, and 10:15 On a Saturday Night, that got the
crowd up on their feet.
When Smith left the stage after Killing an Arab even he didn't look sure
if they were really leaving for good this time.
But the crowd lapped it up, reaching a frenzy when the band returned
for a final time with a pulsating rendition of A Forest
After over three hours, 34 songs (by my count) and three encores I was
exhausted just watching them - but I got the feeling that they still could
have played for another hour or two.
The Cure are due to release their 13th studio album in October.
- Stuff
The Cure: Vector Arena (+photos)
5:00AM Wednesday August 15, 2007
By Scott Kara
View
Photos
The last time the Cure played in New Zealand in 1992 I cried. It wasn't
a full-blown blub, more a tear-to-the-eye moment when they played their 1981
single Charlotte Sometimes. I named my dog after that song and, adding to
the emotion, was the fact the Cure were the first band I ever really loved.
So I'm a Cure fan and I'm biased. To be honest, the epic nature of the
three-hour Auckland concert - that's around 35 songs, including three encores
- means only pure Cure fans can really cherish it.
But there's many watery eyes glistening with anticipation as the Cure
take the stage with leader Robert Smith, as usual, looking like a walking
bird's nest with his chaotic hair and camo-pants.
Fittingly they start with Open, from 1992's Wish, and then it's straight
into the mighty Cure boogie of Fascination Street from Disintegration,
one of the band's most popular albums thanks to the creepy pop of songs
such as Lullaby.
As they play that song Smith wanders around with a cheeky glint in his
eye and pouting those lipstick-smeared lips.
The show is a lolly scramble of songs from the band's many different
eras over 30 years, during which they played everything from post punk,
goth, pop and rock.
So there's seething angst (The Kiss, Blood and a rousing Shake Dog Shake);
the dark and dour (most notably Faith, which Smith says they never play,
and One Hundred Years off 1982's Pornography); the psycho quick fix of Shiver
and Shake; and the often-maligned fluffy pop songs such as Friday I'm In
Love.
The Cure have got their 13th studio album coming out this year but this
tour is all about Smith and the lads getting on with giving the people what
they want - all the best songs from one of the world's most enduring bands.
The second-to-last encore is a whip through their very earliest songs
- Jumping Someone Else's Train, Boys Don't Cry, Grinding Halt and Killing
Arab. And the closer is A Forest - 10 minutes-plus of pulsing bliss.
And no, I didn't cry. Boys don't cry, remember.
- New
Zealand Herald
Robert seemed to enjoy this show more then any other concert in Australia.
Perhaps it was because it was their first time in NZ since 1992.
No kilt tonight either. After "teotw" he said "there is a good reason why
I'm not going to talk too much". After "hot hot hot" he said it was so "i
don't lose my voice".
"inbetween days", "friday I'm in love" and "just like heaven" were all huge
crowd pleasers.
The lights during "wrong number" were awesome. they seemed to change colours
as Robert sung lime green and tangerine.
It looked like Robert broke a string during "shiver and shake".
When they came back on stage Robert said "theres a ringing in my ears, its
from people".
I felt "plainsong" really suffered without keyboards. I'm sure a lot of people
would disagree with me, but there is certain parts that just don't work on
guitar. I'm sure Porl would have the musicianship to play certain songs on
keyboard. The astronomy background was awesome though.
What a pleasure it was to hear "faith". Robert added a verse from "too late".
Robert said "the train has to get there" towards the end of "jset" when Jason
was doing the outro verse.
To Robert, Simon, Jason and Porl. And to everyone else that made this tour
possible. A huge thank you to you all.
I really enjoyed the 8 shows i went to (although my bank account didn't).
It was great to meet so many other Cure fans all over Asia, Australia and
NZ.
Walking to airport terminals and seeing other fans with shirts on, then smiling
at each other with content looks of satisfaction on our faces.
Cant wait for the new album, hopefully it wont be any later then early 2008.
Its funny isn't it? Most people look forward to the Olympics every 4 years.
Cure fans around the world look forward to a new album and have been since
1992.
- Aaron
As we waited for the cure to come out and I heard Tape start I was
taken back to 92 when I was 15 years old and at my first concert. I remembered
how excited I was back then and the feeling came rushing back when the band
came out and kicked in to Open. As always the song was a brilliant
start to the Concert. I looked at my friend, also a big cure fan, and a
look of joy on his face also. The I looked around the crowd and saw that
at the front everyone was just standing around.
Through much disgust I pushed my way to the front to see if the crowd was
any more fun at the front, it was not. I have seen vids of concerts at other
venues and the crowd could not have been any more into it. I was feeling a
little dissapointed, for the band, that the crowd did not react in the way
I suspect other crowds had. My friend and I spoke about what song would it
take to really get the crowd going, and I dont think it was until Lullaby
that I felt the crowd really get into it!!!!
Given this the crowd was more than amped when the band played all their
hits off 3 Imaginary Boys, which was amazing to see. Push was also an
amazing song to hear live, as was the kiss. My personal favourite of the
night was 100 years and Disintergration, but both songs did not receive
the response from the crowd (at the front) that I thought they deserved.
Was a fantastic set list and the band all showed their strengths in different
parts. Porl as always, was killing it on the guitar, as was Simon on the Bass.
Compared to when I had seen them before the band seemed to be all consumed
by the music and little emotion was showed by anyone other than Robert. The
songs all sounded excellent, I did notice that there was a small mixup in
the middle of the set, maybe a confusion over what song was next.
I certainly picked up Robert saying see you again, and as per usual read
into it - thoughts of an obsessed fan! Thoughts of seeing the cure at
the big day out flashed into my mind. At the end it was almost Robert did
not want to go off stage, and I had a funny feeling we might not be seeing
them again in NZ until Robert said see you again.
Other highlights was Robert trying to put Simon off during A forest as they
wound down at the end, classic.
The set was 3 hours long and had more than enough variety to satisfy any
Cure fan. My only regret was that I did not also fly to Australia to see
them as one concert was not enough!!!!!!!!
- ob1
A Straight review of the night for you all, first up Vector Arena
did not poise any problems soundwise, that I could complain about anyway,
the merchandise stand is outside so you can load up on goodies before
the show, so no panic about not getting to the front (am I the only one
who worries about these things?) A Friend Sam mentioned that 'Open' was
a bit muddied at the start but it was cleared as a bell by 'Fascination
St', hearing this was super cool and a great treat as missed out on hearing
it in Melbourne. The tracks off the new album sounded really
good and fit well with the classic material, I have really grown to love
the album and 'alt-end' was a great moment. 'End of the World' does
suffer from not having the Moog, there is no getting around that one I'm
afraid. I was really pleased they didnt play 'Us or Them' as it just
ends up sounding like a huge wall of noise. As with Melbourne a
hugh highlight was hearing 'Push' its just the best song live!
I was in heaven with the first encore, 'Plainsong' is just one of my fave
Cure tracks full stop, so when it started I was absolutely ecstatic, the
backdrop a sea of stars was so cool, Simon spent the intro of the song staring
at them.
Everyone seemed to gasp when they played 'Faith' just as they did when
they played 'How Beautiful You Are' in Melbourne. The Second encore was
just brilliant and everyone was jumping up and down, and as if the night
couldnt get any better they played a Forest to close! Amazing! Robert
was teasing Simon with his playing at the end and trying to put him off,
Simon was visibly counting his playing at the end to make sure he didnt
stuff up the outro! Hilarious!
There was quite a lot of interaction within the band on stage, lots of
smiling and arms around one another and Robert spoke quite a few times more
than he did in Aussie and said he would have done more but he didnt want to
lose his voice......he and the band were on fire the whole night!
Afterwards we got to go back stage and meet the band, Simon was full of
the flu he said, Jason was great to chat to and said he had had a brilliant
time even though he was feeling sick from some dodgy plane food, Porl was
quiet but told us he had enjoyed himself and elaborated a bit about the
new album, see my Melbourne review.
I have to wonder why some or most of the people who were in the backstage
area were there? most of them just drank the free booze, didnt even say hello
to the band and were saying the most inane things, one girl saying something
about shagging the blonde one (Jason) and one girl thanked Porl calling
him Jason, he corrected her. God what dozy twits! A shame that some of the
people who would have genuinely loved to have met the band couldnt have
their chance as they would have made them feel alot more at ease! When one
of them complained about the size of the table with drinks and said that
when she was backstage for Guns 'n' Roses there was a whole wall of booze
and food I knew she was some dismal star f***** with no appreciation of
the band at all.
Thank you for coming to NZ~ it was utterly brilliant and Robert said "See
you again!" we are crossing our fingers!
- Alastair
After 13 long years it was great to see The Cure again.
On their 5th visit to the Land Of the Long White Cloud they presented
us with yet another view of themselves – gone was the youthful getting ready
for greatness yet still somewhat awkwardness of the 17 Seconds tour, the
blistering swaggering 3 piece wall of noise that was the Faith tour, the
poppy trippy sometimes shambolic Top tour, and the synth dripped majesty
of the Wish tour - replaced with what I think they do best – guitars, bass
and drums and tight as tight can be….everyone at Vector (the biggest crowd
by far they’ve played to here – around 11,000) would agree that they have
assumed their greatness – to be fair they probably did this sometime back
but we only get to see them occasionally!
The setlist is familiar to most now – the swagger of Open and Fascination
Street the lovely Spanish guitar work on the Blood, The Walk and the TEOTW
sounding clean as if they were meant to be for just guitars..and then it
really exploded….Lovesong through to Just Like Heaven - flew by in a whirl
of sheer pop brilliance (ahhh Lullaby – my wife went wild…) pause for breath
and soak up If Only Tonight We Could Sleep and then the blistering wall of
sound returned from days of old to make these ears bleed!
The volume was cranked up noticeably and the building shuddered…Shake Dog
Shake was venomous – Never Enough glorious – pause again to bask in the
FTEOTDGS and then Wrong Number heard for the first time live – I thought
this was always an awkwardly brilliant single that just wouldn’t work well
live – how wrong was I – thumping bass and drums really pushed this along
and it now sits there as possibly the song of the night – I succumb to the
greatness and promptly lost my voice!
Felt like it should be time for a break to bask and reflect but no – we
get pummeled into blissful submission – 100 Years ( bass and drums was humming
now), Shiver and Shake and End – whew……2 hours – you’re kidding me – it
flew by…
1st encore was chilled out – Plainsong and Disintegration – time for Lets
Go to bed???? No – huge surprise – Faith rolls out in all it’s splendour..
this really brought back memories of 2 brilliant shows in one night at the
old Town Hall some 25 years ago – first show right up front next show back
row in the gods – soak up it guys this’ll be the last time we here this
live in NZ – or perhaps anywhere…
2nd encore – ahhhhh…..more pure pop bliss – the crowd went off to the classics
– it felt like we got all of the Boys Don’t Cry album – well 7 out of the
12 – crammed into about 25 minutes – happy, happy, happy…..10:15 challenges
for best song!!!!!
Pause for breath – 3rd encore and a majestic Forest – 10 minutes plus of
pulsating greatness…3 hours clocked up – time to finish
Robert does an awkward lap of honour around the stage – you just had to
admire what The Cure did tonight – nearly 30 years 3 hours non stop and not
a dud song and still more than relevant – they gotta be up there with the
greats.
I remember talking to a guy at work back in 1980 and said I was going to
the Cure – he said who and despite explaining who/what/why he said come
back to him when they are still good after 15 years.. well 30 clocked up
and getting better??? Where’s his phone number…….no bring on album13 – if
it’s half as good and played with the vigour The Cure showed tonight then
it’s going to be a classic…
- Keith
Back