Curiosa in Phoenix, Az. (Aug. 25th, 2004)

The Curiosa Festival 2004

Aug. 25th, 2004 - Phoenix, Az. (CricKet Pavilion)

Plainsong, Shake Dog Shake, Labyrinth, From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea, The End of the World, Anniversary (with special dedication to Luke and Stephanie), Lovesong, Inbetween Days, Push, Sinking, Pictures of You, Maybe Someday, Before Three, alt.end, A Strange Day, One Hundred Years, Disintegration

1st encore: (I Don't Know What's Going) On, Charlotte Sometimes, Just Like Heaven, Boys Don't Cry

2nd encore: Close To Me, Lovecats, Why Can't I Be You

3rd encore: A Forest/Forever.

"26 songs - what a night ! Forever was stunning, I can verify that Robert did songs lyrics for '2 Late' during this rendition. I never really thought of this song before - but I have to say that you are not complete as a Cure fan until you see this one live!"

(Thanks to Jason and Chris M for the setlist)

Reviews

From The Arizona Republic:

The Cure delivers at Cricket Pavilion

Robert Boos
azcentral.com
Aug. 26, 2004 09:05 PM

Slideshow: The Cure at Cricket Pavilion

They couldn't ever love you more, Robert Smith.

The Curiosa Festival brought The Cure, Interpol, Rapture and Mogwai before an anxious crowd to Cricket Pavilion in Phoenix Wednesday evening.

Four years since their last studio album, The Cure took the stage and immediately dove in with Plainsong from 1989's Disintegration album. Meanwhile, singer Robert Smith, silhouetted by the light, wandered near the edges of the stage and plied the crowd through the songs intro.

The band seemed almost tireless as they ripped through 16 songs in quick succession without much to say in between, save for Smith's customary abbreviated thanks to the crowd. The evenings selection of songs spanned the band's history of over 25 years, from crowd sing-along favorites such as In Between Days, Lovesong, and Pictures of You, to less played but just as pleasing numbers such as Shake Dog Shake, Sinking, A Strange Day and 100 Years.

Personal fears and criticism over The Cure's performance at the Coachella festival in May in California disappeared four songs into Wednesday's set with From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea. The number at Coachella was played a bit too upbeat for the tone of the song. Actually, most of the performance at Coachella seemed to be askew. At Cricket Pavilion, however, The Cure hit it just right. From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea was the melancholic layered and swirling wall of sound it should be.

Coming back from intermission, Smith announced to the crowd that "This is a weird selection of songs that we're going to do," and then launched into (I Don't Know What's Going) On from the band's self-titled and most recent album, Charlotte Sometimes, Just Like Heaven, and Boys Don't Cry.

With the encore opener, Smith finally let his hair down and the roused with Close to Me, The Lovecats
Why Can't I Be You. The band closed with A Forest

Hardly a misstep marred the performance. Great acoustics let one enjoy the band's complicated arrangement of layered instruments. Drums and bass by Jason Cooper and Simon Gallup, respectively, noticeably punctuated several songs -- but not overpoweringly and where they were effectively supposed to. Roger O' Donnell demonstrated his keyboard versatility with the organ- and xylophone-heavy Close to Me. The lights and ever-changing backdrop set the mood for each song, from blinding strobes during the opener to the psychedelic Why Can't I Be You?

Preceding The Cure to the stage was the New York's Interpol. It's difficult to listen to Interpol without making comparisons to Joy Division: The uniform look, the manner of dress, the stage presence, even the voice of singer Paul Banks is reminiscent of Joy Division's Ian Curtis. However, while Joy Division seemed to have abstained from writing melancholic but catchy songs while Interpol freely embraces the concept. Although there are similarities between the two bands, the comparison may be completely unfair as Interpol plays a much more fleshed-out and robust sound than the minimalistic Joy Division ever did.

Mogwai and Rapture rounded out the early Second stage bands were Scarling, The Cooper Temple Clause and Cursive.

(Thanks Tempest)

    This was by far THE best Cure show I have ever attended in a long long time!!! It didn't matter that I only had 2 hours of sleep before the show. Standing front and center from 330pm the entire time was well worth it. The San Diego concert didn't even come close to the electricity from the fans all around me. During the Mogwai, The Rapture, and Interpool sets, the crowd had this positive vibe that made the other bands want to rock out harder and play longer. There was this guy yelling, "Fxxx yeah!" after the three Mogwai songs making all the members chuckle to themselves. There was even this other guy in the pit that would walk around almost looking for someone to mosh with. Very amusing to say the least. The lead singer of The Rapture even came down to give everyone high fives after the show. I was lucky enough to get his autograph just like I di d for the San Diego show.!   The bass player from Interpool was checking out The Rapture's set. Interpool was just incredible to say the least. I'm definitely going to get their cds. The crowd almost begged for them to play just a couple more songs.

    I'm soo glad I went to see The Curiosa tour this year. Can you beleive I have THREE more shows to see? I even met this guy from New Jersey who has seen every show over here except 3 I beleive. You'll notice him carrying a mini flag that The Cure has autographed. I love meeting Cure fans at the shows. Everyone has a story to tell. For example, I saw the girl who won the Phoenix meet and greet eBay auction. She gave Robert a framed portrait. How cool is that? There was this guy next to me that saw the concert with his mom who by the way was wearing a pink baby doll Cure shirt. Totally cool!!! Now, on to the review of the kick ass Phoenix show.

    As The Cure walked onstage, Roger looked out towards the crowd and waved us on to start clapping and screaming. We all did. This was the
ONLY time they needed any sort of encouragement. As Plainsong opened the concert off, Robert made his customary walk towards both ends of the
stage setting off a hysteria among the crowd. And when Shake Dog Shake came on, I immediately screamed and started jumping up and down. I
somehow knew this would be the start of one of the greatest Cure shows I would ever go to.

    As the spinning maze appeared on the screen behing the band, I knew it was Labyrinth. What a tremendously great song that was.

    As Simon and Robert came together with their backs towards me, I knew it meant From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea would be next. To hear Roger's opening notes, Jason's drumming and Simon gleefully hopping like he usually does when he gets completely into a song makes this particular song even more intense to see live. It definitely was a high point for me. I really love it during their all out jam fest towards the end. How anyone can just stand there like a statue confuses me to this day.

    The End of the World was next. I loved to see The Cure so happy during this song. I've come to embrace it after my initial hesistationg when I first heard it on The Tonight Show.

    As August 26 2004 appeared on the screen Robert said something that I couldn't understand. I think it was a dedication? This guy behind me
told me they would because he saw Simon's white bass with all the writing on it. I love it when you know you know they will play a song before everyone else does. That's such a great feeling.

    Lovesong. Wow, cool song. If only my girlfriend was there with me. I called her up on even though I couldn't hear a word she was saying. I missed her being there with me especially at that very moment. I wonder if Robert thinks of Mary when he sings that song? I'll have to ask him that sometime on friday...hopefully. Cross your fingers.

Three songs from the HOTD. Inbetween Days, Push, and Sinking. I absolutely LOVE how Roger rises up and plays his keyboard parts. Push, you gotta love Simon's bass during this song. I love playing air drums with Jason too. I wonder if he got a laugh from seeing me do that.
Sinking, can the show get ANY better? The memory of the 1985 San Diego OAT show almost transported be back when I first heard this song. I
must have looked wierd palying air keyboards with Roger. By the way Roger, you inspired me to relearn how to play piano again. Now, I can play Lovesong thank to you!!!

    Pictures of you. After Simon's wonderful bass intro, everyone seemed to absolutely lose it when they heard (me included) Roger's keyboard part and Robert's guitar. To see only the white light on Robert during that one part of the song is worth the price of the ticket by itself!!!

    Cool, Maybe Someday. I was wondering if they would ever play songs from Bloodflowers. I got my wish that's for sure.
Two songs from the new album, Before three and Alt. End. I love Before three. To hear Robert say "Whispering Dreams so blurred and tired" is
my favorite part of the song. I'm grateful I had the opportunity to hear it live. Alt. End was incredible too. Imagine that. I loved that jazzy version of the song they played live that night.

            A Strange Day. Gosh, did I tell you this was one heck of a concert? Then, the opening of 100 Years just about sent me jumping to the moon. I love to hear this song live!!! To see The Cure totally jamming and rocking out makes me shake my head in amazement leaving me speechless that mere words can't even describe.

    When Disintegration started off, I knew it was going to be the last song from the opening set. I loved Robert's move when he says "Just let
go my party piece."

                (I don't know what's going) On, to see Robert say "you" like a gazillion times at the end of the song is making me smile as I write this. Awesome is the only way to describe it.

                Charlotte Sometimes, let the good times keep rolling. Like I told you before, the crowd didn't want this night to end. The band responded to our plea and we were rewarded with this song.

                Just Like Heaven. The crowd erupted into a frenzy. People dancing, some singing and others like myself just losing themselves with all that was going around us. The U U U part is priceless.

                As Robert plays the opening part to Boys Don't Cry, I only wish I had a tambourine to play along with Roger. He seems to smile a lot during this song and periodically during the show too. The entire band did at one point in time. To see that kind of enthusiasm after all these years is a great sign for all us Cure fans!!!

                Encore number 2 starts with Close To Me. Just a shake of Robert's shoulders set off yet another burst of insanity in the crowd. Robert walked to each side of the stage to just soak the moment.

                Lovecats. Doesn't get any better than this really. This burst of instant energy hit me to just sign along and bop along to the song with everyone else.

                Why Can I Be You was next. You think people would be tired after all of this? But, they weren't. We were witnessing one doosey of a concert. When they left the stage this time, I almost knew another song would be played.

    When I heard the first few notes, I knew it was Forever. The last time I heard this live was in 1996 during the second night of the Forum show in Los Angeles. I think what stands out in my mind was their all out offensive during the end of the song. Robert was leaning sideways to get that little extra, Simon was hunched over moving his hand at Superman like speed, Roger was grooving, Perry was jamming, and Jason was wailing away with the intensity of 100 men. The music was being played at an enormously furious rate. I almost was looking for one of them to see who couldn't keep up. They didn't.

            Like I said to you before, this was one of THE best Cure shows I've ever been to START to FINISH. I'm so grateful to The Cure and all the people I met during the show in Phoenix. I hope you are reading this review and think of all the great times we had during this spectacular and breathtaking concert. I eagerly await the next three concerts starting with the one in Carson. I'm soooo looking forward to this show everyone. Three Cure shows in three day in three different cities. Can't wait. Start The Curiosa Tour right this fricking moment!!! Thanks again to the Chainofflowers site for letting me write this review of the Phoenix show.

- Marc Subia

I had Meet and Greet passes to Curiosa Phoenix! And this is my story...

First off, I had decided I wanted something to give the band members/Robert. Since my only semi-talent is art, I decided to draw a portrait of Robert as my gift to him. this is the picture I gave him:

http://www.ponylandpress.com/images/portrait.jpg

There was only one problem with this -- once I got into the concert they had to take the picture from me because of the glass in the frame. Luckily They were the nicest security guards ever and they offered to take it back to the Meet and Greet room where they would return it to me to present to the band.

_____The Meet and Greet______

I left the show about halfway through Interpol to wait for the Meet and Greet. We were told to wait at the entrance at 8:00, so naturally I was there by 7:30.

So here I am, waiting patiently to be led to the room that Robert would be led to shortly thereafter. It was about 8/8:15ish when everyone had clustered around the entranceway. Danny, they guy that bought the other pass, was ecstatic to see me and we chatted at length about what we wanted to do and say. Finally they showed us back to a small out-side parking area where they had a tarp overhead and some cheap carpet laid down. There was a pointless table to one side and some fake potted trees in various places. Classy, I know. The parking lot was where the tour buses were pulled in, so there was a very nice building right beside us where the band was dressing up as we waited.

They informed us at this point of some very distressing news. We couldn't take pictures. Anyone who had brought a camera could have one picture of the whole group of Meet and Greet attendees with the band, but nothing more. Me and Danny made very sure to ask if we could have just one picture each alone with Robert (considering the $2,600 we paid for this moment), but we were very rudely let down despite that the other attendants agreed that we should get special treatment. Oh well.

They lined us up along the edge of the carpet at around 8:30 to wait for the band to come sign our things. I was really surprised at how badly it was set up. It's was like a signing, not a Meet and Greet! The whole thing seemed very impersonal, and I could tell they were going to run the band in and out like this was a wrong turn. But looking back at the glass doors that the band would soon step through made my frustration fade quickly.

At this point I started to get worried about my picture. I hadn't seen it and no one had mentioned it, so I found the security guard who made all the promises and asked him what had become of my poor drawing. Sure enough, the security guard had taken the picture back and handed it off to someone else. Amazingly that someone else had taken the picture straight to the band, but that meant I couldn't give it to them myself, which was very disheartening. He said he couldn't get the picture because it was already in their dressing room, and I would just have to tell them it was mine. So I took my place in line, which ended up being first and not last. *yay!*

_Simon_

By 8:40-8:45 we were getting a little edgy again. We knew the band was expected on stage at 9/9:15 and the time we'd paid for was running out. Finally, a smiling, giddy, gigging face bounced out through the doorway. He was clad in skin-tight black jeans and tank-top, a tight belt wrapped around his waist, and his hair buzzed down to his skull... it was Simon. He chatted with security and sauntered over to the line of spectators, me grinning from ear to ear as he walked closer. His voice was higher pitched then I expected, and so fast and thick with accent I could hardly make out a word. He found himself a pen and walked over to me, and I just smiled and stared as he shook my hand and thanked us for coming. I thanked him and he chatted with us for a minute, although I couldn't tell half of what he was saying. He signed, "love Simon" and happily handed it back. Before he could wander away I realized that I wasn't afraid of him, so I took my opportunity and asked if I could steal a hug. Simon said "Sure!" and threw out his arms, hugging me tightly. I let him go (as much as I could have stayed there forever) and thanked him once more before he continued with the line.

Me and Danny then tossed our eyes back and forth between the door and Simon, knowing Simon was standing there now, but the others could walk through the doors at any time. Danny even pointed out that I should be staring at Simon's ass while I could, and I told him not to worry, I already was. *ogle*ogle* Simon looked incredible. His body and naked arms were perfect (as usual), but I was surprised to see how much younger he looked in person. Stupid photographers. He was gorgeous! But then again... this is Simon were talking about. Anyhow, he wandered around and talked with some of the people, taking his time and enjoying himself greatly from what I could tell. He was so sweet and happy; I got so excited to meet them all. Then he took his leave and waved goodbye as he saw himself back through the doorway. It was about this time me and Danny started worrying about that group picture.

_Roger and Jason_

Next popped out Roger and Jason. This was actually quite annoying, the two of them coming out together, because that meant they were chatting with each other and they didn't pay much attention to us. I vigorously shook both their hands and handed Jason my Kiss Me sleeve. I had to apologize that I chose an album he hadn't played on, which was cute because he said it was quite all right because it was a brilliant album (and I couldn't agree more).

I didn't really get to talk to Roger 'cause he was talking to Danny, but he also reached over and signed my CD, and that was plenty. I thought he and Jason both also looked better in person then in photos, however I still thought the eye shadow on Roger was very unbecoming. He was adorable! With his pointed nose and English smile. But the eye shadow looks silly to me. He was wearing a black button-up shirt, but his pants I don't recall. He smiled his way through the line and Jason followed close behind.

Jason was a bit smug, if you ask me. He was nice and all, but he never really smiled. He looked great though. He was wearing a black t-shirt (I don't think it was button-up) and dark green cargo pants. He had his earplugs draped across his shoulders and hung on his chest. Unfortunately I didn't have time to ask for hugs from them, as they sped across the line unlike Simon. I looked up to Danny at one point and mentioned that I forgot to bring up the picture to the other band mates, and that they may have seen it too. Danny then took that liberty of saying, "Did you see the picture of Robert, she drew it!" which only Jason heard. He turned around and gave a half smile and awkwardly said something to the effect of "The drawing? Yeah... it was good... good likeness..." and then turned back around to keep signing. Then, of course, I got a little worried that he was just being nice and he actually thought it was crap, but then again he probably was just a little freaked that I was that obsessive or something.

Once again our heads bobbled from band mates to the doorway, now awaiting Perry's jaw dropping appearance. Roger and Jason waved emphatically as they marched back into the dressing rooms, smiling and chatting as they left.

_Perry_

After another endless wait of watching the glass doors open and close, finally Perry made his way. O...M...G... was this boy was gorgeous. He wore a skin-tight, sleeveless, black shirt and black pants that cut off about halfway up his calf. The pants hugged his narrow hips and they belled out down his legs. To top it off he wore 14-20 eye boots, and his hair was fluffed up as usual. He was as stunning as Simon. Again, he looked much younger in person. I shook his hand and he smiled wide, also stopping to chat with us for a bit, although like with Simon, I don't have any idea what about anymore. As he handed the Kiss Me sleeve back I leapt at my second opportunity and asked to steal another hug. He said "Of course!" and I wrapped my arms around him as well. *sigh* I thanked him many times and he wandered away through the line.

Like Simon, Perry took his time with the people and hung around to chat. Once more my eyes shifted between what would soon be Robert and what was presently Perry. Eventually Perry waved himself away and we were all left waiting for the grand finale. This, of course, was the longest wait of them all, because Robert had to take his sweet time and get the suspense through the roof (or tarp, as the case may be). Staring at those glowing glass doors, knowing that Robert was just on the other side, even if I couldn't see him. I was so afraid I was going to go crazy during this whole experience, but they had all been so nice and calm. All my worries had faded, and I was just happier then ever before.

_Robert_

Then, all at once, it happened. Robert wandered out, silhouetted against the glass doors as he entered. No one screamed or moved, everyone was respectful and just watched as he talked with the security guards and grew ever closer. He was perfect, his hair light and fluffy, his eyes painted top and bottom, and his lips thin and vibrant red. He wore his over-worn button up black shirt and dark gray cargo pants (not as baggy as I had hoped), and his big black boots, which gave him at least an extra 2 inches in height (Um... poor Robert).

I just watched him and grinned as he came closer and settled his feet right in front of me. He looked around puzzled for a moment before he realized they hadn't given him a pen, so he turned around for a moment and laughed with security.

First of all I have to point out how short this man is. And he was wearing thick shoes (as I previously described). Now, I know he is written to be 5'9, but that man is short! I'm only 5'4 and he was hardly taller than me! Staring at him so close, his proportions seemed much more understandable, though. He was so, so cute.

Anyhow, back to the point... Once he turned back I shook his hand and said I hoped he'd gotten my picture the picture I gave him. He said, "Oh, you mean the one in the frame? Yeah, it's very good, thank you very much." Danny told him that we were the ones who had bought the passes from Amnesty International and complimented the good cause, to which Robert seemed a bit reluctant to agree. But he stayed a moment and talked as he signed my Kiss Me sleeve and I stared in awe at his adorable smile. Before he could wander off I asked once more if I could steal a hug. Robert said, "Sure," with a smile on his face, but unlike the others he didn't make it any easier. He kinda stretched his arms out to the sides so I could hug him, but he didn't hug me back. Afterward I thanked him greatly and apologized for hugging him (as I felt very awkward at this point) and rambled into some comment about him being sick of hugging random people by now. He wandered off and me and Danny stared as he made his way through the line of lucky on lookers.

Another side note about a misinterpretation from film... FAT BOB IS NOT FAT! In person he didn't look over weight at all. When I hugged him he was solid, his stomach was flat, and his ribs were narrow. He felt very comfortable to hug... like a cuddly teddy bear. *grin* Now, I know he's no Simon or Perry, but I think it's just hard to tell since you assume he's taller then he is. He's more just kind of... stout. What can I say, he looked incredible. As I said with all of them, pictures don't do him justice.

There was a man who tried to sneak some pictures of him and the band. He had snuck a picture with Simon (which of course Simon had no problem with, it’s the venue we were worried about) and he asked Robert for a picture too. Robert was happy to comply as the man wrapped his arm around Robert's shoulders. He got one in, and had he left it at that he would have walked away luckier than any of us, but he tried to take another of Robert and his buddy. Unfortunately, security saw the flash and escorted him out of the arena. Even Robert turned to the rest of us and got a guilty look on his face as he shrugged. Poor guy.

As Robert signed on he came to a small break in the wire fence where the people on the other side could see through. They started slipping their concert stubs through to Robert and he giggled as he took several and signed them. It was about this time they asked us all to gather together for the picture, and Robert was still distracted as he signed things through the fence. Someone tossed a paper Geico fan over top of the fence and Robert hopped up to catch it. He signed it and almost tripped into one of the fake trees as he jumped up, tossing it back to the other side (not thinking about the dog pile of people there must be over there). Robert thanked them through the fence and turned back to the crowd of people waiting for his picture.

Because me and Danny had paid so much the other attendees all insisted we be in the middle with Robert. *hugs them* Danny is about 8 feet tall, so he ended up kinda behind Robert, and I was pressed tightly against Robert's arm, staring up at his blackened eye in profile, breaking my concentration to look at the camera for each shot. After that Robert thanked us again and he hurried back through the brightly lit doorway, and everyone struggled for their cameras back before they fought their way back to the show.

____The Show_____

After the Meet and Greet we all left in a bit of a rush. Not because we were asked to, but because it was about 9:15-9:20ish and we knew the band was going straight to the stage. Sure enough before I could even make it down to the pit I heard the roar of the crowd as the band entered the stage. I got down into my place just as Plainsong started, and the Robert I had just been pressed tightly against was now singing to a crowed of 15-20,000 people. The stage was small and low to the ground, so even from the back of the pit I was only about six yards away. I took some pictures and worked my way through the crowd until I found my boyfriend and jumped in delight at all that had happened. I spent most of the show in about the third row to the left of the stage, staring up at Robert and Roger most of the time, and standing on my toes to catch a glimpse of the others.

I thought the entire set was brilliant. The only songs I was hoping specifically to hear were One Hundred Years, Strange Day, Lovecats, Alt. End, and Lost. 4 out of 5 isn't bad! Not to mention how many other priceless favorites of mine they played. Watching Robert dance around on stage, sticking his tongue out at the audience and wiggling his hips to make them all go wild. I was surprised to see that his hair is actually quite flexible, and he continued to fluff it up and run his hands through it during the show. He licked his lips and stumbled on his feet, and danced his way around the stage... just like a Robert would.

Most of the time he switched between his new black electric and a white guitar I didn't recognize, but it was a priceless moment when the crowd started screaming the instant Robert strapped on his classic "Just Like Heaven" black acoustic, because everyone just knew.

There are so many moments I wanted to live in. Robert spitting into the mic during Shake Dog Shake, Robert repeating, "the boy is burnt" 3-4 times during Labyrinth because he couldn't remember the words, Robert pouring his soul into Edge of the Deep Green Sea. I remember during The End of the World Robert laughing because he accidentally started to sing the radio edit.

For Anniversary he gave a shout out, "This song is dedicated to Luke and Stephanie on their third anniversary." Lovesong is always Audience Participation moment I suppose, and all at once the crowds quiet voices rose to the point of screaming for this one song. Then Inbetween Days got everyone dancing as the sing-along slowly faded. The people in the pit all jumped with glee for most of it. Push really caught me by surprise, which was great, and then on to Sinking. Robert giggled a bit at the end of this song and said something about him having a little Head on the Door fit.

Then Robert and Simon held there guitars toward one another and the crowd went crazy knowing that Pictures of You was up next. It was so amazing to see that their expressions and posture is just the same as on all my videotapes as they played in perfect sync. Then Robert stood huddled over his guitar for a perfect profile with the streaming lights and soft blue glow.

Maybe Someday also took my by surprise. Of course, he changed all the lyrics around, as usual. Before Three was a treat also. His voice was amazing, but yet again he had some trouble with the lyrics. He must have said "so fucked and high" 4-5 times. He didn't seem to notice much, though. Alt. End was also amazing, half the pit jumping with the chorus.

Strange Day was the song I'd hoped to hear most. When it came on the whole pit slowed and just stared, a few of them still swaying, but not dancing really. Robert stood with his eyes closed and clasping his hands together. He held his arms out as it he was floating and swayed with the music. Of course he changed the last verse as he normally does; "the walls crash in" and "an expression of sound". It was absolutely perfect ...Excluding the crowd screaming during the guitar solo.

Keeping up the angst followed One Hundred Years, with red flashing lights and Robert spitting into the mic again. He really does put his heart and soul into every song. Despite that he'd been playing for nearly 2 hours at this point he sang like he was fighting for his life.

The final song, Disintegration. There was a moment in Disintegration that I stopped having fun and started to worry. I was staring deeply at Robert when I noticed him step back and gasp desperately for air. His face cringed and he looked like he was in extreme pain. He wasn't playing guitar at the moment so he was just standing there, falling apart. I saw him reach for his chest in a moment I thought he was having a heart attack. Even though within a matter of moments he was singing again and I was pretty sure that wasn't it, the thought of it hit me like a ton of bricks. However once I realized it wasn't physical pain he was going through, it still seemed like he was fighting a breakdown right there on stage. During the line "cut in deep to the heart of the bone again" he ran an imaginary blade through his stomach and up his chest, miming the sharp edge catching as it tore through his ribcage. I was horrified at how much the song got to him, especially since he's been singing it for the past 15 years.

After that the band thanked us and walked off stage. Everyone knew there would be an encore, but the stadium filled with the sound of 15,000 rumbling chairs and screaming voices to bring them back. The boys stepped back on stage and bounced around as they played On. It was sometime around here when Robert looked at the stage crew and pointed to his amp, telling them to turn it up. He motioned this several times before he was satisfied, and then he bounced his way back to his mic stand. Charlotte Sometimes was another great surprise. And Just Like Heaven and Boys Don't cry were some more sing-alongs for all the happy Cure-heads.

During the second encore Robert stole his mic for Close to Me, dancing his way to the left of the stage and tripping on his feet. The audience actually ended up pushing me into the front row directly in front of Robert as he waved to all the reaching hands. A guy leapt on everyone as the crowd pushed forward and his hand was only a few feet away from Robert. Robert laughed and started to reach down to shake the man's hand when suddenly a million more appeared. Robert smiled and shook his head as he realized it was a death trap down there. He continued to swivel his hips and stick his tongue only a few short feet away from me until the song ended.

Lovecats was brilliant and I think Robert really got a kick out of the crowd singing the keyboard riff. He sang it the first time and the crowed picked up on it instantly. I was almost surprised to hear Roger play it for real a time or two.

And for Why Can't I Be You, Robert took the mic to the right of the stage. He got stuck on the cord when it wouldn't pull, but he just kept trying to walk with it until the roadie finally got it untangled. He pretty much stepped out of my view for most of the song, so I watched Roger blankly gaze out at the crowd as he played. Robert danced his way back to center stage and stuck a pose as he squeaked "Simply elegant!" Then the band left, and he grinningly looked out at the audience saying, "Maybe we can do one more!" The crowd screamed and rumbled their chairs in anticipation.

Of course, they came back out a moment later. They played A Forest, which was delicious, and they played Forever, which I hadn't heard. I couldn't make out many of the words, but the music was brilliant. It was so intense, I'm sure once I get it on CD it won't seem so powerful, but just watching Robert and Simon tear into their guitars, faster and faster until you think their arms are just going to fall off. It was a great ending.

As everything came to a close Robert stepped back up to the mic and shouted out to a screaming crowd, "Thank you for a fucking fantastic night!"

You're welcome, Robert. I couldn't agree more.

- Silver Sand
All of this is so surreal, I have been almost incapable of sitting down for more than a few minutes. But, I am going to force myself to document this experience right now.

A good friend of mine purchased season box seats for Cricket Pavilion. I paid a pretty penny to buy them just for this show. The box seats include
access to the VIP club/bar. We thought they MIGHT come back their after the show. But, of course there is no guarantee. This good friend also used to promote concerts in Phoenix for over 10 years, so he arranged for a meet and greet for us because he knows my fandom regarding the Cure. So, we were all prepared for a simple meet and greet.

Well, we got to the show, etc. and come to find out, the person that was to arrange the meet and greet didn't leave the passes at will call and was
unable to reach via phone. So, we were all DEVASTATED. My girls cried before the show and fighting back my tears, I told them that no matter what, one day they will meet Robert, I would make sure of it. They still were very unhappy, but I told them to enjoy the show!

The concert, as all the majority of other reviews of this show say, was absolutely amazing. He played so many songs! I am totally biased because
to me, The Cure can do no wrong. But, my boyfriend who had never seen them before said that he was so incredibly impressed. He was blown away by all the songs in the encores. He felt Robert was so cool to make sure the crowd was totally acknowledged and that his new fave Cure song is Plainsong. :)
Just the concert experience itself was truly amazing for me. I watched my daughters sing along with Robert to practically every song and I was so
proud. It was beautiful! And, Robert looked like he was totally enjoying himself! We all died when he started dancing around the stage. I just
can't say enough!

Okay, so after the show, we decided to test our luck at the VIP club. We got there and within minutes Roger came out and was hanging out with some of his friends. My girls waited a little while and then went over and asked him to sign their Cure hat. (He asked my daughter to hold his wine glass
for him and not to drink it.) He also asked if the hat was official and we laughed. I told him I got it on eBay and he said he would have to confiscate it. It was funny!

While we were entranced that Roger was back there, Robert had come in and we didn't even notice. A friend of mine came over to me and said, "There's your boy," and pointed over at Robert sitting in front of the stereo. I just about died at that very moment. I motioned the girls over and we all kind of stood around and watched him.

He had the crew set up a sound system for him. Big stereo and tall speakers. He started DJ'ing the party! He was playing so many good songs,
all his favorite songs. He played Bowie, The Beatles, Dinosaur Jr., Smashing Pumpkins. I really don't remember all the songs. I just was trying to play it cool. His security guards just loved my girls and made it possible for us to come over for a few minutes. He got up and met us and signed some of our stuff and that was completely surreal. Then, he sat back down in front of the stereo and kept playing his favorite music. Robert Smith of The Cure, this music genius DJ'ed this party from around 12:30 until around 2:45AM. It was the most incredible experience ever.

One of the security guards kept bringing the girls mementos. They brought them the playlist and Curiosa VIP passes. And, Mike, the security guard in the pic was so cool to me. At one point in the experience, I went over and sat on the ground in front of the stereo with Robert and we just hung out.
I held his hand and mouthed a few words of a Smashing Pumpkins song to him, (don't ask my why), and he shied away. It was the most adorable thing. I sat there, right next to him, looking down at his big, black boots in front of me and could not believe my eyes. I was sitting and hanging out with Robert Smith, my lifetime idol. I asked him who played one of the songs he had on and he said Dinosaur Jr.. I acknowledged that they covered Just Like Heaven and he confirmed. A little after 2AM, I believe it was his tour manager came over and told Robert that he needed to get going and that he could only play one more song. I believe he actually played a few more. Sorry I don't remember which ones or the details. It is all running
together in my mind. The security guard motioned for my daughters to come over and they got to talk to Robert for a bit. This is basically some of
the things they talked about:

If you could be anything other than a rockstar, what would you be? An astronomer. And as he said astronomer, he did his little hand gesture with
both hands and motioned towards the sky. He also told my daughter that maybe some day when she is famous, he will see her walking down the street and he will say, hey, I think I know that girl.

My daughter told Robert that we have the episode of him in South Park on DVD and asked if it was really him. He said yes. He also told us that the show writers were in town. He said they asked him, "Can you be more like Robert Smith?" when taping the show.

My daughter told him that we have two cats named Robert and Mary Smith. He asked which one was the nicer one and we said Robert was. (Because the male one is totally nicer than the female one.) And, he said that sounds about right. We all totally laughed. She then asked him if he had any cats and he said he used to have two and then he said in a low whisper coupled with making the cutest hand gesture by holding both hands together and bringing them up to his left eye, "But they died." She asked how and he said they got too old.

My daughter asked if Mary was with him. He said she was back at home. (He also mentioned how he went home recently.) My daughter said, "To Italy?"And we all laughed. Robert said, "I hope not. Did she tell you something I don't know?" It was so adorable.

I asked Robert if he wears cologne. I told him about the Chain of Flowers website and that a topic of conversation was what he smells like. My
daughter told him that people say he smells like laundry detergent and sweet Mexican bread. He smiled and brought his shirt up over his nose to smell it. He then said, "But, I'm sweaty."

My boyfriend asked him if he is a big hockey fan because he notices in videos, etc. that he wears hockey jerseys. He said he is just fond of wearing hockey jerseys.

That is all I can remember right now. I know it sounds ludicrous that I don't remember every detail but it was the most incredible, surreal experience of my life and I am truly in a trance still. I know how rare it is for someone to meet their idol. And, not only did I get that, but I got to spend time with him and he was so kind to us. It just does not seem real.

He said he was going. And, he leaned over and hugged each of my daughters, and then myself. We were the only people he hugged goodbye. (There was only about 15 people back there at this point.)

And, that is it. I do want to mention that when I bought my box seats from my friend, I asked him for two extra tix. So, I had a total of 6. I wanted
to bring TWO HUGE CURE FANS with me to share the experience. I sold them on Ebay to this girl named Heather who lives in Mesa, AZ. and she had the opportunity to watch all of this. She also got a pic with him and he told her he liked her outfit. I will ask her permission to post her pic. But, I
want to send her special thanks because I had used up all my film on the concert because I didn't think I was going to get to meet him So, if she
had not had extra pics, we would not have these wonderful, wonderful photos. Thanks, Heather!!!

And, my list of precious mementos from this are: Roger's wine glass, two autographed Cure hats (Robert and Roger's sigs), the official
setlist/playlist of the concert, a signed tour book, (Robert's sig), and two Curiosa VIP passes. I am thanking God as I type!

And, thank you Robert and Roger if you ever read this for the best night of our lives!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am heading out to get my tattoo of Robert Smith now! Thank you, Craig!!!!

- Yvonne Bondanza

I was at the phoenix show and noticed you did not have the times posted. i believe (if my time was correct) that the show began promptly at 9:15 and
went on until 11:30 - perhaps a couple of minutes shy of 11:30. also no one has mentioned the can that someone threw at robert during the first few
seconds of "boys don't cry" - it hit him in the arm! i was only a few feet away in the pit...

- Margaret

My soul is still electrified by remembering what it felt like to be 14. I had read once in an interview that Robert smith said he could never compare new bands to the bands that he listened to between 19-21.I understood what he meant, (although interpol gave me wood) because I don't think there will ever be another band that could capture my heart in the same way. Only for me, my love affair was from 14 to 21.

I had seen the set lists, but something in my heart told me not to hope for much.

I'll just point out the highlights
Shake Dog Shake had awesome visuals- such a thrill to see it. I was bouncing from the start.
Push is always beautiful.
Sinking was made hair raising by Robert's effects on the vocals . They echoed sweetly into the not too hot desert night. He repeated "anything
at all" twice.
A Strange Day- beautiful
One Hundred Years- My god, it was powerful. On the line "Thrashing in the water, Thrashing in the water" some effect or sample was used that
made it just as powerful as on pornography. From that line on a brilliant delay was used intensifying an already August song...And Simon is a god.. . If he ever decides to go pooftah I wanna be around.
Disintegration- It was probably the 7th time I've heard this live, and I wish Jason had sped it up to entreat speed, but Robert sang it just as
passionately as if it were Wembley '89.

Robert said at the beginning of the second encore, "Some of you prefer the pop stuff and some of you prefer the darker songs.. but it's too late now"

I was begrudgingly resigned to it, it was a better show than I've seen since 92.

At the end of WCIBY Robert did a charming little gesture with elbow on hip.. "you're simply elegant"

Then a forest. perfect. and then... THEN AWOOOOO!

Forever, played just with Robert passionately playing the guitar till the rest joined in, Roger looking slightly pissy. some lyrics:
"And I'll wait for you where I always wait"
"And so you know all the words"
It got fervent and Robert seemed like he was going to pop at one moment letting out a very on pitch, perfectly in the moment howl. Twas beautiful, I stood staring unable to move after a night of spazing like I haven't done since I was 14.

Some nights are magical.. The review by Ryan... I'm guessing you either had lawn seats or heat stroke? Its true Robert was probably stupendously
drunk, but thats when I find him the most raw and emotional. He looked so happy.

- Jonnie

The phoenix show we were at was nothing short of AWESOME... sure, it was hot, but it's fucking PHOENIX in august! what do you expect? plus it was a week night. but from where we were sitting (just behind the pit), the cure were incredible. robert's energy and enthusiasm were amazing, he
was totally into it. the rest of the band did a great job, too. and the audience seemed to be completely into it as well... the place looked pretty well packed to me, and everyone seemed to be enjoying the hell out of the show. the whole place practically roared for each encore, and robert seemed genuinely touched by it all. when we were leaving, there was this huge sea of people who looked VERY satisfied, not just a few...
don't know where ryan was sitting or where the people were he was talking about, but i sure didn't see them... we had a two hour drive from tucson and back (after working yesterday, and we have to go to work today!). we were absolutely blown away by the quality of the show, as was everyone else WE saw. too bad ryan wasn't at the same show... ;o)

i think chris m's review summed it all up nicely, i couldn't add another word.

- Jewel and Diana

Last night's show in Phoenix was simply incredible. I have seen the Cure many times since 1984 (yeah I'm showing my age!) but last night was one of the best, easily! As the show progressed I started to get more more excited because the selection of songs played just got better and better. To top it all off a rousing version of Forever! Phew! Robert seemed to be in an extremely good mood and it came through in the performance. The last verse of Disintegration was particularly powerful and intense! The whole band sounded as tight as possible, like they have been doing this for a while! ;-) On a special note I took my 2 daughters (again showing my age) to the show, their very first concert, not bad for being 10 and 7! They really enjoyed it! A special thanks to Roger for being so nice to my daughters and the rest of us.

- Jerry

What happened? Going to phoenix last night I really thought I was in for a great show. I went to chula vista Tuesday and was blown away by the
magic and intensity the Cure had even though it was a pop setlist. Now I was ready for the dark setlist and you know what.. it was not impressive.
The sound was bad, the band looked tired and the crowd was half asleep. Yes it's nice to hear "different" cure songs. But when I heard "sinking"
and "forever" I didn't have that feeling like at Chula Vista when they played lovesong and in between days. They didn't have that emotion.
Phoenix was hot and The Cure seemed out of it. For those of you who feel like you have missed out on the best Cure shows because they played
songs they don't normally play, think again. It is not the songs they play. It's how they play them. It's how you feel when you hear them. The
Chula Vista crowd left with twinkles in their eyes as if it was Christmas morning. The Phoenix crowd looked tired and unsatisfied with exception of a few. I'm sorry but I'll take the pop setlist over this any night.

- Ryan

I can't really add anymore to the review that was previous to mine, except I would like to make a special notice that to whoever lost their "heart with
wings" tank-top in the pit, I found it on the ground and would love to return it to you. You can contact me. As for the show, I was extremely nervous about the setlist tonight, but I was completely blown away and ecstatic throughout the entire night. We really did get a special kind of show tonight in Phoenix, and maybe it had something to do with the fact that the band had skipped over this city on the 'Dream Tour'.
I had never seen a crowd respond to a show the way they did tonight, with such fervor and attentiveness.
All of the songs went over really well with the audience and the sound was how I expected it - superb. I am glad they toured with line array systems as the sound was crystal clear and you could hear the nuances from each intstrument. I have to say that the highlights for me this evening were 'Push', '100 Years'. 'Before 3', 'Pictures of You', 'FTEOTDGS', 'Lovecats', ... actually ....damn ... the whole show was friggen fantastic. This will be my last "large venue" show as I am tired of the nazi-esque policies these venues have and I am SO over the clear channel bullshit. I am very happy tonight and I have to thank the band. To the band: If you are reading this, I know you guys are tired from being away from your lives back home, but these shows are very special for your dedicated fans. We all really appreciate the effort and all the stops you pulled for all of us. The bands you asked to tour with you are fantastic and it was money well spent and thank you for taking us someplace magical as you always do.

- Kyle

The show here in Phoenix just ended & I'm 4 hours late for work! Oh well, 3 encores & about 2 1/2 hours, it was worth it. I got there in the middle of Interpol. I like them & already seen them at the Inland Invasion (CA) last year, but I'm really there just to see The Cure. This is about my 20-25th Cure concert (I lost count) & I still get chills when the lights dim. Tonight, Robert slowly walked out during the intro of Plainsong. Ah, Prayer Tour all over again! My favorite songs tonight were Shake Dog Shake, FTEOTDGS, Anniversary, Push, Sinking, Disintegration, A Forest & Forever. This was the first time I heard Forever & what's a Cure show without A Forest? The crowd was really (for lack of a better term) into it tonight.
Maybe it was because Phoenix was past over for Bloodflowers & we've been longing for Robert & Co for a few years. I'm glad Robert enjoyed himself here & I hope they return soon. THANK YOU! Onto LA, SF & Sac.

- Shawn

So, here's the deal. I feel bad for a lot of people in this world. I feel bad for the people that don't even know The Cure, because they are just missing fucking everything. I feel bad for the people that only know the "pop" side of The Cure because, even though the pop songs are quite good and all, there's a depth to The Cure that you don't get from radio. And sadly, I feel bad for hardcore Cure fans around the country tonight because they just didn't get the show that we got in Phoenix.

I was with a bunch of friends, but I told one that if they started with Plainsong, life would be good. If they started with Lost, well, it's still The Cure so be happy. That's quite a generalization to make, but turns out, it was a good one.

Let me also say up front that there were a few things that I wanted to hear. I'm always conflicted about saying "I want to hear this" and picking an obscure song (like Other Voices) because, well, it's obscure for a reason. They don't play it much. So as a realistic combination, here would have been songs I REALLY wanted to hear tonight: Anniversary, A Forest, FTEOTDGS, Disintegration, Maybe Someday, The Promise, and Charlotte Sometimes. Let me also say that I was at Coachella, so I heard The Promise before I even knew what it was. I have a hard time imagining a Cure concert without FTEOTDGS and Forest, and I wanted Anniversary and Maybe Someday because I'd never heard them. Disintegration, The Promise,
and Charlotte Sometimes are just songs I love.

So, they open with Plainsong. Robert hides in the shadows looking out at the crowd, smiling. He seems happy. There was a touch of this at Coachella. I'm not a big fan of Lost, and given my prediction to my friend, I'm already optimistic with Plainsong, which is just the ultimate song to open with (that or Open, but be real).

Shake Dog Shake. We have established that the new album is not the theme, and darkness is in. Very happy.

Labyrinth. Could totally do without this, but it wasn't something I heard at Coachella either, so fine. (For the record, new album songs at Coachella were Lost, The End of the World, Before Three, and The Promise).

Next up, From The Edge of the Deep Green Sea. One down, six to go. A terrific performance of the song, and frankly, this is just a song that I can lose myself in. Perfect in every way.

The End of the World. It's a decent single, not my fav, but it seemed better live. Robert sung his heart out here. I hate to think that he's going through a bad time, wonder what the trip to England was really all about, but man, he sure seemed into this song and one other...

Anniversary. Dedicated to "Luke and Stephanie," good for them, that's two I wanted to hear. This is just a terrific song, probably my favorite off of the new album, and he just hits it perfect tonight. Let's face it, Robert is God.

In Between Days. Hey, I'm thrilled so far, so go ahead with the pop stuff. We knew it was coming, and IBD is a great one. I'm expecting Just Like Heaven next, looks like Fascination Street is skipped.

Push. Wow. They played it at Coachella, but a great song. Sounded so awesome and hard to believe it's 20 years old.

Sinking. After this, Robert says something like "There's a little Head in the Door-fest for you." Sinking sounded so tight and would have been one of those five or so songs on my "obscure and unlikely, but I'd die to hear it" list. You know, along with Other Voices, Faith, Going Nowhere, and Forever.

Pictures of You. Pop song? You bet, but I love this darn song. Fucking great every time I hear it. I read in a recent interview that Robert said, "We set out to be the Beatles with a dark side. We didn't set out to be Pink Floyd." This is that in a nutshell, and it was outstanding.

Maybe Someday. Holy crap. That's three of the seven for me. It's a pop song that was never a single that mattered, I love it personally, and it
probably wouldn't be the song on most hard-core Cure fan lists, but I haven't heard it live by accident (not including listening to the Trilogy DVD), so this is just excellent.

Before Three. Sure, why not. I actually wish this was one of the singles off the new album instead of Taking Off, but hey, I can't have it all. This sounded remarkably like the album, right down to every vocal from Robert.

alt.end. The people that have said this is so much better live than the album, I have to say that they are right. I mean, they take out the clap and rock hard on this song live. The single could be great.

A Strange Day. Anything off of Pornography is welcome, and I came in with 50/50 odds on this one in my head, so wonderful. Robert just gets totally into this song.

One Hundred Years. My thought in my head: "A little Porn-fest" based on Robert's earlier comment. LOL. Great and tight and nice lights and
everything, as usual. You knew this would be in there because they haven't skipped it yet in the US, which is nice. Most bands won't stick to a 21 year old song religiously.

Disintegration. Wow. Four of seven done. Just unreal, the other song that he just seemed so into. I heard about Robert at San Diego, crying or something for the first half of this song, and he looked toward the drum set again for several minutes here, but he just nailed the vocals. Perfect. Better than Trilogy by far. And again, I hope everything is OK at home.

They leave the stage. I've got 4 for 7, I'm missing The Promise, which they've never played in an encore, Charlotte Sometimes and A Forest left. But, the obvious missing item is Just Like Heaven, which suggests a pop encore as 11:00 approaches.

They come back out and Robert says something like, "This is a wicked weird set of songs."

(I Don't Know What's Going) On. OK, fine, whatever. So we're getting the pop set and done for the night. Not a song I love, but I hadn't heard it
live, so fine. Good enough.

Charlotte Sometimes. Holy crap again. 5 of 7. I love this song. I heard it in Coachella and didn't think I'd get so lucky twice, especially in an encore. So, "weird" encore indeed, and I'm back to happy.

Just Like Heaven. I love the dark side of The Cure, but can anyone on the planet HATE this song? I love it. The crowd just went nuts. And we knew it was coming.

Boys Don't Cry. The crowd stays in it, and while I'm bummed that A Forest isn't included, I have to admit that I danced and sang the whole thing. And they leave, but Robert doesn't say anything like "Thanks for the night." Could it be?

They come back out. I'm dreaming realistically. "M, Play for Today, A Forest"? That would be KILLER. It's just past 11:00, they might not have
time. The crowd is totally into it. Place is LOUD.

Close to Me. Small ugh. No chance of A Forest from this set. Bummer. He said something that I couldn't quite understand, but I think the gist was "I was trying to decide what to play and you all seemed into dancing." Yeah, OK. So hard to complain after everything else and a wonderful evening, but not something to keep me completely interested, although the crowd did love it. Robert stood on the left side of the stage for the whole song and sang and played with the crowd. Poor guys on the right.

Lovecats. They did this at Coachella too, and it sounds wonderful. Robert loves playing the crowd on this song. Totally into the words and lyrically "meowing."

Why Can't I Be You? OK, a surprise, and I'm sure this is it. And Robert spends the whole song on the far right side of the stage playing with the crowd. Poor guys on the left.

And it ends. And they set things down. And Robert walks up to the mike. "Let's see if we have time for one more." No way. And think what a bummer it would be if they just never came back after that comment.

Off and back on. "The band would go all night, I promise." I doubt anyone in the whole place left.

A Forest. Holy Shit. 6 of 7. I couldn't really imagine a Cure concert without this song, and I had totally given up on it. The lighting, the background, the singing, and of course, the just perfect playing of this song. And as it ends, and it's basically just down to Robert's guitar, I notice the others aren't walking off the stage. And there is no pause or end.

Forever. See "obscure and unlikely" list above. Wow. Just amazing, what a treat, can't believe how great it sounds. A moment like no other. The
show runs over 2 hours total, well past curfew, better than any setlist I've seen yet, and the end of another perfect Cure evening. I just wish they happened more often for everyone.

Everyone else is gone, and Robert, of course, says, "Thanks for a fucking wonderful evening." I just wish the rest of the world could understand how lucky we got.

- Chris M (CMBat)

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