4Tour World Tour 2007 - 08 
  


Feb. 16th, 2008 - Berlin, Germany (Velodrom)

Plainsong, Prayers For Rain, alt.end, Please Project, A Night Like This, The Walk, The End of the World, Lovesong, To Wish Impossible Things, Pictures of You, Lullaby, From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea, The Drowning Man, Push, Just Like Heaven, Primary, A Boy I Never Knew, If Only Tonight We Could Sleep, The Kiss, Never Enough, Wrong Number, One Hundred Years, Disintegration

1st encore: At Night, M, Play For Today, A Forest
2nd encore: Lovecats, Let's Go To Bed, Freak Show, Close To Me, Why Can't I Be You
3rd 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.

Show was 3 hours and 18 minutes.


(Thanks to Olivier for the setlist and to Thomas for the ticket scan)


Photos

COF - Dennis - Berlin.de - Fuerst - Berlin Online - Fons - Marsworld


Videos
 
Pictures of You - Close To Me - Play For Today 1 - PFT 2 - M - Primary - The Kiss 1 - The Kiss 2 - A Forest - Just Like Heaven

If Only Tonight We Could Sleep - Plainsong - The Drowning Man 1 - The DM 2 - Lovecats - Why Can't I Be You



 Reviews

Welt


Having read about the past concerts of the current tour, I wasn’t actually very excited to see them live again. I agree that the band’s choice of songs doesn’t sound very exciting. This was my ninth Cure concert and I am tired of hearing A forest, Lullaby, Boys don’t cry, Play for Today, Why can’t I be you etc..for the ninth time also. 
After 30 years of successful recording one should be able to put something more „surprising“ or daring together I guess.... Nevertheless I really (!!) liked the concert. I am actually quite glad that they got rid of the keyboards. Most of the songs sound so much more powerful without them. Plainsong, Prayers for Rain, The Walk, At Night etc.. On the other hand some songs reminded of mmh let's say like a Cure Cover band (Lovecats) or unfortunately lack of intensity (like Disintegration or Pictures of You). There were a few  surprises for me... The drowning man, Primary. Brilliant to finally hear them live! The new songs did nothing for me... No depth and somehow too undefined/ undecided/boring(?). Have to listen to the record to see the point in them i guess....
The crowd was really excited and danced the night away. Weird mix though. Where do you see teenage gothic girls beside 50-year-old business guys in suites with their wives standing next to each other?? All in all one of my favourite cure concerts.. I was worried that they got too old.. or just don't manage to "make it happen".. They surely convinced me of the opposite! Go check it out if zou have a chance!

- Elmar


Two nights in a row of The Cure is a great way to get addicted.  What could be better than seeing them play an amazing show one night in Hamburg, then spending the next day in the wonderful city of Berlin, only to see them yet again that very night?  I don't know, but unfortunately after spoiling myself like that this weekend, I am feeling the ugly symptoms of withdrawal at the moment.  :)

Anyway, while it was wonderful to see them two nights in a row, I didn't enjoy this set quite as much as I did the Hamburg set.  I don't think this has anything to do with the band, however - I think the venue, audience, and some various other things contributed to my lesser enjoyment of the show.  Regardless, it was still a great show, even if the set lists were nearly identical on the two nights!

To me, Porl seemed a bit more energetic and present at this show than he did in Hamburg, and seemed to be more interested in getting a kiss from
Simon during "Never Enough" this time (though from where I was sitting, it didn't appear that they actually touched lips ;) ).  However, Robert
seemed to get off to a rocky start, perhaps bleeding over from the frustration/fatigue he seemed to experience at the Hamburg show?  He seemed distant and messed the words up quite seriously (more than usual!) during the first few numbers.  He made a comment early on about a song being played out of order, but overall he didn't seem to have the same setlist issues that happened the previous night.  Leaving the stage the first time, he moved slowly and kept his hand over his mouth as he seemed to exit the stage in a daze (I could see the band in the backstage area from where I sat, so I had a nice view of their entrances and exits).  Again he did not address the audience much at all, and once again he seemed tired; however, by the end of the set he seemed to have warmed up a bit and did some really nice guitar work at the end of "A Forest" before letting Simon have the spotlight.  I gushed enough about Simon in my Hamburg review, so I won't say much about him this time, other than he was, as always, in tip top form!

Some highlights from this night that were not present in Hamburg were "The Drowning Man", which is just so lovely live, and the ever-intense "The Kiss".  Jason and Simon really seem to play tightly together, and that really I think is the key to the strong sound they have at the moment.  This is also very nicely displayed on "At Night", which I was very excited to hear again - so much so that I didn't care that we got the "Seventeen Seconds" encore again.

Most of the other songs on this list were addressed in my Hamburg review, so I will not repeat myself here.  People can complain about hearing the same songs over and over, which is understandable considering The Cure's large catalogue of songs; but when they play these songs as well as they're playing right now, I cannot say anything against it.  I would see this show - with this same setlist - every night if I could.  Now if only I could figure out how to make a living doing so, then I'd be all set... ;)

- Valerie R.


Just got back from Berlin, and a few brief thoughts… Firstly, Mrs Sleazy and I weren't particularly expecting too much from the show, having seen
the bog standard hits-based setlist and other people's comments. Plus, it was early in the tour and we were expecting the band to take time to settle in, especially with the new material. However, I have to say that anyone going to a future show should put aside any prejudice, because although the sets may not look that good on paper, the band are in top form and are probably one of the tightest line-ups I've seen in 25 years of Cure gig-going.

For all the people who are complaining about the lack of keyboards… you have to accept that this is a different line-up playing new arrangements
of old songs. You're not getting note-for-note perfect renditions of your CDs - this is a live band, enjoying themselves. And I have to say, after years of enduring old warhorses like The Walk and Lullaby, it's actually enjoyable to hear them played differently – new light through old windows, as Chris Rea once said.

Although Berlin was an oddly-paced set – and this must be the first Cure show since 1989 that I've not heard Fascination Street – there were still a few surprises. To Wish Impossible Things is not a favourite of mine (OK, I hate it), but this version had a Bloodflowers-style ponderousness to it, which was interesting. …Deep Green Sea was powerful, followed by a beautiful Drowning Man, while Primary is now slow and heavy (and I'm loving those Warholesque visuals).

Speaking of reinterpretations, Disintegration initially seemed a bit lifeless, but by the end I thought that it was almost being sung from a completely different viewpoint – more regret than despair, if that's not too pretentious. However, One Hundred Years was just dull and Mrs Sleazy seemed to be the only person in the arena enjoying Wrong Number. Also, there's a segue between two songs in the encores that gave me an almighty thrill.

Of the new material – too early to have any real opinions, but Please Project seems a bit generic, A Boy I Never Knew is in the plodding Bloodflowers vein, and Freak Show is simply bizarre - was that a bossanova rhythm? Porl lovers will note that the man now gets his own spotlights during certain solos (eg 10.15), which is nice, and possibly a hangover from his Page and Plant days?

Merchandise watchers will be pleased by the squiggly Porl design, but put off by the tacky silver logos, and Big Hair Fans should note that you will be confronted by a towering edifice, which appeared to us to be taking up the challenged laid down by British comedian and Cure fan Russell Brand. Off to Vienna on Saturday!

- Sleazy Martinez


If you have 5 minutes to spare , then I tell you the story of my life . .

At last ! Back for our 4th cure gig here in Berlin , this show is our 4th gig at the 4 Tour`08 (Stockholm, Oslo, Hamburg & Berlin), and we was looking very much especially for this gig here, hoping The Cure had heard our prayers of a much different set list, but we was wrong (again) But this was the best gig so far of this gigs we been too on the 4 tour . (Well the Oslo gig I cant really say too much about because some motherf"#er of the security staff from Spectrum security kicked me out, because of something I diddent do, and no I wasn't that drunk c",) , so I missed the encores, long story. Have to say the people from Pro Sec in Oslo was very nice but couldn't do nothing, the security people in Norway have so much to learn from other
countries how to handle fans, in Oslo you should only standing still and clap your hands, or even better just sit still )

I also think the Hamburg was better than Stockholm & Oslo, but we was a little disappointed, because the last show in Color Line Arena (2002) was so extremely good, we thought it be as good, but it wasn't, Well we meet again Marcel from Holland before the gig in Berlin, who has even cooler hair than Robert now, just amazing! Very nice to see you again, last time was in Berlin in 2005 . And thanks too the Berlin cure fans, very nice people.

Well well, right now im very happy im not going to see the cure for another 17 weeks, already have tickets for the last 2 gigs in NYC in USA, I hope & pray they have a new set list then . .

My best friend is going to the Praha gig, but right now I feel that I need a break. But wish you all the best !!
 
Before the gig they (cure) at least diddent have 30 minutes whit just dolphins screams, cos that's was torture in Hamburg, imagine 30 min of screaming dolphins! ! The intro before had more ocean sounds in Berlin and we was hoping for a "new" opening song, but we was wrong again.  4
out of 5 gigs so far has started whit Plain Song

Im not going into every song, but mention just the songs that got us into the right cure mood, songs not mentioned we was either taking a piss, talk to other about the lack of changing songs,  take a cigarette or bye some more to drink, usually the last, you really need some alcohol to hear songs like please project, freak show + + +

Starting with a good Plainsong, Prayers For Rain, loved it ! A Night Like This, To Wish Impossible Things, (should give Jason some cred on the drumming on this track, as im not the biggest fan of his drumming, but on this song the drumming comes  out excellent !) The Drowning Man, it took me quite some seconds before I realized it was drowning, because it was so unexpected, but couldent be more pleased ! Drowning was one of my highlights of the show .Push has always been a great live song, love the guitars here, Robert & Porl fits each other very good here ! Primary, is always welcome for me live .

A Boy I Never Knew, the only new song that's have a good potential, cant wait to hear it in a studio version ! If Only Tonight We Could Sleep &
The Kiss was very good versions I think, I closed my eyes and go back to `87, loads of good memories of these songs!
 
1st encore : Well, very good songs, especially At Night , but its like reading yesterdays paper when At Night starts, you know the next 3 songs .

2nd encore: Love cats, first time for us so was nice to hear it !! Freak Show (my 9 years old daughter could write a better lyric!)  The other songs is  not for me, except Why cant I Be You ?, but something missing here too. .

3rd encore: Three Imaginary Boys, Fire In Cairo, Jumping Someone Else's Train, Grinding Halt, 10:15 Saturday Night, Killing An Arab, fucking
brilliant songs. But same as 1st encore you know the next song, please change around a bit, Where is All Cats, Holy Hour, Piggy . . .I could
write endless here, you know what I mean .

Faith was on the set list at the mixing desk as a 4th encore , but sadly not played. .

After the show we went down to a cure party, and I have to say it was the coolest cure after party I ever been to ( of different reasons . . hrmf) It was on a boat  , just the hard core fans was there, Marcel and one other cool man played whatever we asked for, and we danced, speaking to other cool people and of coursed dinked the boat empty . .We left the boat 07:00 in the morning hand in hand. . You were so wonderfully wonderfully  wonderfully
wonderfully pretty! Oh you know that i'd do anything for you... we should have each other to tea , We should have each other with cream, then curl up in the fire and sleep for awhile ,it was the perfect dream! Enough said here ;o) You know who you are . .

Ps, Not to be misunderstood here, so will I say that the cure is still the best live band in the world, and Roberts voice is better than ever, and not many bands playing 3 hours  show, maybe Bruce Springsteen, but who cares about him, not me . .And you get a good value of your hard earned money for the ticket, Had it been my first gig I probably had died after these cure shows of happiness, but its not my first show, and i'm always wanting more, anything i haven't heard, everything i want it all, i just can't stop . . 

i want the sky to fall in i want lightning and thunder, i want blood instead of rain, i want the cure to make me wonder . .
 
I want more drinks more dreams more drugs,  more lust more lies more love . .

but however hard i want,  i know deep down inside . . i'll never really get more songs or one more time ;o)

See u next time in NYC ! !

That's all so far ! Love from The Norwegian Cure Clan ©

- Lars M.



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