News Archive - Sept. 2004

Sept. 30th

  • Robert was on BBC Five Live today, doing an interview and playing 'Boys Don't Cry' live (with Jason on tambourine). He wanted to do 'Taking Off', but Simon didn't show up at the studio. You can listen to it here. Only real news from the interview is that they will probably be playing a show in London this December. No other plans after Christmas, they need a break. 


  • The Lyon show has been confirmed by Europe 2 and tickets go on sale Saturday at 10am: 

  • "Tickets for the Cure concert with Europe 2 in Lyon on Nov 19th go on sale on Saturday at 10:00 AM CET for 30 euros (general admission):
    http://www.uk.francebillet.com/fiche_manifestation_uk.jsp?codman=LEURO"

    (Thanks Olivier and Dennis)



  • Robert will be guest hosting the John Peel show on BBC Radio 1 in mid-October: 

  • "I thought you might like to notify your users about this news - Robert Smith will be standing in for John Peel in a few weeks time on Radio 1.
    We've set up a form where users can submit questions to Bob. Please encourage them to do so!"

    (Thanks to Clare at BBC Radio 1 Interactive)


  • Looks like there will be another German 3" single for 'Taking Off': 

  • "I don't recall seeing this yet, but a seller on ebay is listing a German 3" cd single for Taking Off for pre order. The one he's listing is sold, but where there's one, there's bound to be more. 
    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4040991239&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT"

    (Thanks Charles)



    Sept. 29th

  • The Cure will be playing live on XFM's Music Response show tonight just after 8pm (UK time). 

  • Update - They played Three Imaginary Boys, Us or Them, alt.end, Taking Off and 10:15 Saturday Night. Here's a review:

    "Just listened to the live session on XFM so I've wrote some words about it.

    Important points:
     
    * Mentioned the re-release of 3IB in "November", next three re-releases (not named) supposed to be out in February and March 2005. - "Supposed
    to be..."
     
    * Robert says the extras are more for historical value rather than actually being any good and it is a good reference for other bands to hear "how awful" The Cure actually were when they started !!!!
     
    * The live version of 10:15 that appears on the extras disc apparently was from the last show the original trio played and Robert reckons he sounds like he has loads of pent-up frustration and the song ends up doing about 250bpm.
     
    * Robert conceded that the album probably would not sound any different if Ross Robinson had not been involved.
     
    * Robert said (laughing) that calling the latest album The Cure was "idiocy" and he still has doubts that it should be called something else.
     
    * Icon show was mentioned.  Robert sarcastically called Marilyn Manson and Deftones "Gods" when asked what he thought of watching them play the show and when the XFM dj said Deftones were heavier than The Cure Robert bizarrely said "they're smart enough not to say that".  Eh ??

    Update - "No no no, Robert said that watching them pay homage to The Cure made them feel like "gods" with sarcasm dripping from his mouth." - Pyra
     
    * He said that MTV gave Robert a list of bands set to appear and Robert went back to MTV and said that rather than having the original list of
    bands that had all "dissed" The Cure for the last 15 years (no names mentioned!!) he wanted bands that actually have always respected The Cure.
     
    * Robert said that despite The Cure's success in the US they still don't do very well in certain parts of the US, for example Nashville !!!
     
    * The Cure's contract with Geffen states that "when or if" they make another album it will be released on Geffen.  Note the "if".
     
    Songs played:
     
    Three Imaginary Boys: was brilliant, it actually barely sounded any different at all to the original version, even Robert sounded very young
    again singing this !  Not too sure what Roger was playing though.
     
    Us Or Them: Glad to see XFM left in the f-words on this track, no bleeping out or anything - yay !!!  Unfortunately you couldn't really hear the weird guitar arpeggio parts that play during the "I don't need your us or them.." parts - very quiet.
     
    alt.end: Way to go messing up live !!!  I have no idea if what they did to this song was planned but at least one of the band totally screwed up midway through, Simon's bass line seemed to be all over the place before he remembered what part of the song he was meant to be playing.  Sounds like they tried to play an edited version of the song, with some of the band forgetting all about it and continuing to play the full version !!!
     
    Taking Off: Terrible sound, terrible.  No idea what the hell was going on here, Roger's opening keyboard was lagging about half a second behind
    the rest of the song - hopefully not on purpose.  Perrys lead guitar part was simply inaudible at the start as well and barely got any louder later on.  Basically all you could hear was the drums, accoustic guitar and Robert's voice.  A shame as it's such a beautiful song.
     
    10:15: Goddamit, the intro to this was totally screwed up as well !!!!  Either Robert or Roger were playing in the wrong key, meanwhile Simon started his bass intro in totally the wrong key and then just stopped until he remembered what key to play in.  Surely they can't have suddenly got nerves after all these years.  But a good version of the song when they eventually got it right, Jason's drums were absolutely thundering on this, especially the parts where he thumps the toms.  Very very funny though, when the song ended Robert laughing his head off said "...and that's why I shouldn't talk before I start a song.  By the way, that wsn't my fault at the start....much".
     
    A nice little performance despite the slightly dodgy sound, but the band were clearly having a lof of fun and it was a nice surprise for me considering I only saw the news about the show on Chain Of Flowes about 15 minutes before it was due to start !"
     
    (Thanks Dave Ace)



  • During the XFM interview today, Robert said that only 3IB will be out on Nov. 15th, with the next three remastered cds out in Feb. or March of 2005. 


  • The Cure will play Paris, France on Oct. 14th. More info here

  • (Thanks Sylvia)


  • And they will play Lyon, France on Nov. 19th: 

  • "The french radio "Europe 2" organizes a live concert with "The Cure, Franz Ferdinand and De Palmas (a french singer)"  the NOVEMBER 19, 2004 in the Halle Tony Garnier, Lyon, France.
     
    This info is sure, i have the confirmation of Europe 2 and the "Halle Tony Garnier".
     
    Tickets will be on sale as from Saturday !"
      
    (Thanks to Laurie and Figurehead at Massive Attack Area)



  • Curespotting: 

  • "From the October 14th, 2004 issue of Rolling Stone magazine: Robert Smith on Interpol - "They're very good at writing melodies," says the
    Cure's Robert Smith. "Lyrically, their songs are very heartfelt, and that makes for a good contrast with the starkness and icy veneer of their sound. They look really good onstage, yet they don't try too hard. It sems almost contrived at first, but they have such a fantastically defined sense of self." From the same article: I've [writer Jenny Eliscu] been warned in advance that Dengler [Interpol's bassist] maintains a series of "policies" that guide him through life. For instance, he is so insistent in his refusal to gamble that, during the Curiosa tour, he turned down a request from [Robert] Smith - his hero - to join in on a few hands of poker. "I was like, 'You're Killing Me, Robert. Please don't make me do this,' " says Dengler. "I firmly believe
    in the cliche of money being the root of all evil. That being said, constructing games around the acquisition of these slips of paper is like indulging in the very evil essence that it is."


    From the November 2004 Revolver magazine: "Favorite Shit with The Cure's Robert Smith" by Brian Stillman. While today's hardcore and screamo
    singers like to think that they invented melancholic lyrics and dark musical atmosphere, the truth is, none of them hold a black candle to the Cure's Robert Smith. Albums like "Pornography" (1982), "Disintegration" (1989), and "Bloodflowers" (2000) could make a Prozac-popping clown contemplate suicide. Along with his flair for the morose, Smth also harbors an uncanny talent for crafting picture-perfect pop gems that have helped land his band near the top of the charts with alarming regularity over the last four decades. The Cure's latest release, a self-titled affair improbably produced by Ross Robinson (Slipknot, Limp Bizkit), successfully melds these two dichotic elements and represent a fine addition to the band's impressive legacy.

    FAVORITE JOKE: "A guy walks into a psychiatrist's office and says, 'Doctor, I think I'm a Jack Russell terrier.' So the psychiatrist looks at him for
    a minute and then says, 'Okay, why don't you lie down on the couch and we'll talk.' And the guy replies, 'I Can't, Doctor. I'm not allowed on the furniture!' "

    FAVORITE FOOTWEAR: Bunker Boots. "I've been wearing these for the last four years. They make my legs stronger - they weigh about four stone [56 pounds]. All my shoes are castoffs from Simon [Gallup, bass]. We have the same foot size, so I end up wearing whatever he's done with."

    FAVORITE SWEATER: "My mom knits all my jumpers [sweaters]. Strangely enough, black is always the predominant color...She made one for me with a skull on it, which I quite like. It's got a matching hat and gloves, too." FAVORITE FILM: 2001: A Space Odyssey "I saw the premiere of it in London when I was 10. And I went with my brother seven more times after that. We'd pile in his car with all his friends. They'd smoke up and fill the car with smoke, and by the time we'd get to the theater, I was pretty intoxicated. I actually made sure that I watched the movie again on New Year's 2000. It's a vision of the future that you just wanted to happen.

    FAVORITE VACATION SPOT: Euro Disney "I take 25 or so members of my family there for New Year's Eve. It's a lot of fun, and I never remember anything about it - I just get wasted. We take videos, and I'm always in the background looking quite deranged. And the characters in the costumes are hammered, too. One year, Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee took their heads off and started punching each other in the restaurant. They'd obviously gotten fed up with their work."

    FAVORITE MAKEUP: MAC cosmetics "When you're playing under hot lights, you need something that stays on you."

    FAVORITE GUITAR: Signature Schecter guitar "I'm using it on tour; I used a prototype of it on the record. It was made to my speicifications. It's
    got a massive body. I'm quite pleased with it - it's got character."

    FAVORITE RUMOR ABOUT HIMSELF: "That I'm dead. I get that on an annual basis. It specifies how I die, and I always look forward to hearing it. One of the best was that I'd dived into an empty swimming pool. There's another that said I was lost on a mountain."


    (Thanks Rust)

    "MTV2 is airing a commercial  for the forthcoming ShortList Prize, featuring short soundbites from the artists who are acting as judges, including Robert Smith; it passed too quickly for me to transcribe what he said. Also of note: MTV2 has started showing the "Taking Off" video."

    (Thanks Rust)


    "The Lovecats made it to fourth place on the TMF (a musical cable channel) top schooll disco anthems!!!"

    (Thanks Morgan)


    "just heard a snippet of boys don't cry on woman's hour, bbc radio 4, as a trailer for a piece about men crying.  very small, but so good to hear!"

    (Thanks Alison)




    Sept. 28th

  • Some 'Taking Off' singles info and other promotional news: 


  •  

    The Cure
    Taking Off
    Release Date - 18th October 2004
         
    Format        7" Singles
    Cat. No.         9864601
    Barcode        0602498646014
    Price        £ 1.42
                               
    Tracklisting

    Side : 1
    1.    Taking Off       

    Side : 2
    1.    Why Can't I Be Me       
                             
      
    Format        CD Single Enhanced
    Cat. No.         9864491
    Barcode        0602498644911
    Price        £ 2.69
                               
    Tracklisting

    Side : 1
    1.    Taking Off       
    2.    Why Can't I Be Me       
    3.    Your God Is Fear       
    4.    Taking Off        (Video)
                               
    Overview
    'One of the most influential bands of all time' The Guardian

    The Cure bring out the second single from the top 10 album `The Cure' on 18th October. `Taking Off' will be released on CD maxi and 7" picture disc featuring brand new exclusive studio tracks.

    `Taking Off' is The Cure at their very best - a fresh sounding dark pop track with a sound that is totally unrivalled by those they have inspired over the years. The band have had a great run of live dates this year including the Move festival at Manchester's Trafford Cricket Ground and the extensive US Curiosa tour which featured Interpol, The Rapture & Muse on support duties amongst others.

    The Cure are confirmed to record sessions for Radio One & XFM before the release of the single - their first in many years - tune in!

    Marketing
    Club: Full club service to all indie DJ's & rock clubs across the UK.
    Press Ads: Guardian Guide, NME, Uncut & Kerrang
    Radio Ads: 20 second ads on XFM
    Online: Reworking Cure mini-site to include single release details, sleeve art, competition & video / sound clips

    Radio
    Playlists: XFM Daytime & BBC 6 Music B list
    Confirmed promo: Radio One session with Zane Lowe, XFM session

    Video
    Video playlists: Added to MTV2 & VH2 so far.
    Confirmed promo: MTV Icons show, Popworld interview, MTV2 interview.
    Promo tbc: Later With Jools Holland.

    Press
    Confirmed features: Independent feature, Word feature
    Single reviews confirmed across the board

    (Thanks Chris, Ange and Nikki)



    Sept. 27th

  • Here's a scan of Simon's interview with Bass Player magazine. 

  • (Thanks to Autumn at Pictures of You)


  • MTV has posted videos of the Cure covers from the Icon show. 

  • (Thanks Dan and Olivier)


  • Icon will be airing on MTV Latin America: 

  • "just to let you know that yesterday on a mtv news report for mtv latin america they anounced that the icon show would be airing november 27th
    for mexico.. not sure about the hour or the dates for other countries in latin america.. "

    (Thanks Conrado)



  • Robert interview from the Manila Times

  • Thursday, September 23, 2004

    Changes in The Cure

    Main man Robert Smith is excited for the release of a new album–‘It’s been years!’

    By Cris O. Ramos  Jr.

    “When I hear myself talking about how we made the new album, it sounds almost unreal,” said Robert Smith on www.thecure.com. “It sounds like
    I’m talking about some kind of weird group therapy, but making this album has really changed my attitude to what we do. I expect so much more of us now.”

    It’s been quite some time since the New Wave trailblazer The Cure had made an album, and understandably, main man Robert Smith is excited. 
    One of the reasons for the “change” that took place in this famous eighties group is that they worked with a producer for the first time. To top it off, the band’s choice for producer is arguably uncharacteristic—Ross Robinson, whose credits include bands of the nü-metal/hardcore/metal variety (Korn, Slipknot, among others).

    Smitten by The Cure since his early teens, Robinson had publicly stated that working with the band would be his ultimate achievement, and his
    determination to make this their best album even pushed them to new limits. The Cure was so satisfied with the end result that they were happy to christen this album The Cure.

    “The performances on the new album are so emotionally driven,” explains Smith, “largely because we recorded the songs live in the studio, which
    is something we haven’t done since our very first album.”

    The result is a successful fusion of the band’s two sides: the poppy “In Between Days” and “Friday, I’m in Love” side and the dark Disintegration
    side. Although the album includes songs covering a range of musical styles, the emotional intensity never flags, so that a tuneful pop gem is delivered with the same conviction as a grinding single-riff onslaught.

     From the savage opening assault of “lost” to the closing strains of the atmospheric, acoustic-driven “Going Nowhere,” the essence of The Cure is
    distilled in every cut. The inwardly-directed rage of “The Promise,” the chilling sense of impending doom of the first single “The End of the World” and the warm guitar lines of “Before Three”—these elements have never before existed side by side on a single, utterly coherent album.

    To The Cure fans who are upset about the news that this would be the band’s final album, don’t fret because the group has just signed a global three-album deal with Geffen Records. In a recent phone interview with Smith through MCA Music’s Tony Molina, he talks about the group’s new record, its inspiration, and why he remains in the world of music to this day.

    The Manila Times: In 1999, you said that Bloodflowers was going to be the last Cure album. Did you really think then that The Cure was finished?

    Robert Smith: I repeatedly told everyone around me that Bloodflowers was the last thing I was going to do for a number of reasons. One, because
    it was the last album we had on our deal at the time. I was pretty serious about ending it (the band) because I’ve always promised myself that I would reach 40 and do something else. It was all going according to plan except that I actually didn’t feel like stopping. I was kind of preparing myself for a plunge into a new world but I never quite did it, you know? I got sucked back into The Cure world. I can’t honestly think of anything I would rather be doing. So, I just keep doing this. I guess it shows a lack of imagination or it just means I’m very, very happy in my job, doesn’t it? Or both.

    TMT: Can you talk about some of the themes you tackled on the album?

    RS: I’m drawn to the same universal themes of time passing, lost love . . . I don’t know, self-awareness. What else . . . truth, goodness and beauty; that was a new one that crept in.

    TMT: Any book that particularly inspired your latest album?

    RS: I read this book by this modern philosopher called The View from Nowhere. I was actually tempted to steal the title for this album at some point. The idea of the book was this concept of stepping outside of yourself. And in order to do that you had to recognize who you were in the first place. It’s a small book but quite an exhausting book to get through and it actually set me off, it was the inspiration behind the stuff we sang on the record.

    TMT: Why did it take you a long time to release a self-titled album?

    RS: See, I didn’t use to care about stealing titles from other people. In fact, a good deal of our early works was stolen. Then, we weren’t high profile so I didn’t think anyone would bother suing us, whereas now we have to be more careful.

    The very first working title that we had for the project when we started doing the demos was actually “Good Dream, Bad Dream.” And I originally
    wanted to do a double-album, one obviously of the lighter side of what we do and one of the dark side. But Ross convinced me that if we melded
    the two it probably would be a better record over-all and it would draw people in more because they would be intrigued by it. Very early on, he was intent on producing the definitive Cure album.

    TMT: The CD sleeve artwork comprises a lot of children’s drawings. What’s the significance of that?

    RS: They were really generated by my nephews and nieces. I asked them to draw some pictures for the cover of the album. Half of them had no idea
    what I was talking about (laughs) because they don’t know what I do. And the other half wondered what they were going to be paid. The middle lot
    who were the best artists just got on with the job.

    Over a period (of time) when we were recording, I kept getting envelopes with pictures in and I’d stick them on the walls and just gauge the response that I had. I think that there’s a great sense of immediacy and naïveté about children’s drawings that, I think it’s impossible not to like children’s drawings even if you don’t know the child.

    It triggers something in you because everyone’s done it. Everyone’s drawn pictures, everyone’s drawn the sky as a blue line, everyone’s drawn the grass as a green line and everyone’s drawn hands as a circle with five sticks.

    We also had some adult artists send us works, some of them really, really good, actually. A lot of the artwork we were being sent was really gruesome, but it didn’t resonate. It didn’t kind of make us feel the album, you know? I think the children’s drawings had the unfair advantage, I suppose if you could put it that way, of actually being stuck on the wall. So, we lived with them for a long time.


    (Thanks Tempest)


  • Curespotting: 

  • "Club Beat: If its comes from Omaha, it's bound to be laden with misery. Judging solely by the musical crop it has produced in the past few years, Omaha, Neb., is a city shrouded in pathos. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/192143_club24.html"

    (Thanks Tempest)


    "The Antics road show
    CULT New Yorkers Interpol have opted to head down an alternative route to promote their new album http://news.scotsman.com/features.cfm?id=1121972004"

    (Thanks Tempest)



    Sept. 24th


  • Here are all of the official Curiosa numbers that have been reported to Boxscore/Billboard so far: 

  • "Here are all the totals reported to us from this summer's Curiosa Tour. There are a few missing and I'm not sure if those will be reported or
    not, so I wanted to go ahead and send you these. If I do get any more Cure totals in the next week or so, I'll forward them on to you.

    The Cure - Curiosa Tour 2004

    Total Gross: $4,817,647
    Total Attendance:  125,632
    Total Capacity:  274,228
    Total Shows:  15

    Event Date: July 24, 2004
    Artist/Event: The Cure, Interpol, The Rapture, Mogwai & others
    Venue: Sound Advice Amphitheatre
    City/State: West Palm Beach, Fla.
    Gross: $420,737
    Attendance: 10,476
    Capacity: 19,271
    Shows: 1
    Sellouts: 0
    Ticket Prices: $55, $29.50
    Promoter(s): Clear Channel Entertainment

    Event Date: July 25, 2004
    Artist/Event: The Cure, Interpol, The Rapture, Mogwai & others
    Venue: Ford Amphitheatre
    City/State: Tampa, Fla.
    Gross: $359,595
    Attendance: 10,002
    Capacity: 20,670
    Shows: 1
    Sellouts: 0
    Ticket Prices: $49.50, $10
    Promoter(s): Clear Channel Entertainment

    Event Date: July 28, 2004
    Artist/Event: The Cure, Interpol, The Rapture, Mogwai & others
    Venue: Starwood Amphitheatre
    City/State: Antioch, Tenn.
    Gross: $167,924
    Attendance: 5,860
    Capacity: 17,356
    Shows: 1
    Sellouts: 0
    Ticket Prices: $51.50, $10
    Promoter(s): Clear Channel Entertainment

    Event Date: July 29, 2004
    Artist/Event: The Cure, Interpol, The Rapture, Mogwai & others
    Venue: HiFi Buys Amphitheatre
    City/State: Atlanta, Ga.
    Gross: $333,291
    Attendance: 7,153
    Capacity: 15,000
    Shows: 1
    Sellouts: 0
    Ticket Prices: $59.50, $49.50, $35
    Promoter(s): House of Blues Concerts

    Event Date: Aug. 1, 2004
    Artist/Event: The Cure, Interpol, The Rapture, Mogwai & others
    Venue: Tweeter Center at the Waterfront
    City/State: Camden, N.J.
    Gross: $391,016
    Attendance: 10,780
    Capacity: 24,970
    Shows: 1
    Sellouts: 0
    Ticket Prices: $77.50, $15
    Promoter(s): Clear Channel Entertainment

    Event Date: Aug. 3, 2004
    Artist/Event: The Cure, Interpol, The Rapture, Mogwai & others
    Venue: Riverbend Music Center
    City/State: Cincinnati, Ohio
    Gross: $159,192
    Attendance: 5,705
    Capacity: 20,581
    Shows: 1
    Sellouts: 0
    Ticket Prices: $49.50, $17
    Promoter(s): Clear Channel Entertainment

    Event Date: Aug. 4, 2004
    Artist/Event: The Cure, Interpol, The Rapture, Mogwai & others
    Venue: Blossom Music Center
    City/State: Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
    Gross: $270,669
    Attendance: 6,929
    Capacity: 18,500
    Shows: 1
    Sellouts: 0
    Ticket Prices: $59.50, $49.50, $29.50
    Promoter(s): House of Blues Concerts

    Event Date: Aug. 7, 2004
    Artist/Event: The Cure, Interpol, The Rapture, Mogwai & others
    Venue: Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts
    City/State: Mansfield, Mass.
    Gross: $352,063
    Attendance: 9,368
    Capacity: 19,900
    Shows: 1
    Sellouts: 0
    Ticket Prices: $50, $35
    Promoter(s): Clear Channel Entertainment

    Event Date: Aug. 9, 2004
    Artist/Event: The Cure, Interpol, The Rapture, Mogwai & others
    Venue: Molson Amphitheatre
    City/State: Toronto, Ont., Canada
    Gross: $394,416 ($516,881 Canadian) 
    Attendance: 10,676
    Capacity: 12,000
    Shows: 1
    Sellouts: 0
    Ticket Prices: $65.24, $49.98, $32.43, $19.46
    Promoter(s): House of Blues Canada

    Event Date: Aug. 11, 2004
    Artist/Event: The Cure, Interpol, The Rapture, Mogwai & others
    Venue: DTE Energy Music Center
    City/State: Clarkston, Mich.
    Gross: $336,260
    Attendance: 7,941
    Capacity: 15,129
    Shows: 1
    Sellouts: 0
    Ticket Prices: $62, $32
    Promoter(s): Clear Channel Entertainment

    Event Date: Aug. 12, 2004
    Artist/Event: The Cure, Interpol, The Rapture, Mogwai & others
    Venue: Tweeter Center
    City/State: Tinley Park, Ill.
    Gross: $430,428
    Attendance: 10,837
    Capacity: 28,500
    Shows: 1
    Sellouts: 0
    Ticket Prices: $66, $15
    Promoter(s): Clear Channel Entertainment

    Event Date: Aug. 15, 2004
    Artist/Event: The Cure, Interpol, The Rapture, Mogwai & others
    Venue: Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
    City/State: The Woodlands, Texas
    Gross: $354,803
    Attendance: 8,506
    Capacity: 15,825
    Shows: 1
    Sellouts: 0
    Ticket Prices: $61.50, $25
    Promoter(s): Clear Channel Entertainment

    Event Date: Aug. 24, 2004
    Artist/Event: The Cure, Interpol, The Rapture, Mogwai & others
    Venue: Coors Amphitheatre
    City/State: Chula Vista, Calif.
    Gross: $335,895
    Attendance: 8,087
    Capacity: 19,492
    Shows: 1
    Sellouts: 0
    Ticket Prices: $56.50, $31
    Promoter(s): House of Blues Concerts

    Event Date: Aug. 25, 2004
    Artist/Event: The Cure, Interpol, The Rapture, Mogwai & others
    Venue: Cricket Pavilion
    City/State: Phoenix, Ariz.
    Gross: $259,002
    Attendance: 7,930
    Capacity: 19,474
    Shows: 1
    Sellouts: 0
    Ticket Prices: $49.50, $25
    Promoter(s): Clear Channel Entertainment

    Event Date: Aug. 31, 2004
    Artist/Event: The Cure, Interpol, The Rapture, Mogwai & others
    Venue: Everett Events Center
    City/State: Everett, Wash.
    Gross: $252,356
    Attendance: 5,382
    Capacity: 7,560
    Shows: 1
    Sellouts: 0
    Ticket Prices: $49.90, $20
    Promoter(s): House of Blues Concerts

    (Thanks David and Bob)


  • Final chart update for 'The Cure': 

  • US - Drops out of the Soundscan/Billboard chart after 11 weeks on. 12th week sales were 5,025, down 17.7% from last week. Total US sales so far - 260,157.

    (Thanks Friend of COF)


  • Cure on XFM: 

  • "according to my XFM e-letter, the cure will be guests on music response (hosted by ian camfield) sometime in the next seven days. the
    show is on from 7-9 PM (UK time) monday - thursday http://xfm.co.uk/sectional.asp?id=341&b=none&t=musicresponse
    if you're in london, you can listen on 104.9 FM, otherwise you can listen online at http://xfm.co.uk (there's a link near the top)"
     
    (Thanks Elyse)



  • Here's a scan of the Icon article in the new NME. 

  • (Thanks Ange)


  • And scans from Rolling Stone and Spin

  • (Thanks to Autumn at Pictures of You)


  • The new video for 'Taking Off' is up at thecure.com


  • Curespotting: 

  • "sept 24, returning from the bottom-of-the-hour break during their second hour, "unfiltered" (http://www.unfilteredradio.com/) played the intro from "close to me"

    and during the third-hour "party machine" segment, co-host lizz winstead did her impression of bob and sang the phrase "jumping someone else's train"

    always a joy to hear the cure (especially bob's heavy breathing) on air america radio! (http://airamericaradio.com/)"

    (Thanks Pirat)

    "yesterday on the WNPR program "Hear and Now" the author Dave Eggers was interviewed and asked about his new book projects and some other things he's been doing in his life.
     
    there is an intersting mention of The Cure at the end of the interview (and even some of "Why Can't I Be You?" played).
     
    Dave Eggers has mentioned The Cure or Robert Smith in all of his books, so this Cure spotting comes as no surprise ...
     
    here's a link to the page where the interview can be heard.
     
    http://www.here-now.org/shows/2004/09/20040923_13.asp"
     
    (Thanks BDEE412)


    "I might have missed this, but this month's Rolling Stone, RS 958, September 30, has an insert with a free hp+iPod tattoo.  I got the Cure tattoo in my issue, and it appears to be random for each issue.

    Here's a Vanessa Carlton tattoo in action: http://ubb.frostyplace.com.tw/viewtopic.php?t=11994

    more on the tattoos available: http://h10049.www1.hp.com/music/us/en/tattoos.html"


    (Thanks Jason)


    Sept. 23rd

  • Cure to do a Black Session on France Inter:

  • "Just have a good information from Universal France : The Cure will play for a session called "Black session" (animated by Bernard lenoir) for the french radio FRANCE INTER. The session will take place at "La maison de la Radio" in Paris at the end of october or beginning of november."

    (Thanks Jerome)



  • Simon in Bass Player magazine:

  • "I was unable to buy it myself tonight, and I'm not sure if it's been reported on Chain Of Flowers, but I found a recent issue of Bass Player Magazine at Barnes & Noble tonight which had an interview with Simon. The interviewer, or editors, screwed up a bit, getting Jason and Roger's instruments switched, which was sort of funny. Simon also gives some of his alternate tunings, which I was unaware of(other than the dropped D tuning on some of the new songs), and talks about his effects and the EQ settings that make up his usual(non-Ross) bass sound. He also had somewhat "philosophical" things to say about the role  of bass players that I found "reaffirming"(...being a bass player myself)."

    (Thanks Carroll)



  • Euro promo shows instead of a tour?

  • "I went to an Interpol concert in Paris and guess who I met just after the gig??? Perry himself !! So we just spoke a little bit and guess (again ;-) what
    I heard?? The band should come to France before the end of year (November, but it's not official yet) for "PROMOTIONAL SHOWS" of the remasters albums! Perry was very very cool with me and also told me he thinks Interpol is the next BIG THING, and so he's right because the show was so excellent!"

    (Thanks Julien)



  • Some performance and interview footage from the Icon show:

  • "http://netscape.feedroom.com/iframeset.jsp?ord=1880
    on netscape's feedroom thing there is a video about the icon show with brief clips of blink-182, the deftones, afi and the cure playing taking off as well as an interview with robert. click on entertainment on the left and it should be there. They update the site often so it probably wont be there for more than a day or 2."

    (Thanks Will)



  • New Robert interview:

  • "There is a new Cure video interview that has been posted on a French website (I think it was done on 9/17/04).
    http://www.mcm.net/interview/index.php/48885/"

    (Thanks to Dayna at A Foolish Arrangement)



  • Cure cover:

  • "The tribal/progressive house version of 'Same Deep Water as You' is previewing on the site (www.liquified.org) , and will be released internationally as 12" vinyl by Bonzai Trance Progressive, a Belgian house label, most likely in October."

    (Thanks Roh)


    "We are Moth's Tales, a dark wave band from Italy and we've got a live recording of our "A Forest". We made our own music but we have so fun
    playing The Cure in our concerts... female singer and no keyboard. :)

    The link is: http://www.mothstales.com/recs/a_forest_live.mp3 "

    (Thanks Moth's Tales)



    Sept. 21st

  • Finally have some news about the 3IB remastered cd:

  • "Hi from Bulgaria.

    this is press release from my local "Universal music" for The Cure remastered albums

    The Cure's debut album from 1979 has now been elevated to the Deluxe Edition series.
    Compiled by Robert Smith and Digitally Remastered by Chris Blair at Abbey Road, this 2 CD set is a must for all Cure fans.
    Contains 6 Previously Unreleased songs and 15 tracks on CD for the very first time !
    The 16-page booklet contains sleevenotes by Johnny Black plus rare and previously unseen photographs from Robert Smith's personal archive.
    Album released 15 November 2004

    DISC ONE
    01. 10:15 SATURDAY NIGHT
    02. ACCURACY
    03. GRINDING HALT
    04. ANOTHER DAY
    05. OBJECT
    06. SUBWAY SONG
    07. FOXY LADY
    08. MEATHOOK
    09. SO WHAT
    10. FIRE IN CAIRO
    11. IT'S NOT YOU
    12. THREE IMAGINARY BOYS
    13. THE WEEDY BURTON (1:05) *

    DISC TWO
    01. I WANT TO BE OLD (SAV STUDIO DEMO 10/77) *
    02. I'M COLD (SAV STUDIO DEMO 11/77) **
    03. HEROIN FACE (LIVE IN THE ROCKET 12/77)
    04. I JUST NEED MYSELF (PSL STUDIO DEMO 1/77) *
    05. 10:15 SATURDAY NIGHT (HOME DEMO w/vox 2/77) **
    06. THE COCKTAIL PARTY (GROUP HOME DEMO 3/77) *
    07. GRINDING HALT (GROUP HOME DEMO 4/77) **
    08. BOYS DON'T CRY (CHESTNUT STUDIO DEMO 5/77)
    09. IT'S NOT YOU (CHESTNUT STUDIO DEMO 5/77) **
    10. 10:15 SATURDAY NIGHT (CHESTNUT STUDIO DEMO 5/77) **
    11. FIRE IN CAIRO (CHESTNUT STUDIO DEMO 5/77) **
    12. WINTER (3IB CASSETTE STUDIO OUT-TAKE CASSETTE 10/77) *
    13. FADED SMILES (aka I DON'T KNOW) (3IB STUDIO OUT-TAKE CASS. 10/77) *
    14. PLAY WITH ME (3IB STUDIO OUT-TAKE CASSETTE 10/77) *
    15. WORLD WAR (on early copies of BOYS DON'T CRY album 1979 )
    16. BOYS DON'T CRY (on BOYS DON'T CRY album 1979 )
    17. JUMPING SOMEONE ELSE'S TRAIN (on BOYS DON'T CRY album 1979 )
    18. SUBWAY SONG (LIVE IN NOTTINGHAM 10/79)
    19. ACCURACY (LIVE IN NOTTINGHAM 10/79) **
    20. 10:15 SATURDAY NIGHT (LIVE IN NOTTINGHAM 10/79) **

    * PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED SONG / INSTRUMENTAL
    ** PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED VERSION "

    (Thanks Pascal)


  • Fate of the postponed European tour already decided? 

  • "Just to tell you that "The Cure" has disappeared from the Alias website (which is the Cure's concert agent). They were noticed as "concerts to be annouced" and now they're not anymore. It really looks like the Fall tour is cancelled :-( "

    (Thanks Julien)



  • I forgot to post the chart info last week, so here it is now: 

  • 'The Cure'
    US
    - Drops to #168 in it's 11th week on the Soundscan/Billboard chart. 11th week sales were 6,104, down 22% from last week. Total US sales so far - 255,129.

    Denmark Top 100: re-enters at 90 (9th week)
    Germany Top 100: down to 97, then out
    Switzerland Top 100: out from 97
    Italy Top 75: down to 55 from 50
    France Top 200: down to 102 from 95
    Greece Top 50: up to 17 from 18
    Belgium / Wallonie Top 50: re-enters at 46 (10th week)
    Belgium / STUBRU Top 50: out from 45
     
    'The End of the World'
    Canada Top 50: up to 26 from 33
    Argentina Top 100 Airplay: up to 54 from 86

    'alt.end'
    Radio & Records National Alternative Airplay Top 50: enters at 49 with 200 plays


    'Greatest Hits'
    Ireland Top 75: up to 60 from 63 (17th week !)


    (Thanks Pietro and Friend of COF)


  • Here's a Spanish article about the Icon show. 

  • (Thanks Maria)


  • I've already posted about Bandmad selling some of the new Cure shirts, but Burning Airlines has some too. 

  • (Thanks Jim)


  • Some more info on that unauthorized Cure dvd 'Out of the Woods': 

  •  

    CURE - OUT OF THE WOODS: UNAUTHORIZED

    For the first time The Cure: Out Of The Woods goes behind the scenes and under the greasepaint to discover the truth about this astonishing band.
    Revealing how these performers of melancholy music achieved their success, how they've continued to be at the cutting edge of innovative music for more than 25 years, and why they remain hugely relevant in today's fickle music industry. Includes exclusive and previously unseen film footage and in-depth interviews with those that worked closely The Cure during their career, including close friends, colleagues, journalists, producers and musicians.    DVD

    SKU#:   CVIS371DVD
    UPC:     823564504698
    SRP:     $19.95
    REGION:  0
    BOX LOT:  30
    LABEL:  CHROME RECORDS

    PRE-BOOK DATE: 10/19/04
    STREET DATE: 11/16/2004


    (Thanks Dave)


  • Cure cover: 

  • "Rhésus, a french band, did a cover of "Friday I'm in love". You can download it on their website
    http://www.rhesus-web.com/rhesus_ex/rhesus_raric_friday.mp3 ."
     
    (Thanks Jean-François)



  • Curespotting: 

  • "http://photobucket.com/albums/v294/strangeDaria/ please check out my 1st pic I found it quite interesting it appeared on the October  2004 issue
    of Jane magazine!!!! on pg 76"

    (Thanks Daria)

    "During the blind-test of the French TV show Tout Le Monde En Parle (France 2 - Saturday 18th September) DJ Stéphane Pompougnac played Close To Me. Link : http://toutlemondeenparle.france2.fr/emission/invites/blindtest.html"
     
    (Thanks Isabel)


    "Don't know if anyone has reported this yet, but I heard a bit of "Taking Off" today as CNN Headline News was cutting to a commercial."

    (Thanks Chris)




    Sept. 20th

  • According to the official German Cure site, 'Taking Off' will be released on Oct. 11th in Germany.

  • (Thanks Tobi)


  • Some pre-order links for 'Taking Off': 

  • The Ideal Copy (US)

    Rockserwis (Poland)

    FNAC (France)

    (Thanks Chris, Fozzie and Bill)


  • BBC News reviews Icon. 

  • (Thanks Vicky)


  • Some photos of fans before the Icon show.

  • (Thanks Bill)


  • Click on Roger's left eye for some photos.

  • (Thanks Lenore and John)


  • Robert on XM radio:

  • "The following is on the XM Guide for the upcoming week.

    Thursday 9/23:

    5 Song Set:  The Cure's Robert Smith
    VH 1 Radio - XM 156
    2AM / 8AM/ 2PM/ 8PM
    Their latest self-titled album continues to remind fans why they fell in love with The Cure in the first place!   Listen in as Robert Smith plays his answers to our 5 most important music questions."

    (Thanks Dennis)



  • A reminder about the Guitar World interview:

  • "November's Guitar World Magazine

    The November issue of Guitar World, on newsstands now, features a Q&A entitled "Mope Springs Eternal," where Alan Di Perna sits down with
    Robert Smith.  Three decades into his career, the Cure's Robert Smith reflects on his group's new album and his enduring influence on gloomy
    rockers everywhere.  Plus, Guitar World features the first-ever Cure model guitar and Smith reveals the moods and methods behind some of the
    Cure's greatest hits."


    (Thanks Marie)


  • Curespotting:

  • "The Cure is featured on the new compilation that comes with the 10/2004 issue of German Sonic Seducer. Feautured track in the multimedia section is the video for 'The end of the world'. True experts, as on the cover the song is credited to smith, gallup, bamouk, cooper, o'donnell..."
     
    (Thanks Dennis)


    "I'm not sure if this was reported yet. I was watching the bonus material on the Clerks 10th anniversary edition. Included is a pseudo documentary
    that Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier shot while in film school called "Mae Day" In several shots there's a poster of the Boys Don't Cry (New Voice)
    single in the background. In a couple of other shots there's also what could be a poster of the cover of the Picture Show vhs. I guess between this and how prominently High is featured in Jersey Girl, that Kevin's a Cure fan."

    (Thanks Charles)


    "on RTL, a german TV-Station, they played "Boys don't cry" in a Comedy show called "Meine schoensten Jahre" (my best years) as the title-music
    in the show. The show is a comedy series about a young boy in east-germany and his life in east-germany. The comedy show come every Friday the next time at 09.15 PM for 30min."

    (Thanks Thomas and Dennis)




    Sept. 18th

    For those of you who don't want to know anything about the Icon show before it airs, you probably shouldn't read COF for the next 24-48 hours or so.


  • Some more Icon photos at Getty Images.

  • (Thanks Steven)


  • More reports from Icon:

  • "After all the free shots of tequila on entry I cant say I was taking it all in for the first half hour or so until the cover of if only tonight which was great, Roger was joining in with the crowd a little bit (nice hair) Simon was looking really well.  Marilyn Manson was being shouted to -*$!! off ugly.  everytime a known Curefan appeared on the screen we cheered  One hundred years was the musical highlight and a couple of the new songs."

    (Thanks Kerrie n Ratty)


    "Just a quick note about the icon show. As they were showing footage of Ross R. on the screen Roger was making the international sign for "Tosser" or "wanker" - it got a laugh from the crowd - Robert didnt see him do it....nearly as funny as Manson on his knees in front of Robert."

    (Thanks Anonymous)


    "Probably the most bizzare night of The Cure's career, definately the most bizzare 'concert' I have ever attended...but ultimately, it was enjoyable!
    Arrived at the venue after some (too) heavy drinking at about 8.45pm, weather was awful it was raining hard but some nice Curefans leant me their umbrella, reinforcing my belief that Curefans are the kindest people on the planet  We were let in quite late, felt like we were standing there waiting for almost an hour, but I would imagine it was about 9.30pm by the time we got in. The MTV people were very nice to us, on more than one occasion I was told 'hope you have a good night, enjoy it'. Although many felt they were messed about to get tickets I must say I was impressed by the MTV guys in general so I thank them. After more drinks and a couple of photos in the auditorium we made our way over into where the concert was to take place. As we were on the guestlist we got our hand stamped which meant we were allowed into the very front standing area. Stage set was very gothic, dark, a couple of fake trees all lit up, a swing, black planks of wood which gave the effect of disused buildings or sheds...all infront of a backdrop of 3
    larges arches. There was a big screen just to the right of the stage. Really nice set up, and I was in the middle about 3 rows back to enjoy it. 

    Then the bizarre- The Cure were introduced by Marilyn Manson and came walking down some stairs to big cheers....then they sat down to the left
    of the stage (behind the standing area of fans actually) they all looked rather dumfounded, hard to fathom wether Robert was enjoying it haha. It was too dark really to see all their facial expressions. Blink 182 came on first, murdering A Letter To Elise, played like a fast rock song...still we were jumping to it though! Robert was then introduced on stage where he did his duet 'All of This', it was really good to hear it , Robert put alot of emotion into it, eyes closed most of the song. I can't remember too much about the other supposting bands, the effects of the alcohol were still pretty strong, I remember a truly awful Boys Don't Cry by Razorlight and a really excellent powerful If Only Tonight We Could Sleep by Deftones. Just Like Heaven by AFI was ok. Inbetween the bands there were various Cure videos being shown on the screen, we would all be cheering them as they were shown. There were also various interviews but I could not hear anything, the sound wasn't too hot. During these bits I often turned round to try and see what the band were making of it all sat in their chairs, like I say it was just all so bizzare...I'd love to know what Robert was thinking of it all!  At one point Marilyn Manson walked over to where Robert was sitting, mumbled something through the mic and got down on one knee and put his arms around Robert! Robert put his arms reluctantly around Marilyn and gave a smile...not sure what was being said but maybe it will be shown on MTV! Weirdest thing i've ever seen lol. Oh and another thing was that when Ross Robinson came on the big screen he was booed by quite a few people, I didn't know what to make of that I have mixed feelings about him.

    So now it was main event time and after about 15 mins to get their equipment all set up, The Cure come on to a rapturous reception. The cameras were rolling as they played their new single Taking Off, arms in the air for the 'bit a for it push' line  10:15 was great then there was a slight delay (maybe a commercial break?!) and the Cure were introduced AGAIN before they went into Shake Dog Shake (complete with Shaking Dogs on the big screen, more bizarreness!) Anyway I think this was the proper start to the gig! The best bits of the set were 'End of the world' a great live song, which I never tire of, Jupiter Crash, which was great because it gave us a moment to recover from all the jumping (man it was almost as hot as the Barfly in there)  Before Three (a beautiful golden sea shown on the big screens), the one pop moment of the brilliant Bloodflowers, Maybe Someday went down really well. FTEOTDGS really got the crowd going and there were many 'hands in the sky', alt.end was my personal highlight of the night cause it was sung so well by Robert and the rest of the crowd really seemed to love it. One Hundred Years was AWESOME, nothing like hearing this song in a small club type venue. The encore, as I suspected was pure pop, Robert was dancing through Clost to Me and Why Can't I be You? hope this is shown on tv! The Lovecats got the biggest cheer of the night cause even the MTV guys knew this one hehe.
    So yeah overall a very very strange event indeed, from Mansons compering to the elaborate gothic stage set to the crappy covers (and better ones
    too) - it was almost surreal...Must thank the band for making it memorable and playing that extra hour, made it all worthwhile and it was nice to see them all looking reasonably happy  Also thanks alot MTV, everyone was so nice to us, can't wait to watch this madness on tv next month!"

    (Thanks Cureboy)


    "My friend Nina and me arrived in London on Thursday after a long travel from Belgium.
    We went to the q-casting, and hoped to still be selected for the show. When that worked we decided to go take a look where the concert would take place. When we arrived at the back of the building, there were security-guys everywhere so we thought to wait, because it was obvious that there was a rehearsel already. After only 5 minutes, a car arrived and we got very excited when we saw it was Roger, but he got so fast inside the building
    that we didn’t have the chance to go and meet him. Totally overwhelmed we stood there to see that after a few minutes another car arrived, and when
    someone opened the door to get out, we saw a huge black shoe coming out, followed by a great amount of hair, which could only mean that Robert had arrived. This time we acted a little faster, and we went to him. Robert was such a sweetheart to us, we were so nervous to stand there with our lifetime
    idol that I couldn’t say one decent word but he made us feel very comfortable, and was so friendly to us.
    The security-men wanted him to go into the building right away but Robert himself wanted to stay with us for a few minutes so we could say something
    and get the chance to be with him. We tried to take a picture, but my camera wouldn’t work. Robert took it and he looked at it, then he saw that the
    camera stood off but there wasn’t time enough to make one. I was really disappointed and Robert saw that, so he asured us that he would come back if we waited for him. We stood there for 6 hours, and in that time Roger and Simon passed us and I could take a nice picture of Roger, who was such an amazing person. Nina and I were the only fans standing there, nobody else knew that they’d be there a day before the show (we didn’t knew either, we have been so lucky to go and take a look because otherwise this would never have happened). At 9 pm Robert finally came back and we were very lucky to have a picture with him, which I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. His wife Mary was there too, waiting for him in the car, she seemed so sweet. I wished him a great show for the next day and then we said goodbye.

    The next day we arrived at the concert building around 3 pm and there we met a few fans with who we had a great time listening to the sound-checks and talking about our love for The cure. There were only 300 fans invited, from all over the world ( I met people from Israel, Italy, Poland, USA, France, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, ..) so it was a special private concert for us, and we were very happy to be part of it.
    Around 9 pm we could enter and we got free tequila drinks there, while waiting to go into the concert room itself. It looked amazing there, with
    decorated trees and it was really cosy.Nina and I were lucky to get to the front row and from there we enjoyed every moment.
    Everyone went crazy when The cure came down the stairs around 10 pm to take place on a platform on the side of the stage, that was build for them to
    watch the show with us.Marilyn Manson was the host, and there were a few bands to each play a song of the cure (Blink 182 : A letter to Elise and All of this – together with Robert- , AFI: just like heaven, Razorlight: Boys don’t cry, Deftones: If only tonight we could sleep).
    Between those songs they showed clips of the cure on a huge screen which was really nice, and they also showed us the documentary that will be showed when MTV Icon: The cure, will be played on television. And I can assure you: it looks fantastic!! There are also a few fans in it that we met that day, which will be so cool to see them back on television next month (if you see a guy with a huuuuge Robert Smith tattoo on his back – the one from boys don’t cry- that’s a friend of me now, I spend the whole day with him lol).
    Everyone there were friends and it felt like I was surrounded by family ( they called me the “little sis of our cure family” hehe) Then around midnight The cure finally took place on the stage to play a 2 hours concert.
    I loved it so much and they involved us in it by talking to us and to answering fans who screamed something to them, they are so nice people!
    Robert made some jokes and he was so shy, he’s adorable! They played all of their greatest hits, and everyone was singing and dancing to it.
    You could see that the cure themselves enjoyed it very much and adored the love they got from us.
    Everything got filmed and I think that the camera must have been into my face like 10000 times while I was singing madly lol. Sol if you see me on
    MTV soon… I wouldn’t be surprised.The highlights for me were Fascination street ( my all time favourite), The end of the world, Friday I’m in love, and the last 3 songs : The lovecats, Close to me and Why can’t I be you (I guess we all knew that this was the end so the adrenaline was very high). Oh and another thing that was so funny: During Lullaby, Robert was doing his spider performance as usual (you all know what I mean) and suddenly he choked lol, he reached to his troath, then he spit something out, and I saw that he was looking confused, I don’t know eather what went wrong, but it was so funny to see. (and no, it wasn’t part of the show, it was for real) Around 2 am the show was over, it ended with an overwhelming applause and
    screams that lasted for ages, but they deserved it! The show was fantastic, I never went to a concert this intense.
    Afterwards we got a Cure-lanyard (you know, this thing to put your keys on, that you can wear around your neck) a t-shirt of msn (yeah, msn was the
    sponsor so lol) and another gadget.We all said goodbye to eachother and promised to stay in contact and meet again at the next special Cure concert.

    It were 2 amazing days and even though we a felt like a zombie, we will never forget this unique experience, I remember every second of it."


    (Thanks Rebecca)



    Sept. 17th

  • First reports from the show:

  • "Here goes:

    - Blink-182: A Letter to Elise, All of this (with Robert)
    - AFI: Just Like Heaven
    - Razorlight: Boys Don't Cry
    - Deftones: If Only Tonight We Could Sleep... (two takes)

    - The Cure: Taking Off, 10:15 Saturday Night, Shake Dog Shake, Fascination Street, The End of the World, Lovesong, Inbetween Days, Friday I'm in Love, Jupiter Crash, Lullaby, Before Three, Maybe Someday, From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea, alt.end, One Hundred Years.
    Encore: The Lovecats, Close to Me, Why Can't I Be You?

    A Forest was on the setlist but not played.  The Cure played for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

    (Thanks Olivier)


    "let me be the first to review the show. I call myself lucky, because I only live a 5 minute car drive away from the venue. I actually call myself even more lucky because I have had the great chance to have been to this show. It was like this. Last week, Saturday morning I checked your website and that's the first time I found out about it. went to the casting with my girlfriend at 3pm that afternoon.Today, a week later, I can tell you how it was. I arrived at the venue at around 7.30pm and there were already a few people queuing up. My girlfriend and I were hungry, so we went to eat and came back at around 8.30pm as the official entry time was 9pm. By that time it was raining constantly and all the fans were waiting in the rain. Some fans arrived with stretch-limos. You could already see that there were people from across Europe and from the US who have come only for this event. They let us in a bit late, which was a bit annoying because we were all soaked by then. But as soon as we stepped in, it was like in a different world. There was a special corner for professional photographs on the right. There was a large sceen showing MTV stuff. There were a group of hotly dressed hostesses serving free drinks incl. tequila shots. The cocktails were quite cool and and very strong. It just felt very special and it was great that everything was free. To the right was a small passway to the main stage and seating area. A few people already queued up to go in there but generally people were very relaxed once inside the venue. It was great. The main hall had a theatre style seating area. In front was a small standing area, then a part of the stage, which went around the front standing area. The stage was nicely decorated with a huge tree and a swing. There was also a large screen on the right. I was very happy when I found out that I was able to go to the front standing area, because I think not everyone was allowed. But then again, not everyone was allowed to the seating area either. I wasn't quite sure, but very happy to be right at the front (3rd row).

    The show started off with a host making some announcements about what to do and what not to do and warning us that it would be a bit *stop and
    go* but that The Cure would reward us with a 1 hour live set at the end. Then The Cure were announced and came across the stage to a special
    seating area on the left that was only for the band and very few friends, maybe 20 in total. Marilyn Manson was then hosting the main part of the show and the filming started. First up was Blink 182. They played A Letter to Elise and I have to say the sound wasn't so good. Of course it was a much harder version of the song that The Cure's, but all in all it wasn't so great.
    Inbetween they played some cure videos on the large screen and also showed what I think is the rest of the Icon show, where other well known bands comment on how they got influenced by The Cure. It was really strange standing there and watching these snapshot interview while The Cure were sitting at the side and watching it with everybody. It was a cool atmosphere though. It was a special occasion, and not like any other show I've been to.

    Next up, Robert Smith joined Blink 182 to play their Blink 182 song together. I'm not a blink 182 fan, so I don't know the title, but I've heard it before of course. I thought that sounded quite good though. Again it was strange to see the rest of The Cure watching Robert sing with Blink 182....
    Next up, I can't remember, could have been Razorlight or whatever they are called, then AFI, (one of which played Boys don't cry, and the other one
    I can't remember now) and then finally Deftones, playing *If only tonight we could sleep*. I really liked their version, I think they played very well and it came across really well too. But I couldn't hear the keyboards and I thought they just left them out. But after they finished they were asked to play it again, as *technical difficulties* had to be sorted out, and then the keyboards were audible. Again, I have to say, they were really quite good.

    Then the Cure came on. The show was much longer than expected, around 1 and a half hours, and  it was getting quite late, so some people seemed tired. But of course we also had the hardcore supporters who were jumping around to the end. IT was a great show, I really liked the whole set they played. Highlights for me were FTEOTDGS, Fascination Street, Maybe someday, jupiter crash (as that's when I first saw the cure live, in 95), and 100 years, and shake dog shake. They were all great.

    Afterwards people waited around for about half an hour to get backstage but it seemed that only very few were able to. You needed a wristband and not even the hardcore UK fans (which were by the way also shown on the big screen as part of the Icon interviews!!) did not seem to have one. Another nice thing was that when the last people left the venue at around 2a.m., alledgedly Robert Smith's parents came walking through to the inside. I saw them walking past me but I can't personally confirm whether they were his parents, but other fans recognised them.
     
    It was a great night, thanks to MTV for this excellent free night out!!! And thanks to Chainofflowers for letting everyone know about it in the first place!!! Thanks and good night."
     
    (Thanks Curehead)

     

    "Wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was gonna be. I liked Blink's take on A Letter to Elise, and the Deftones were good too. AFI were crap and
    as for Razorlight murdering BDC, give me Idlewild any day.
     
    The band seemed to enjoy themselves, Simon was particularly bouncy.

    Not the greatest Cure show ever, but good fun nonetheless."


    (Thanks Hugh)


  • The Deftones are doing a cover of 'If Only Tonight We Could Sleep", and it's said to be amazing. Slow and very heavy. On the other hand, Blink 182's cover of 'A Letter to Elise' was not so good, but that's no surprise. 


  • The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are NOT at the Icon show. The Deftones, AFI, Blink 182 and Razorlight are.


  • Steve Severin addresses the rumors about him "replacing" Roger (as if he or anyone could): 

  • Steve Severin Diary :

    "Sept 16 Go on the Creatures board to dispel rumours that I am about to join the Cure as keyboard player! Amazingly, minutes later, Daryl, the
    Cure's manager rings me.......I'm invited to see The Cure play for a MTV ICON show....Is this my chance to talk to Robert about the forthcoming
    Glove remastering or are they going to pop the question? Don't touch your dial!"


    (Thanks Cedric)


  • More info about the 'Taking Off' single:

  • "I add few days ago the scan of the new single with the info on the tracks and release date in France that Polydor gives me.
     www.on-fiction.com/TheCure/taking_off.htm"
     
    (Thanks Salvatore)



  • MTV Icon advert airing in the UK:

  • "theres a very entertaining advert on mtv UK to promote icon

    theres a select few people who "knew" rob as a kid and they recall things just as the postman ripping his jumper, which is where rob got his baggy
    ripped jumper idea from, a barmaid with eyemake up which "influenced" rob and a dinner lady who sued to twist her hair which gave rob his hair idea,
    then rob pops on and says "thats how i became me"

    it has cure tracks palying through out and is very very funny."

    (Thanks Craig)


  • Here's a scan of that NME interview with Robert, entitled "Texas Hairspray Massacre". Who says NME aren't clever? : ) 

  • (Thanks to Autumn at Pictures of You)


  • The official numbers for Mex