The Cure: Classic or Dud?

I had a girlfriend once who was into these boys hard and she used to play is it 'Pictures of You' (?) over and over and over (a sort of pining for a lost love I think; not me, incidentally). Anyway, it used to bore the hell out of me, not to mention what felt like a large hole in my brain.

The thing is, with the Cure, it's like the Manic Street FUCKING Preachers syndrome - people who like 'em don't just like 'em, they fucking LOVE 'em, and think they're prophets or something. No, they are miserable, half-goths with absolutely nothing to say and even less charisma.

That said, I am admit that I am hardly familiar know their canon, since I can't bear exposure to it for protracated periods.

Still; DUDUDUDUDUDUDUDUDUDUDUDUDUDUDUDUDUD

Hmm, having said that, I do get riled when someone fails to 'get' my favourite bands and indulges in the kind of mindless attack I have already posted against The Cure. Yet, I feel that certain bands are wont to attract a more dependent following, who hang the band's music like metaphorical rosaries. And I'm not sure that even among my most beloved artists, there are those which I could hold in such equally mindless esteem.

What say you?

DUD

Yet I do wonder how much my own nosatlgia plays a role. I still think Wish is great, despite every. review. ever. written. Maybe if I hadn't listened to it for the 1st time as a teenager travelling thru Europe with schoomates I'd think differently.

Also, I really really like the Wolfgang Press song on _Lonely is an Eyesore_, but I've heard their recordings are pretty patchy. Any recommendations there?

the "cure=suburbia" part of Michael Bracewell's England Is Mine is one of the best things ever!

Classic, BTW. Again, my mid-teens coincided with Disintegration and I was full-on obsessed for a couple of years. I bought a shedload of albums at Oxfam last year, and a friend and I drove our GF/wives insane by listening, back to back, to 17 Seconds, Faith, Pornography and the Top. Divorce was on the horizon by the end of that evening.

Thing is, there are SO many B-sides and rarities which have officially surfaced that they'd have to put out a box set. As it is, if the remasters that are surfacing next year are going to include bonus discs for each with room for other oddities, then that will partially settle the problem.

Shake Dog Shake
Fascination Street
A Strange Day
A Night Like This
Lovesong
Push
Sinking
Pictures Of You
Lullaby
Lovecats
Maybe Someday
In Your House
From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea
M
Charlotte Sometimes
Inbetween Days
Just Like Heaven
Hey You!!!
Play For Today
A Forest

Fire In Cairo (as a 3 piece)
Grinding Halt (as a 3 piece)
10.15 Saturday Night
Boys Don't Cry
I Dig You (with Porl Thompson and Frank The Postman)
I'm A Cult Hero (with Porl Thompson and Frank The Postman),
Close To Me
Let's Go To Bed
Why Can't I Be You
Friday I'm In Love

Fucking hell, just reading that through sends me into space. I'm still shellshocked.

Genius.

!!!!!!

And yes, Frank the postman showed up in all his voluminous glory, the first time they've done any Cult Hero material in (10 years according to Robert).

And was not Charlie saying some months back about how the band has fallen off recently? UNDESERVING INFIDEL! But I will not bear a grudge. Yet.

And I maintain my viewpoint, no doubt. Friday's only iffy moment came 11 songs in, when some (relatively) unfamiliar chords struck up - "What is this," I thought to myself with a grimace, "Joan Osborne's 'One Of Us'?" But no, it was in fact "Maybe Someday".

The Cure should've stopped recording new music after Wish (or more specifically, if you like, after "Fear Of Ghosts"). I love them still, but I shall not be moved on this matter.

watching that first one it felt like they had a bit of a spring in their step tempo-wise - like the songs were a click or two more sprightly than in recent years - but maybe just a mix thing or some weird subjectivity going on

I will have to look at that 17 seconds set from the 2nd show, play for today always feels like it drags in the modern era (also In Your House a top 5 cure song for me)

I too think they are sounding great but also despite having an opportunity to go and see them in August, I think I'll pass - two songs from the new LP is a little less than I'd like, and while a brilliant festival set the rest of the selections are pretty familiar, I sort of know that I would be a little bored (totally on account of having seen the Cure too many times and no shade at all on their performance or vigour)

it felt like they had a bit of a spring in their step tempo-wise - like the songs were a click or two more sprightly than in recent years

they played High very very fast

xp - it saddens me to say that as much as I love this band, I can't help but zone out when watching them play these days. I guess there is really a finite number one can really *feel * songs. Got more goosebumps from that Olivia Rodrigo duet - loved that.

can't help but zone out when watching them play these days. I guess there is really a finite number one can really *feel * songs

if it helps give perspective:

in 1992 I could have gone on the first night, but having queued for 14 hours, it sold out, and when they added another four (4)* shows, I couldn’t go bcz of exams

*and as you’ll clearly remember, it had taken a campaign of several months’ physical mailed petitions to get the band to tour the continent at all

in 2000 I waited until the first show sold out, and they added two more, and got floor tix, but they were touring Bloodflowers, so

in 2011 I entered the lottery and got tix for one of the two nights (total of 3000 tix, took a paper millionaire friend, fifteen years later am slightly more likely to commit suicide due to poverty than ever see said friend again), went for a piss at intermission and saw ppl who’d gotten off the plane from South America and come directly to venue with backpacks on, asking if they could get in - -
and I was leaning against the door during the third encore, holding for the last chord bcz I’d bought tix to Odd Future’s only tour ever the same night, months before Bob committed

in 2024 I got tickets behind / above the stage day-of bcz of sad dad cancellations

so if you rly feel bad feel free to to buy me.a ticket, I promise to text 2-3x an hour saying shit rips

OR SUCKS

I’ll be honest

soooo jason has inserted a little skip beat a’la Paris Boris into In Your House and it is no good, this was the only uncool thing Boris Williams ever did behind the kit and it is pure madness to copy it

also play for today still sounds a little bit ploddy

BUT this is shithead nerd-only discourse, they are still beautiful and i love them

on BBC 6 Music between now and 7.30pm Robert Smith is being interviewed.

You can catch up later on BBC Sounds.

and at 7.30pm to 8pm

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002xtxb

Highlights from The Cure at Primavera Sound 2026.

Chat with Robert Smith at Primavera 2026
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002x7bk
This episode will be available soon

Get ready for New Music

🚨 New Cure album update!

Robert Smith has confirmed in a new BBC Radio 6 interview that the next The Cure album is finished and ready to be delivered. He also hinted that a third album is still part of the plan.

After years of waiting for Songs of a Lost World, it looks like… pic.twitter.com/7QEGodT60C

— The Fanbase files (@dror_nahum) June 8, 2026

Yeah, not gonna fall for that just quite yet…

In Bob we trust.

him saying it's ready for release is a little different than saying it's almost done, no?

I think he was saying the next record was already recorded back when SOALW came outside

'about to be delivered to universal' at least gives me some room for optimism that it might actually be happening

and yeah he'd previously talked about how they'd recorded two albums worth of material during the songs of a lost world sessions

the fact that the last album was received with love instead of indifference might change the equation a bit

last night in Austria, no live stream but another ! setlist

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-cure/2026/pannonia-fields-ii-blue-stage-nickelsdorf-austria-5341f309.html

"Shake Dog Shake," "100 Years" and "Plainsong" :swoon:

Tonight: Firenze Rocks - no live streams for any of the previous days, so probably none today either.

On BBC6 Robert said they have rehearsed 55 songs for this Summer festival tour, so we're not done yet :-)

look forward to that elusive Descent / Splintered In Her Head / Happy The Man encore

I *think* they played Happy The Man once or twice in 1984? I should check, they did do Splintered in '81 fairly regularly.

Yeah it was part of the standard setlist on the Top tour. Love that one and all the bsides from that 1983-1985 period

A Fragile Thing had its tour debut yesterday

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-cure/2026/ippodromo-del-visarno-florence-italy-6b4c2eda.html

... I had NO idea any of this existed: the Pornography LSD Soaked Supercut, all 1982 session/TV versions (Siamese Twin with violins and ballet dancers) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7ZVKQOrQ-g

The in-studio version of “FIGURE HEAD” which opens that is one of my all time Cure favourites. Seeing them actually in those sessions was like finding footage of the pyramids being built or something.

Also peak Roberts Smith/Pattinson crossover

really like the version of "primary" (36:10) more in your face, vocals more up front.