The Cure: Classic or Dud?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxoSHmoCVp8

1. Shake Dog Shake 00:38
2. A Forest 05:12
3. Lovesong 12:19
4. Just Like Heaven 15:52
5. Boys Don't Cry 19:46

For a five song set, that actually does a pretty good job summing them up.

Yeah, there's a little of everything there... and nothing past 1989.

Back on the Schecters, boo

Was Boris there?

He was! About 5:30 on this clip: https://m.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR2dVIOczM7VGWYCEQn4XFTNgQyOPD4B-z7MGR_6dLzsEnpWR0gbH2sJbUM&v=VFINzd26anI

Yeah pretty much everyone?

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D3FTKR5WoAADl9Y.jpg:large

Plus Trent, their new roadie. Speaking of roadies, thought this was a good thread:

I've been watching all 273 former members of the Cure take their victory lap over the weekend. They all seem very proud to have played their small part in the saga and grateful for the recognition, but Perry Bamonte is the only one who seems sad that he's not in the band anymore.

— Svenllamus Horribilis (@svenllama) April 1, 2019

I still think that Robert firing Perry and Roger after The Cure was a really crap thing of him to do. At least Roger got to be back in the band. After Pearl (formerly Porl) Thompson left the band (again), Perry wasn't invited back.

pretty much everyone?

I'm figuring the grey beanie is Boris and the dark beanie is Dempsey, so Mathieu Hartley and Phil Thornalley are the only exclusions once Andy died and Bob insisted Reeves counted

Cure keyboard must be a tough gig. One finger solos, trying not to look bored ...

There's also things like 'Homesick' ...

Ha, maybe that explains why they so rarely play it: 15 times since 1989.

I would have thought that might have something to do with it not being one of their more popular live numbers than any difficulty Roger O'Donnell would have playing keyboard parts that he himself actually played on the studio version to begin with(!)

opening with Shake Dog Shake = CLASSIC

yeah that's a pretty good selection. Surprised that RS didn't invite any old members on stage but I guess a couple of them harbor bad feelings (Perry by the looks of it, Pearl/Porl judging from his comments on social media).

Pearl/Porl judging from [...] comments on social media

?

called them a tribute band or something on Instagram

xp Porl changed his name to Pearl a few years ago now

oh nvm i misread that because i'm tired lol

I would have thought that might have something to do with it not being one of their more popular live numbers than any difficulty Roger O'Donnell would have playing keyboard parts that he himself actually played on the studio version to begin with(!)

Oh, I never meant it wasn't played because it was difficult, quite the contrary! I said it must be tough to be a Cure keyboard player because the vast majority of the songs are simple/minimal/one-finger, yet many of their players have been more than competent enough to handle more complex stuff, which I can imagine is pretty frustrating/boring/stultifying. And yet RS clearly prefers that nothing gets too fancy, so any any keyboard player ready and hopeful for a Homesick or something a bit more flashy is going to be stuck playing a lot of tambourine.

xpost The last time I saw the band, some time ago, was when they were playing as a keyboard-free four-piece, iirc, with Porl, and I remember being pretty disappointed. It sounds like they've sort of sprung back to life after that, but I haven't had a chance to catch them again since.

I saw that tour and I kinda liked it as a full-on rock Cure. And given Pearl left of her own volition, unsure why she's complaining.

complaining is fun!

I noticed during the interview segments that first it was the current band, then it was Michael, Lol, Perry & Boris, then Pearl Thompson alone.

Though apparently RS made a point of thanking the previous members of the band, living and dead.

And given Pearl left of her own volition, unsure why she's complaining.

I went through the last six months of her instagram, and the only reference to The Cure is an RIP message to Andy Anderson - are these complaints in comments on other people’s posts or something?

(of course, she could have left because she felt they had become a tribute band, specially given the eleven-year non-release of 4:14 Scream, and “Classic Album” event concerts.)

I always have a sense of Pearl being someone who followed her own distinct muse -- she was there at the start, after all, did a lot of the design work along the way, a participating artist as part of a larger project who stepped away as desired (thus the time with Page and Plant back in the 1990s, etc.). So yeah, it could be she eventually felt that the well had run a little dry, and given RS's long term pause on new material, why not?

all her album and single covers are all-time, so gorgeous... just look at the covers for all the Kiss Me singles

i heard they played and opened with "Shake Dog Shake" as a tribute to Andy Anderson. <3

I wonder if there were any issues with Pearl's transition among the band members - as much as we'd like them to be better people than that. But The Cure have never had a female member, nor any contributions from women on their records that I know of, aside from Siouxsie's vocal on "I'm Cold" and that single with Saffron.

I also dimly recall Porl (as he was) being in a relationship with Robert's sister Janet back in the 80s.

He was married to Robert's sister, is now married to someone else.

*They were

Sorry, force of habit, since I've been so used to referring to Thompson as "he" for decades.

Has Thompson ever gone on record as how they identify? I mean, sure, the name change would suggest some kind of gender transition, but Thompson has always been a very arty type and they have always had their own thing going aesthetically/fashion wise. I have no idea if Thompson identifies as he or she, but I can be fairly certain that the name change is a form of rebranding, whether that's to start a new life living as a woman or just an artistic way of making a clean break with the past. I guess we won't know unless Thompson comes out and says it - and they are very well known for keeping their private life private.

I don’t believe so - I switched to “she” because she was female-presenting for a while, but Pearl seems to have only formally announced a legal name change, and to still be referred to as “he” by IRL associates (eg Lol and art-world types).

robert has worked with lots of women. let's not forget his time in the banshees, also.

i'd consider mary an unofficial member. kind of like an emotional billy preston or smthgidk she's also the only non-band member / non-model to have ever appeared on cover art.

ned, your last post above was terrific. my compliments to the chef.👍🏻

I'm not accusing RS of sexism or whatever, more that The Cure has always seemed like a bit of a boys' club / football team in its group dynamic. Can you name any women RS has worked with apart from Siouxsie and Saffron?
Not trying to pick a fight, it's just something which occurred to me, that I'm surprised I haven't noticed before.

Jeanette Landray

Caroline Crawley

Alison Shaw?

Landray for sure, my bad. I don’t think he worked with Crawley beyond liking SO and inviting them on tour - Boris ended up on a band with her though. And the Cranes connection ... ? Also Crystal Castles but that’s not exactly an endorsement these days.
I’m sure there are many bands you could level the boys’ club accusation at, though.

Most of them?

Anyway to get back on initial topic, I’m pretty sure Pearl/Porl’s departure and subsequent ill feelings had nothing to do with possible transition. Pure speculation but I would imagine it’s a mix of personal animosity (divorce with Janet occurred at same time, no?) and artistic (Porl’s always followed his inspiration as Ned said and the last 20 years of the Cure have been pretty vacuous creatively speaking)

Yeah, this is nitpicky.

Agreed, sorry for the derail. I was a Cure obsessive 1985-1990 so it’s hard to see them fade. Hope the new record is a stormer.

it's odd to still listen to a band who are still active but whose last meaningful release (for me) was thirty years ago. I remember buying it the day it came out.

I go ways back with them as well. My timeline same as yours, Mathewk. For me "...Deep Green Sea" was the last of their great songs. Still, I check up on the them when there's news and it still makes me incredibly happy to see the "old" crew reunited for whatever reasons (I'm Team HOTD" as my fave lineup). It also reminds me that I'm growing older seeing my musical heroes wearing the signs of age. Love them.

I don’t think he worked with Crawley beyond liking SO and inviting them on tour -

They'd guest onstage during shows (Cranes too). I shouldn't think that Robert was ever in the same room as Alice Glass for Not In Love, and likely not on the same continent.

I was listening to the s/t and 4:13 Dream today and I do not for one second regret sticking with them through their latter-era albums.