I remember reading that Nils Lofgren had knee and hip problems because Neil Young made him wear ankle weights to stop him from moving around so much. Maybe Simon otherwise stands so disconcertingly erect they give him an extra heavy bass?
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 1 April 2019 20:05 (five years ago) link
On a side note: how come Simon Gallup hasn't got severe back problems?
He's played 141 gigs in ten years, and probably has enough pull to get a box of epsom salts on the rider
― steven, soda jerk (sic), Monday, 1 April 2019 20:14 (five years ago) link
Probably got some tips from Peter Hook.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 1 April 2019 20:16 (five years ago) link
Or, like, Rob Trujillo:
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PE4yTibqNmWMgbkPA8Q7u.jpg
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 1 April 2019 20:18 (five years ago) link
Hahaha
― Duke, Monday, 1 April 2019 21:49 (five years ago) link
Hook originally learnt to play at a normal incorrect height, then saw the Clash for the first time "and never wore the bass above my bollocks again"
― steven, soda jerk (sic), Monday, 1 April 2019 22:13 (five years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxoSHmoCVp8
― Bee OK, Tuesday, 2 April 2019 00:09 (five years ago) link
1. Shake Dog Shake 00:382. A Forest 05:123. Lovesong 12:194. Just Like Heaven 15:525. Boys Don't Cry 19:46
For a five song set, that actually does a pretty good job summing them up.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 2 April 2019 00:30 (five years ago) link
Yeah, there's a little of everything there... and nothing past 1989.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Tuesday, 2 April 2019 00:41 (five years ago) link
Back on the Schecters, boo
― an incoherent crustacean (MatthewK), Tuesday, 2 April 2019 00:45 (five years ago) link
Was Boris there?
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 2 April 2019 01:29 (five years ago) link
He was! About 5:30 on this clip: https://m.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR2dVIOczM7VGWYCEQn4XFTNgQyOPD4B-z7MGR_6dLzsEnpWR0gbH2sJbUM&v=VFINzd26anI
― Carly Jae Vespen (Capitaine Jay Vee), Tuesday, 2 April 2019 01:36 (five years ago) link
Yeah pretty much everyone?
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D3FTKR5WoAADl9Y.jpg:large
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 2 April 2019 01:40 (five years ago) link
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
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 2 April 2019 01:42 (five years ago) link
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.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Tuesday, 2 April 2019 01:57 (five years ago) link
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
― steven, soda jerk (sic), Tuesday, 2 April 2019 02:06 (five years ago) link
Cure keyboard must be a tough gig. One finger solos, trying not to look bored ...
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 2 April 2019 02:17 (five years ago) link
There's also things like 'Homesick' ...
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Tuesday, 2 April 2019 02:25 (five years ago) link
Ha, maybe that explains why they so rarely play it: 15 times since 1989.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 2 April 2019 03:01 (five years ago) link
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(!)
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Tuesday, 2 April 2019 03:17 (five years ago) link
opening with Shake Dog Shake = CLASSIC
― orifex, Tuesday, 2 April 2019 04:34 (five years ago) link
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).
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Tuesday, 2 April 2019 07:32 (five years ago) link
Pearl/Porl judging from [...] comments on social media
?
― steven, soda jerk (sic), Tuesday, 2 April 2019 08:52 (five years ago) link
called them a tribute band or something on Instagram
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Tuesday, 2 April 2019 10:16 (five years ago) link
xp Porl changed his name to Pearl a few years ago now
― ufo, Tuesday, 2 April 2019 11:43 (five years ago) link
oh nvm i misread that because i'm tired lol
― ufo, Tuesday, 2 April 2019 11:44 (five years ago) link
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.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 2 April 2019 11:44 (five years ago) link
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.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 2 April 2019 11:46 (five years ago) link
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.
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 2 April 2019 14:04 (five years ago) link
complaining is fun!
― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Tuesday, 2 April 2019 14:11 (five years ago) link
I noticed during the interview segments that first it was the current band, then it was Michael, Lol, Perry & Boris, then Pearl Thompson alone.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Tuesday, 2 April 2019 14:30 (five years ago) link
Though apparently RS made a point of thanking the previous members of the band, living and dead.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 2 April 2019 14:34 (five years ago) link
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.)
― steven, soda jerk (sic), Tuesday, 2 April 2019 16:20 (five years ago) link
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?
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 2 April 2019 16:37 (five years ago) link
all her album and single covers are all-time, so gorgeous... just look at the covers for all the Kiss Me singles
― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Tuesday, 2 April 2019 16:42 (five years ago) link
i heard they played and opened with "Shake Dog Shake" as a tribute to Andy Anderson. <3
― Bee OK, Wednesday, 3 April 2019 00:06 (five years ago) link
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.
― an incoherent crustacean (MatthewK), Wednesday, 3 April 2019 00:18 (five years ago) link
I also dimly recall Porl (as he was) being in a relationship with Robert's sister Janet back in the 80s.
― an incoherent crustacean (MatthewK), Wednesday, 3 April 2019 00:19 (five years ago) link
He was married to Robert's sister, is now married to someone else.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, 3 April 2019 00:50 (five years ago) link
*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.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, 3 April 2019 01:12 (five years ago) link
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).
― blokes you can't rust (sic), Wednesday, 3 April 2019 01:48 (five years ago) link
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.👍🏻
― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Wednesday, 3 April 2019 03:55 (five years ago) link
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.
― an incoherent crustacean (MatthewK), Wednesday, 3 April 2019 04:41 (five years ago) link
Jeanette Landray
― GDPR vs GAPDY (DJP), Wednesday, 3 April 2019 08:20 (five years ago) link
Caroline Crawley
― blokes you can't rust (sic), Wednesday, 3 April 2019 08:46 (five years ago) link
Alison Shaw?
― rip van wanko, Wednesday, 3 April 2019 10:53 (five years ago) link
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.
― an incoherent crustacean (MatthewK), Wednesday, 3 April 2019 11:22 (five years ago) link
Most of them?
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 3 April 2019 11:26 (five years ago) link
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)
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Wednesday, 3 April 2019 11:43 (five years ago) link