Thursday, March 17, 2022
Ukraine charity t-shirts in kid sizes
https://t.co/EkFCqggDUs
— ROBERT SMITH (@RobertSmith) March 17, 2022
FOR SMALLER/YOUNGER PEOPLE X
Robert contributes handwritten Just Like Heaven lyrics to Teenage Cancer Trust book
The @TeenageCancer Trust Songbook is available now.
— Chain of Flowers (@CraigatCoF) March 18, 2022
Handwritten lyrics from @thecure, @Johnny_Marr, @depechemode and more. Plus artwork from @PeteMcKee.
Order here - https://t.co/JQZevOBYwq pic.twitter.com/EIW55eL0Qc
Robert's art prints raise £65,000 for Heart Research
Some great news from @heartresearchuk on Instagram. The recent print sale of @RobertSmith's artwork raised £65,000.https://t.co/eeXwlqHxhP pic.twitter.com/kCRLVywEkG
— Chain of Flowers (@CraigatCoF) March 17, 2022
Wednesday, March 16, 2022
The Chvre played again tonight in London
Robert joined Chvrches onstage at Brixton Academy in London tonight.
The Chvre (as Lauren calls them) played How Not To Drown, Just Like Heaven, The Mother We Share and Clearest Blue during the encore.
CHVRCHES live in London: a gothic sci-fi spectacular with Robert Smith on guitar. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ https://t.co/u4JkhFZ9r4
— Chain of Flowers (@CraigatCoF) March 17, 2022
Tuesday, March 15, 2022
Cure t-shirt for Ukraine
WE HAVE JUST ADDED A BLUE/YELLOW LOGO T-SHIRT TO OUR OFFICIAL STORES - ALL PROFITS WILL BE DONATED TO UNHCR @Refugees - PRE-ORDER AT https://t.co/JPIxEAlwXE pic.twitter.com/mgKTl9qZ4D
— The Cure (@thecure) March 15, 2022
New Curious Creatures out now
Season Two of Curious Creatures Starts Today! pic.twitter.com/74dnSE7Cyy
— Lol Tolhurst (@LolTolhurst) March 15, 2022
Monday, March 14, 2022
Curious Creatures Season 2 starts Tomorrow
Season Two of Curious Creatures - First episode drops this Tuesday. Check out the sneak peek trailer!! pic.twitter.com/eqwPWqhVNd
— Lol Tolhurst (@LolTolhurst) March 13, 2022
KEXP's Top Songs of the Last 50 Years
.@kexp listeners voted for the Top Songs of the Past 50 Years. The Cure had 9 on the list.
— Chain of Flowers (@CraigatCoF) March 14, 2022
22 Just Like Heaven
47 A Forest
85 Disintegration
118 Fascination Street
136 Pictures of You
303 In Between Days
326 Lovesong
344 Friday I'm in Love
487 Close To Mehttps://t.co/KhlmhQiOhp
Friday, March 11, 2022
EMF vs. Robert Smith...sort of
From NME:
EMF appeared on the BBC show Juke Box Jury (where panellists judged the hit potential of record releases) in 1990 as the mystery guests after ‘Unbelievable’ was reviewed. But who was the only panellist to vote that the song was a “miss” rather than a “hit”?
“Oh man! I think Robert Smith said it’d be a hit, but let’s see what they’re like on their third single. Then he voted it a miss. Which led to all sorts of trouble with him!”
CORRECT.
“I only know this because what happened after it has consumed me for a lifetime. Derry [Brownson, EMF keyboardist] called him a fat c-word in the press, Then we did the BRIT Awards [in 1991] and Robert angrily came up to me and said: ‘What’s this about you calling me a fat c-word?!’ And it got really nasty. He had all of The Cure lined up behind him and I was there on my own. I was mortified because I’m the biggest Robert Smith fan ever – all I ever wanted to be growing up was him, and then he’s coming up and accusing me of dissing him. I’ve often wanted to write him an apology letter and say it wasn’t me. I wanted to tell him it was Derry – who in the meantime at the BRITs was having a fight with The Beautiful South on the dodgems! Can I apologise to Robert Smith now?”
Go for it…
“Robert Smith, if you’re reading this, I’m very sorry. It was a despicable thing to say and out of order. Pop stars shouldn’t talk to each other like that – especially to a god like you.”
What was the ruckus with The Beautiful South about then?
“I don’t know! For some reason, Derry and DJ Milf were kicking off with The Beautiful South, who had a reputation. They sing lovely pop songs, but they were quite handy northern lads! [Laughs
More info for the auction
Putting the details together...
— Chain of Flowers (@CraigatCoF) March 11, 2022
Roger has donated this Anniversary poster signed by the entire band to this auction to benefit Ukraine.
To bid:
Email info@Newhambooks.co.uk
Call 0208 552 9993
Bid in person or via zoomhttps://t.co/3c9aMgqDAz
Follow @TheWansteadtap for updates. pic.twitter.com/zAz345T22n
Thursday, March 10, 2022
'Anniversary' poster in Ukraine auction
Im donating this signed poster from the Anniversary concert film to Ukrainian support auction @TheWansteadtap run by @NewhamBookshop this weekend. Check their sites for details..ITS HUGE pic.twitter.com/KGDhAXbMX9
— Roger O'Donnell (@RogerODonnellX) March 10, 2022
Could all our chums give this a retweet. Ta pic.twitter.com/jF0SVClNCE
— The Wanstead Tap (@TheWansteadtap) March 10, 2022
Curious Creatures Season 2 coming soon
We're coming back for Season 2!
— Curious Creatures (@curecreatures) March 10, 2022
Join @LolTolhurst and at @Tuwhit2Whoo Saturday for a virtual announcement event! Sign up 👉🏻 https://t.co/DzyR7a9J5B pic.twitter.com/TDbLMQdrYr
Roger at the 1985 Trouble in Paradise benefit
Mar 10, 1985: the Trouble in Paradise benefit concert was held to help the homeless. #80s As part, @SusannaHoffs teamed with @MollyRingwald & Belinda Carlisle to perform "Midnight Confession" pic.twitter.com/bVE4Z4Qdu3
— Old School 80s (@OldSchool80s) March 10, 2022
I dont know what prompted the story about the 1985 Trouble in Paradise story today but here's proof of me hanging out with rock stars and playing a keytar. One and only time! @SusannaHoffs pic.twitter.com/LZNPyE9lsb
— Roger O'Donnell (@RogerODonnellX) March 10, 2022
Robert on what NME has meant to him
From NME:
“The NME has meant many things to me over the years that I’ve been doing this with The Cure. At the very start, it was NME, Sounds and Melody Maker. You kind of fell into one three camps. Even though Melody Maker adopted The Cure after a while and Sounds were the first to put us on the cover, it was NME with Paul Morley’s piece about [1980 album] ‘Seventeen Seconds’ that got me going, in a way. They sent him out to cover us playing a show in Norwich or something, and I suddenly appreciated what it was like to be writer as opposed to just being in a band that was written about.
“NME still has it, of course, but the quality of writing through the early ‘80s was really good and informed me a lot about people that I wouldn’t have otherwise been thinking about. It was an important part of our cultural life and you rely on it to be a voice for good. At times I think it has lost its way, but generally for 70 years it’s almost done as well as us!
“It does feel like I’m a bit of an imposter to still be part of things like [the BandLab NME Awards 2022]. Not that I don’t think we’re good, but when I look around at what other people are doing I’m just like, ‘Really?’ When I’m on stage playing I understand why I’m still doing it because I love it, but when I go home I’ll wake up tomorrow with a thick head and think, ‘What did I say?’”
Go see Jason tonight
If you're in or around Chiswick tonight, go see Jason Cooper playing with @TrioManouche in The Boston Room @GeorgeIVW4.
— Chain of Flowers (@CraigatCoF) March 10, 2022
"UK’s leading Gypsy Swing band performing w/ Italian vocalist Francesca Confortini & Special Guests Jason Cooper & Dave Kelbie"
Tix - https://t.co/sDjaCNzy6l
Wednesday, March 9, 2022
More Robert art prints for sale
FINE ART PRINTS OF MY ARTWORK ‘I COULD HAVE HELD ON TO YOUR HEART… ’ ARE AVAILABLE IN A3 (£50) AND A4 (£25) ON EBAY TO RAISE MONEY FOR @HEARTRESEARCHUK
— ROBERT SMITH (@RobertSmith) March 2, 2022
AVAILABLE TO BUY UNTIL 14TH MARCH - PLEASE GET YOURS HERE: https://t.co/zvcq7Cu3tt pic.twitter.com/65yY3qUl05
Phil Thornalley recalls playing bass on Love Cats
Phil Thornalley, songwriter and bass player, laughs as he recalls the creation of a certain iconic bass part. Back in 1983, he was producing the British band The Cure when their longtime bass player Simon Gallup stepped away from the band for a while. In Gallup’s absence, a single called The Love Cats was given an unusual bass part.
“Robert Smith, the Cure’s singer, had shown me the principal bassline when we were on tour, and I’d learned it on electric bass. When we got to the studio to record it, I saw this double bass – and Robert said to me, ‘You’ve gotta play that!’ I had to get a tuner out and put some marks on the bass neck, because I had no idea where the notes were.
“When we started recording, I took the basic bass-line and, as the song progressed, I moved the line around for the chords. I also did a faux walking bassline at one point. Because of my limitations on double bass, I couldn’t play the whole part in one take, so I played each part over two tracks. I’m doing half of the line on one track, and the other half on the other.”
Although the single, released in 1983, was a hit, Thornalley cringes when he thinks what double bass professionals would have made of his bass part. “I’m sure jazz players feel like crying whenever they hear that line."
“In terms of spirit it’s right on, but in terms of technique and choice of notes, I’m flying by the seat of my pants. I’ve never played a double bass again since then. I was in The Cure for 18 months, and at the very last show I played with them in New York, I decided to throw in this disco run... which was totally inappropriate.”
Read more at Guitar World.
Meeting Robert Smith by Andrew Trendell
From NME:
As we celebrate our 70th birthday, our scribes relive their most surreal encounters, as those three letters provide portals to Macca, Debbie Harry and more.
After about five years of angling for an audience with The Cure’s Robert Smith, I got a phone call on the eve of Glastonbury 2019. “What are you doing next Tuesday?” the PR asked of my post-Glasto plans. “Probably weeping in the fetal position and regretting all my life choices,” I replied. “How would you like the world exclusive interview with Robert Smith?” came the proposition. Reader, my heart exploded.
My pre-Glasto packing and planning was interrupted by consuming 40 odd years’ worth of The Cure’s NME interviews, but I needn’t have toiled quite so much. The Smith I spoke to, fresh from his Worthy Farm headline performance, was effortlessly open, amicable and imbued with the spirit of an artist still very much on top of his game.
Behind the make-up of the icon was a lovely chap with a dry wit and a love of what he does – just as comfortable spilling the beans on new projects and spotlighting relatively unknown acts such as The Twilight Sad as he was revisiting four decades of myth-making and magic. Our chat for clocked in at around three hours – roughly the length of a typical Cure live set – and resulted in a digital cover story and a follow-up feature, but it wouldn’t be the last.
We’d meet again when he’d grace us with his presence at two consecutive NME Awards (at last week’s, he delivered a belting performance with CHVRCHES). Backstage at both events, he jovially shared the inside scoop on the long-awaited follow-up to The Cure’s 2008 album ‘4:13 Dream’. Last week, he revealed that ‘Songs Of A Lost World’ is coming in September. Will it arrive as promised? I’m all here for chatting indefinitely about it until it does.
Saturday, March 5, 2022
Robert's guitar at NME Awards, showing support for Ukraine and more
A closer look at @RobertSmith's guitar tonight at the NME Awards. From Julian Stockton on Instagram. https://t.co/FZTo4YSHuh pic.twitter.com/eFuRSdHEzn
— Chain of Flowers (@CraigatCoF) March 3, 2022