28 years of News, rumors, minutiae about The Cure
From The Cure:
WE'RE CELEBRATING 'SONGS OF A LOST WORLD' WITH SEVERAL @PITCHBLACKPLAY LISTENING SESSIONS IN THE UK, EUROPE, CHILE & NEW ZEALAND ON DEC 21. HEAR THE ALBUM IN ALL ITS GLORY IN THE DARK - NO DISTRACTIONS, NO TALKING, NO SINGING, NO PHONES.
TICKETS VIA bit.ly/curepb
NPR - One of their top 50, but not in their top 13
Glide - One of their top 20
Rolling Stone - #48
Paste - #11
Stereogum - #29
Consequence - #20
The Quietus - #62
The Independent - #8
Time Out - #5
Rough Trade - #23
MOJO - #31
Uncut - #69
From NME:
Tune in to hear The Cure icon go deep, track-by-track, on the their latest Number One album
By Andrew Trendell
The Cure's Robert Smith will be joining Tim Burgess for Tim's Listening Party to talk through 'Songs Of A Lost World'. Credit: Tim Burgess/supplied to NME
The Cure's Robert Smith will be joining Tim Burgess for Tim's Listening Party to talk through 'Songs Of A Lost World'. Credit: Tim Burgess/supplied to NME
Robert Smith will join Tim Burgess for a special run-through of The Cure‘s acclaimed ‘Songs Of A Lost World‘ on an upcoming edition of Tims Listening Party, NME can exclusively reveal.
Becoming a favourite among music fans on social media during lockdown as Tim’s Twitter Listening Parties, the format of The Charlatans frontman talking through new and classic albums with the artists behind them found a new home as a podcast and show on Absolute Radio last year.
Now, it has been confirmed that Smith has recorded a special version of the show that will be broadcast from 10pm this weekend on Sunday December 8 on Absolute Radio before becoming available on the Rayo app shortly after and being made into a podcast early in the new year.
“I’m looking forward very much to my second Listening Party,” Smith told NME, “running through ‘Songs Of A Lost World’ with Tim – this time together in a ‘real life space’ – should be good?”
This comes after Smith hosted a run-through of Tim’s Twitter Listening Party for their classic album ‘Wish’ back in November 2022, done from the dressing room after The Cure played the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam. It became the third most replayed Listening Party with over 40,000 so far (with Iron Maiden occupying the top two places). Revisit the ‘Wish’ playback here.
Since Burgess took it to Absolute Radio, The Listening Party has won Gold as best newcomer at The Arias, The Radio Academy earlier this year. The show has featured the likes of U2, Texas, The Kinks, Fall Out Boy, The Libertines and more.
From NME:
Robert Smith raises £27,500 for charity with artwork inspired by The Cure’s ‘Songs Of A Lost World’
"I have sadly seen too many friends and family fall victim to heart disease"
By Daniel Peters
Robert Smith has raised £27,500 for Heart Research UK with artwork that was inspired by The Cure‘s new album ‘Songs Of A Lost World’.
Earlier this month, the frontman revealed that he made five works for the anonymous heART project – an online auction featuring 576 postcard-sized pieces, with the identity of the artists only revealed after they are sold.
His creations for the 2024 auction are based on tracks from The Cure’s first studio record in 16 years: ‘Drone:Nodrone’, ‘I Can Never Say Goodbye’, ‘Warsong’ and ‘A Fragile Thing’.
After the auction ended on November 10, the piece of artwork named after ‘I Can Never Say Goodbye’ was the highest piece sold, reaching £15,500, shortly followed by ‘Warsong’ at £3,974.
In a press statement, Smith said that making these pieces “allowed me to combine other passions, expressing emotions reflected on the album in a physical way.”
He continues: “What makes it even more satisfying is how this art can help drive change and support vital research which could save millions of lives.”
“Over the years, I have sadly seen too many friends and family fall victim to heart disease. By bringing together the creativity of so many talented individuals the anonymous heART project is a wonderful opportunity to share this art and support a great cause. The project proves that art can truly make a difference – for artists, for collectors, and for the future of heart health.”
Smith jonied a host of world-famous artists and musicians in contributing to heART, including Julian Opie (who designed the iconic cover of ‘Blur: The Best Of’), the Levellers‘ Jeremy Cunningham and The Twilight Sad.
Joining The Cure, Robert and Reeves, Roger has joined Bluesky. He confirmed his account (@rogerodonnell.bsky.social) on Twitter
From The Yorkshire Post:
The Cure Galore: Baby from front cover of album given surprise gift on wedding day
By Marti Stelling
A York woman who featured on the cover of The Cure’s Galore album as a baby was surprised to receive a signed copy of the album at her wedding, 27 years later.
Ms Slark’s mother Julia contacted the original photographer Andy Vella to ask if the band would send a signed copy of the album as a wedding gift when she married Rupert Lloyd.
Ms Slark, 28, who works as an A&E doctor, said: “I was a very smiley baby so my parents tried to pursue some modelling for me. They sent in my photo to an agency and I was selected to be the cover of The Cure’s compilation album Galore.
“I don’t remember the photo shoot because I was only one-and-a-half years old but my parents told me that an ice cream van was hired for the day. Apparently another ice cream man came over and was really angry because we were on their patch of the beach so we had to pack up and move quite quickly! After the shoot we were given a giant poster which is still in the house somewhere, and a CD.”
Galore is the second singles compilation by The Cure and was released on October 28, 1997. It contains singles from the years 1987 to 1997.
Her mother, who was there when the photographs were taken, said: “Isabel was very happy and smiley the whole day, even when I woke her up at 4.45am.”
“We had to be at Whitstable beach for 5am that morning. Andy Vella was there in a pink classic car and I remember the ice cream van incident very well. In the end the ice cream man hired for the shoot had to park miles away and run up and down to the beach with ice creams!”
Mr Vella captured the cover art for many of The Cure’s albums including Faith, Disintegration and Galore.
Ms Slark, who has not done any other modelling since, said: “I don’t tend to tell people often but when I have to come up with a fun fact or two truths and a lie, it’s my go-to. People can recognise that it’s me on the cover when I hold it up next to me but I never got recognised out and about for it.
“I’m a big fan of The Cure and my favourite song is probably Friday I’m in Love from the album Wish. Both me and my husband had no idea we were going to be given the album at our wedding so we were very surprised.
“It was given to us in the Best Man’s speech which was hilarious, particularly because some of the people at the wedding didn’t know it was me on the cover. It was such as nice moment to share with our friends and family.”
