Friday, November 17, 2017

'Six Different Ways' in 'It'


For me, the biggest Cure news while the blog was inactive was the inclusion of 'Six Different Ways' in the new film adaptation of Stephen King's 'It'. Being a huge King fan, and 'It' being my favorite King book, and one of my favorite books overall, I was stunned and so happy when that scene appeared! You have no idea how much restraint it took me to not post the above tweet in the middle of the film. :)

They put together some Spotify playlists for the characters in the film, and of course The Losers' Club have some Cure on their lists. Beverly has 'Just Like Heaven', Bill has 'Pictures of You', and Richie has 'Lovesong' & 'In Between Days'.

Director Andy Muschietti spoke with Film.it, and was asked about the scene:

"Let's talk about The Cure and the song you chose: Six Different Ways. It's funny how one can perfectly relate it to the six guys in the movie ...

Oh yes and they talk about their relationship with Beverly. When I noticed this, we shot a scene where Robert Smith's voice replaced that of our actress Sophia Lillis. I liked it a lot, but we had to give it up because, according to some, the audience was confused."

Some mentions of the scene from various articles and reviews:

"But then, of course, there are the kids. After one scene of nightmare gore that owes a lot to Johnny Depp’s kill in the original “Nightmare on Elm Street” — “It” for sure earns its R-rating — the group is forced to scrub down a bathroom and wash it free of blood. It’s a grisly scene but it’s set to the poppy bounce of the Cure’s “Six Different Ways,” a smart cue that lets you know the filmmakers know and respect the time and the era in which they’re working. It makes the film come alive, and like the best parts of “It,” it has nothing to do with that silly clown." - The Detroit News

"And the restraint allows the two big songs used in the film to have a greater impact. The Cure’s ‘Six Different Ways’ plays when the Losers clean up Beverly’s blood-soaked bathroom, a sight only the group can see thanks to Pennywise. The bond between the Losers forms as they scrub retro-tiled floors and agree that Pennywise is the real deal. And nothing binds outcasts like The Cure." - Junkee

"It even includes a montage set to The Cure’s “Six Different Way” (one of the best uses of the song I’ve seen in a film)." - We Are Movie Geeks

"Placing the film in 1989 is an interesting choice. Those expecting a “Stranger Things” experience where the eccentricities of the decade take center stage will be somewhat disappointed that the references aren’t nearly as overt. They are still there, but more in the background. I’m particularly fond of the way The Cure’s “Six Different Ways” is used for a rather bloody montage. The tone of the song is seemingly inappropriate, but it works because there is a lighter undercurrent at play here. These are kids, no matter how vulgar or inappropriate they come across, it is their collective innocence that defines them."- KUTV

"Still, Muschietti avoids realism so that he can easily shift the tone back toward an observant human comedy. Sometimes the juxtaposition is brazen: the Losers team up to clean Beverly’s bloody bathroom while The Cure’s playful “Six Different Ways” provides the soundtrack." - Washington City Paper

"Muschietti shares King’s love of period-appropriate rock music, though he doesn’t always use it appropriately: One potentially blood-curdling scene is bizarrely neutered by its use of the Cure’s “Six Different Ways.” - Variety

"For the sensitive teens of the '80s, few bands could encapsulate the swirling angst of adolescence more completely than the Cure, and the group's ascension to mainstream status really got going with 1985's The Head on the Door. Boosted by the hit single "In Between Days," which reflected the band's evolving style as well as frontman Robert Smith's growing creative control, the record launched a thousand swooning mixtapes — and while music was probably the furthest thing from Bill and Bev's minds during the bloody aftermath of It's visit to her bathroom, the Door track "Six Different Ways" is still a suitably bittersweet soundtrack for their shared moment." - Diffuser

Sorry for this very long post, but I love the film (saw it 6 times, of course, in theatres!), love that The Cure are now a part of the highest grossing horror film of all time, and that the band (and a Cure song not usually used in films) got so much exposure!

Anyway, if you haven't seen 'It', it is still playing in some theatres, and will be released digitally on Dec. 19th, and on DVD/Blu-Ray on Jan. 9th.
Posted by Craig at 2:32 PM

The Cure in 1984: "Boys Don't Cry" and Beyond


From Paste:

From the Vault: On Nov. 16, 1984, the band visited Washington, D.C., with a mix of new material and radio favorites.

The Cure had been gradually building their U.S. fan base when they embarked on their third American tour to promote their 1984 album, The Top. On Nov. 16, 1984, the band visited the Ontario Theatre in Washington, D.C., where they played a mix of new material and the favorites that had made them instant icons in England.

Coming off the success of hits like “Let’s Go To Bed” and “Boys Don’t Cry,” Robert Smith and Co. had finally come to the point where they could take The Cure’s eccentric, characteristically dark sound and combine it with a more radio-friendly approach. At the time, Smith was also playing with Siouxsie and the Banshees, but musically, his true home was always with The Cure—a fact made more than apparent on this recording. The band would ultimately go through a number of musical and personal upheavals, and even though The Top wasn’t their most warmly received album, this was a fruitful period for The Cure. This show offers an impeccable live recording of one of the ‘80s biggest groups in their prime.


Listen to the show at Paste.
Posted by Craig at 2:30 PM

Thursday, November 16, 2017

Life goes on


The CoF blog is officially back as of today, and it feels so good to be updating here again. Thank you all for your kindness and support. It means the world to me. Here's to better days ahead and a ton of updates in 2018.

Over the next day or two, I will be adding a bunch of the stuff from the Summer/Autumn that didn't get posted here, only on Twitter. And going forward, this site will be back to normal.
Posted by Craig at 8:16 AM

Cure 40th Anniversary Calendar

As most of you know, there's a new official Cure Store that went online a few weeks back, selling a bunch of 2016 tour merchandise, and now they have added a 2018 40th Anniversary Cure Calendar.
Thanks, @guillaume_g_z.
Posted by Craig at 7:00 AM

'England is Mine' release dates


'England is Mine', from executive producer Roger O'Donnell, is out now digitally, and Dec. 4th on DVD.

Posted by Craig at 6:59 AM

Reeves' new live album


Reeves released a new live album, 'Imaginary Friends Live', on October 1st. You can buy a copy at Bandcamp.

"Imaginary Friends Live was recorded during one night's performance at The Family Wash/Garage Coffee in Nashville, Tennessee by the rock trio Reeves Gabrels and His Imaginary Friends. The band features Reeves Gabrels (The Cure, David Bowie) on lead vocals and lead guitar, with Kevin Hornback on bass and Marc Pisapia on drums and harmony vocals."
Posted by Craig at 6:58 AM

5 Questions with Reeves Gabrels

You’ve played so many shows and worked with so many incredible people during your career. What have been some of the most memorable moments as a musician?

RG: I have been extremely lucky in that almost every day on the road or in the studio has offered some little gift that sticks in my memory.

Any day writing songs with David Bowie was memorable, funny, educational and entertaining.
Here's one recent and moving moment to stand in for all. After I joined The Cure (in 2012) we did a tour of South America and Mexico the following spring. Our show in Mexico City happened to be on Robert Smith's birthday. Right before we were to take the stage, there was an earthquake. Within minutes of the first roll of the ground, and the sounds of surprise (and fear) from the crowd, and once it was clear that there was no structural risk to the stage or stadium, we decided instantly to play the show. That experience was memorable in terms of the size of the stadium, and how much it meant to the audience that we simply came out and carried on to play the music. We played over 4 hours, as a thank you to them.

Read the rest at Do 617.
Posted by Craig at 6:58 AM

Reeves Gabrels On Distinguishing Original Music From His Work With David Bowie


Reeves Gabrels joined The Cure in 2012 and is also known for his partnership with David Bowie from 1987 through 1999. A co-founder of the rock band Tin Machine featuring David Bowie, Tony Sales, and Hunt Sales, Gabrels went on to work closely with Bowie as a guitarist and co-writer for Outside (1995) and as a guitarist, co-writer, and co-producer for Earthling (1997) and Hours (1999). Gabrels also served as Bowie’s guitarist and music director across a dozen years of touring, including Bowie’s tour with Nine Inch Nails and the legendary rock icon’s 50th birthday celebration at Madison Square Garden.

In 2017, Gabrels released his sixth album, Imaginary Friends Live, which sees the guitarist and vocalist supported by a collection of his superb musical colleagues. In addition to his fruitful solo career, Gabrels has previously released two improvisatory guitar-duo albums—one with Bill Nelson of Be-Bop Deluxe fame and the other with David Tronzo who currently teaches at Boston’s Berklee College of Music—and composes film, television, and video-game soundtracks. A sought-after collaborator, he has written, performed, and recorded with musicians in genres from heavy metal to hip-hop to electronica to jazz.

Read the interview at Live for Live Music.
Posted by Craig at 6:58 AM

Railhammer Reeves Gabrels Signature Pickups

Posted by Craig at 6:58 AM

Sean Hughes Meeting The Cure Is Brilliant


From Radio X (watch the video on their site):

The legendary band appeared with the late comedian on his sitcom back in 1993: “Mum!”

If you’re of a certain age, you were probably gutted to hear of the death of comedian Sean Hughes yesterday (16 October), aged just 51.

Aside from his stand-up career and his long tenure as a team captain on the BBC’s Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Hughes also had a Channel 4 sitcom called, not unreasonably, Sean’s Show.

Running for two series between 1992 and 1993, the programme was a surreal version of a sitcom, as Hughes was aware he was in a TV show, aware of the audience, had conversations with a talking spider called Elvis, listened to The Smiths and housed a group of Bosnian refugees in his spare room, who just watched TV.

The final episode aired on 29 December 1993 and concerned Sean’s discovery that he was adopted. As he searches for his long-lost mother, he spots a familiar face in the pub. Watch the clip for the bizarre revelation.

The love-in between The Cure and Sean Hughes continued as the comedian later appeared with fellow laff-maker Rob Newman (of The Mary Whitehouse Experience fame) in the video for the band’s bizarre single, The 13th.

RIP Sean!
Posted by Craig at 6:57 AM

Nick from Slowdive was Simon for Halloween





Posted by Craig at 6:57 AM

Chris Carrabba's Journey From Fanning Over The Cure to Being Dashboard Confessional


From Billboard:

“If I were to try and list the albums that changed my life I would be talking to you forever,” he laughs, remembering which ones they'd obsess over. The Cure were and remain an immense source of inspiration for him. “It's hard to pick one record by that band,” he says. “But I would say that Robert Smith's influence on me is pretty clear to anyone who has heard me sing my songs.” Elsewhere he cites 24 Hour Revenge Therapy by Jawbreaker, and everything by R.E.M., Radiohead and The Beatles. “But while Jonny Greenwood is my single favorite guitar player,” he says of the former, “it is Fugazi that I regard as the most innovative band of all time.”
Posted by Craig at 6:56 AM

Darren Aronfosky is a Cure fan


From NME:

We’ve heard you love The Cure. What’s your favourite song?

“I like ‘A Forest’. It’s a great fucking song. They’re a great band. I remember when everyone else was listening to disco and I was getting into The Cure. I guess I resist popular culture just a pinch and look for the edges.”
Posted by Craig at 6:56 AM

40 Years of The Cure: one of Britain’s most underrated bands


It’s been an unbelievable 40 years since iconic musician and singer Robert Smith took on the role of frontman for his school band The Easy Cure.

This group of friends had been gigging locally but struggled to find the right singer until Smith stepped up in September 1977 and he hasn’t stepped down since.

In fact this much-loved group (renamed the more familiar The Cure in ’78) have consistently released new material and continued to perform live for the past four decades.

However, despite inspiring a Gothic generation and enjoying a few commercial bursts (including the ubiquitous The Love Cats and Friday I’m In Love) this prolific group have slipped a little under the popular radar.

Which is probably where they like it.

But for the global army of fans who have kept faith all these years, a Cure gig is still the best night out of the year.

Think three euphoric dancing hours of familiar hits, forgotten favourites and all the feels.
We pore over the extensive back catalogue, stuffed full of gems applicable to any situation or emotion.

Whether you want to laugh, cry, fall in love or dance wildly, there’s a track for that.

Read the rest at Metro.

Posted by Craig at 6:56 AM

James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem loves 'Pornography', The Cure, and Lol's drumming


From Noisey:

I've heard you care a lot about the drumming of Lol Tolhurst of The Cure.
 
One of my all time favourite albums is Pornography by The Cure. What a terrifying album, and I'm a massive nerd about his drumming [goes into long but precise description of The Cure's early drum sound is achieved]. When he left the group I was broken-hearted. During a specific era of my life, The Cure and The Smiths held two very different but very important polar feelings for me.

You're clearly an Anglophile. How far back can you trace this?
 
Between the age of 13 and 16 I liked The Clash, Bowie, Echo And The Bunnymen, The Cure, The Smiths, Sisters Of Mercy, Joy Division and New Order. Between 1983 and 1986 most of these bands were big in Britain but were still very, very underground in the US so would play smaller venues. And that overlapped really densely with some of the most important years of my life. Then when I was 16 I had a school trip to England. I fully expected to get off the plane and step into punk rock heaven, where everyone was going to be wearing long trench coats and have crazy hair. I didn't know anything about lad culture or how intensely conservative Britain was at that time. When I got here I was like… "WHOA… OK, now I get it. The Smiths and The Cure were born from how they looked totally not being OK in mainstream British culture." It was a great trip—very important—but it was also a real wake up call.
Posted by Craig at 6:56 AM

Ben Folds on his cover of 'In Between Days'


From App:

Folds has no problem slipping in covers. His cover of The Cure's "In Between Days" is a fan favorite. Robert Smith, who wrote the song, enjoys Folds version.

"It's a great song," Folds said. "I've always liked that song and that album ('Head on the Door'). Robert Smith really liked my version a lot. The interesting thing is that he was being urged to let recording artists cover songs for a Cure tribute album and from what I hear he wasn't crazy about the idea. I'm told my version of 'In Between Days' changed his mind about that. His approval of my version of his song is the highlight of my career."
Posted by Craig at 6:56 AM

The Story of Goth in 33 Songs


From Pitchfork:

1980
The Cure
“A Forest”

Goth is synonymous with excess—too much echo, too much feeling, too much eyeliner. But “A Forest,” off 1980’s spellbinding Seventeen Seconds, is a masterpiece of minimalism. It is a world away from so many of the band’s other signature efforts: the spiky, sprightly post-punk of Boys Don’t Cry, the druggy dolor of Pornography, the rococo swirl of Disintegration. Composed around a four-note synth part, with bass and guitar counterpoints twirling like vines, it follows a steady motorik groove that’s evocative of train travel; the reverb on the snare feels like it’s going backward and forward at the same time, which only adds to the sense that it could go on forever (a goal they would inch closer to, a year later, with the nearly 30-minute “Carnage Visors”). Deliciously repetitive, “A Forest” stretches from horizon to horizon, bleak as winter branches against a dull grey sky. –Philip Sherburne
Posted by Craig at 6:56 AM 0 comments

52 Albums That Changed My Life, Chapter 44: Bloodflowers


I’m sure that certain albums appearing on this list make little to no sense to other music fans or critics but part of the idea is to reiterate the fact that music is very much a personal thing. The songs and albums that influence us may come at different times or decades of our lives than others. Hence why out of all the amazing albums The Cure have put out over the years, it’s Bloodflowers that makes my list.

Don’t get me wrong, Bloodflowers is a great album but it definitely isn’t Disintegration. The main reason I have Bloodflowers on this list is it’s the album that finally convinced me that buying an album by The Cure was worth the money.

My first encounter with the music of The Cure was when “Friday I’m in Love” hit the airways and became The Cure’s biggest known hit. At the time, the song just sounded like so much crap to me. It was light and breezy and what was the deal with dude’s make up? No thank you, I’ll go back to Ministry and Skinny Puppy.

Read the rest at A Journal of Musical Things.

Posted by Craig at 6:56 AM

My Favourite Albums: 'Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me'


Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me, The Cure’s seventh studio album is an 18-track, 70-minute plus extravagance of pure theatre. The album that cracked America and the endlessness of international suburbia. An album that gave us excuses for a thousand hours spent on dizzy edges, beds made of flowers, daylight licking us into shape. 1987. A time when stereos were an extension of your aesthetic and were either enormous or cute and bulbous and Hubba Bubba purple.

An album recalling quiet streets bordered by creeks and bushland at dusk – spooky, dark and ethereal. A catalogue of swampy sounds and small town longing. Staring past a ragged tree line wanting something to land. A UFO. A boy. A jabberwocky. Retreating to my room. Lying flat on my back on my white, satin bedspread gazing at the ceiling when there was time for gazing lost to make believe and lands made up in my head that looked like film clips. Peak MTV - when all the songs were synonymous with the images.

Robert Smith staring out of TVs. He saw things, like us, that weren’t there. Eyeballing cameras or hiding in the shadows. Waking up and rubbing his eyes and wombling around; twisting himself into shapes in crumbling mansions, coffins lost at sea, clutching the edges of cliffs. Just Like Heaven when nothing was. The Cure were medicine like that. A soundtrack for what we already knew was coming. The end of spare time. The end of moments. The end of the world. Big bass. Soaring orchestral keyboards. Lonely lead guitars.

Read the rest at The Conversation.
Posted by Craig at 6:55 AM

100 Greatest Debut Singles of All Time


From CoS:

95. The Cure - Killing An Arab (1978)

“Hey Robert, how about we release the title track to Boys Don’t Cry as the first single?”
“No, I think my weird lyrical essay on Albert Camus’ The Stranger would do better for us.” Hey, very few will argue against The Cure being one of the more bizarre outfits in alternative rock, what with that goddamn hair alone, which is why it’s fitting they’d begin their illustrious career with “Killing an Arab”. Then again, it’s exactly the type of song one might expect from a bunch of twentysomething art house rockers circa 1978, and while the subject matter has certainly gone over people’s heads throughout the years (especially moron Islamophobes), it’s a ballsy first chapter to one of the most influential outfits in the genre. –Michael Roffman



Posted by Craig at 6:55 AM

20 Greatest British Rock Bands of All Time


From The Evening Standard:

8. The Cure

Robert Smith’s the Cure are one of most iconic British bands of the 1980s and 1990s, and hold a special place in the hearts of many music fans up and down the country. From the stark and intense nature of albums like 1982’s Pornography, through to the more flamboyant and playful records like Wish, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me and Disintegration - arguably the band’s masterpiece - Smith created some of the greatest alternative British music of his generation.
Posted by Craig at 6:55 AM

Top 25 Songs of 1987


From CoS:

04. The Cure - Just Like Heaven

With “Just Like Heaven”, The Cure became a band for everyone. Granted, the gothic overtones that had initially haunted Robert Smith and co. admittedly began to dissipate with their 1982 single “Let’s Go to Bed”, but “Just Like Heaven” was the crossover hit they desperately needed. For starters, the song works on every level — from the shower of synths to the ditzy piano notes to the surfing guitar line that sounds like Dick Dale on LSD — but really it’s all about the message. “You’re just like a dream,” Smith croons, connecting to every single person who has ever walked away from someone and thought, I might just die without them. Suddenly, everything that made The Cure so relatable to the “freaks” and “creeps” for all those years made sense to everyone else who either ignored them or looked in from outside. And has there ever been a better opening line? Good lord, the song really is just like a dream, one that you never want to leave, which is why it’s best heard again and again and again. That is, until you’re back to square one, which is why Smith went on to make Disintegration. –Michael Roffman
Posted by Craig at 6:54 AM

50 Best Bassists of All Time


From Music Radar:

4. Simon Gallup

The man behind some of the finest post-punk basslines ever committed to record, Simon Gallup joined The Cure in 1979 and recorded The Dark Trilogy of albums (Seventeen Seconds, Faith and Pornography) before getting into a fist fight with Robert Smith and leaving the band for two years in 1982.

Since his return in 1984 they've been firm friends, something probably aided by his amazing lines on the likes of A Forest and Close To Me.
Posted by Craig at 6:54 AM

The Inside Story Behind The Cure's Dark Trilogy


For many, The Cure of the 1980s was that of smudged lipstick and funny pop songs, but as albums Pornography and Disintegration showed, the reality was much darker...

On paper, at least, the 1980s seemed like a very rosy decade for The Cure. They had countless hit singles, made some great videos, and toured the world to much acclaim. However, if you ask your average man on the street what he thinks of The Cure in the 80s, chances are the songs that will immediately spring to mind are the fun pop of Why Can’t I Be You?, The Love Cats or cheeky teen anthem Let’s Go To Bed. Yet while these were monster chart smashes for Robert Smith and his boys from Crawley, West Sussex, it certainly wasn’t indicative of the material that they were recording at the beginning of the decade. Or at its end.

Read the rest at Team Rock.
Posted by Craig at 6:54 AM

The Guide to Getting into The Cure


Contrary to popular belief, The Cure's music isn't all doom and gloom. The band has a deep and varied catalog.

Being a fan of The Cure requires a little bit of patience and a willingness for devotion. With 13 studio albums, five live albums, ten compilations and singles collections, and nearly 40 singles and EPs, the band has built a daunting discography for newcomers. And that was all achieved before 2009. Though The Cure has continually teased new music since the release of 2008's 4:13 Dream, unless they surprise-release something before the year's end, it'll have been a full decade without new music from the band. Yet in that time, they've still flexed their muscles, headlining major music festivals like Lollapalooza, Coachella, and Riot Fest, as well as playing several nights on their own at Madison Square Garden and Wembley Arena.

A hidden challenge when getting into The Cure is denouncing the stereotypes that have long followed the band. On the surface, a Cure record may come across like a wall-to-wall mope fest, and while there's truth in that, it's not the totality of the band's being. Though it should be obvious from the existence of songs like "Friday I'm in Love," "The Lovecats," or "Doing the Unstuck," there's a joyful giddiness undercutting much of frontman Robert Smith's work. Though his art may skew toward the self-serious—and the fact he resembles a goth grandma doesn't help—there's more to The Cure than what a cursory glance would reveal.

So how does one get into The Cure, a band who has a catalog that's not just vast, but full of worthwhile material? And how does one make sense of a discography that includes everything from goth to pop and post-punk to psych? The only way to understand The Cure is to embrace the twists and turns of their discography, knowing that if one part of their sound doesn't appeal to you, there's another half-dozen that may.

Read the rest at Noisey.
Posted by Craig at 6:53 AM

"The Kings of Goth Rock falling in love?"


The story behind The Cure's 'Just Like Heaven' is featured on episode 95 of Rock Tale Hour.
Posted by Craig at 6:52 AM

10 Best Albums By The Cure to Own on Vinyl


With all their success, it’s still difficult to describe the Cure to the uninitiated. To say ‘goth rock’ is just lazy and wrong. That won’t explain why fans range between moody teenagers, art-school graduates, and middle-aged yuppies, and it won’t explain songs like “The Love Cats.” Like a chameleon, bandleader and founder Robert Smith has taken the band from its post-punk minimalist beginnings to drug-fueled sturm and drang, eccentric synth-filled detours, psychedelic spirals, and dizzying dream pop. Then the band does it again for good measure. They’re rock, goth, punk, pop, and psychedelic disco with a fluid lineup that drops to one or balloons to six. The one constant is the only original member currently in the band: Robert Smith himself. Poet, cartoon, artist, and guitar hero, he’s the French-poetry-reading offspring of Nick Drake, Jimi Hendrix, and Pink Floyd in lipstick.

Dabbling in various bands as a teenager, Smith formed Easy Cure in 1977 in Crawley, England which later changed to the Cure and the lineup was pared down to a three-piece with Smith on guitar, Michael Dempsey on bass, and Lol Tolhurst on drums. Their debut, Three Imaginary Boys (1979) is an uneven affair but there are some gems, just as there are on the next twelve studio albums and the many compilations and live albums. And these gems aren’t necessarily the singles. The non-single album cuts are some of their most defining songs and get the loudest cheers when played at shows. You need to sit down and listen to whole albums to understand that. From claustrophobic nightmares to sweeping dreamscapes, there’s a little something for everyone. A die-hard Cure fan will say you need to own them all but here are 10 albums you really should spend time with.

Read the rest at Vinyl Me Please.
Posted by Craig at 6:52 AM

Pearl's new website and Instagram


Pearl has a new website, A Box of Strange Things, for pins, prints, paintings, and treasures. Also on Instagram.
Posted by Craig at 6:51 AM

Perry is selling some of his guitars

From Perry on Facebook:

"So... I'm selling a few guitars - to make room for new ones!
It's such a shame that the majority of my collection sit in cases, stored away. It's only when you bring them all out together that you remember how nice they are and how so many are charged with special memories.

Over the last couple of days I've been opening cases, dusting off old friends, playing songs related to specific guitars (the black Guild acoustic, for example, still tuned to play "If Only Tonight We Could Sleep") Enjoying a whole sweep of memories and emotions, recalling concerts and studio recordings.
Many of these guitars will stay with me, physically, as I can't part with them. But the rest will always be with me in other ways, having been part of my incredible journey with an amazing band. I shall be playing the ones that stay and they will be hung on the walls instead of left in their cases.

Auctioneers are Gardiner Houlgate. http://www.gardinerhoulgate.co.uk
Catalogue should be up in the next few weeks. Auction day Sept 14th.
Please note: these guitars are left handed!

Ok, to be clear, I have a lot of guitars and I'm just thinning my collection. All the ones that are precious to me are staying! This is not a forced sale, or some form of closure - just making some room! I'll probably buy more before the auction day arrives. (Got my eye on a Custom shop Strat in Daphne blue right now..!) "

Update (July 14th, 2017):

"The auction house needs photos. This has led me to searching through a lot of memorabilia. Hundreds of photos, hand written letters, concert passes (I threw so much away - to my regret!) and other band-related items. What an amazing life.
With this, and the guitars, it's been an unexpectedly emotional experience and it will influence my future choices, in some way, for sure.
And I have to acknowledge your part in this. I admit I started this page purely to advertise the fact I was playing again (briefly, with LAR) but the response and subsequent correspondence with people here has quite overwhelming. After years of being dismissive about my past career - something caused by a denial of deep wounding - I now embrace it with pride and joy.
I have a lot of you here to thank for that.
Have a great weekend!"

So wonderful to read this! We all love you, Perry! Don't you ever forget that. And you were always so kind and helpful to all of the fans. We will always remember and be so thankful for all you gave to us. Onstage and off. Cheers!

Update (Nov. 16th, 2017):  Here's a listing of what all of the guitars sold for.
Posted by Craig at 6:51 AM

Andy Anderson at BBC Essex


Posted by Craig at 6:51 AM

'Cured' US paperback edition out now


Posted by Craig at 6:51 AM

'Cured' Memoir of The Cure Goes Sky High, Hits Rock Bottom, Finds Perfect Equilibrium


The rock 'n' roll memoir is not a genre typically known for its subtlety. The most popular memoirs tend to revel in the sex and the drugs and the ridiculousness of a given time in a band's life, anecdote after anecdote forcing the reader to wonder at the marvel of the human body's ability to survive horrendous and constant abuse. Despite the presence of these elements in Lol Tolhurst's memoir of the first ten years or so of The Cure, they are not the focus. Tolhurst is not interested in reveling in the excesses of the past; rather, he is shamed by them. By shifting the focus from what happened to who it happened to, Tolhurst crafts a memoir that is actually refreshing in its honesty and satisfying in its resolution.

The book is called Cured: The Tale of Two Imaginary Boys. The "imaginary boys" of the title are, of course, Tolhurst himself and Robert Smith, force of nature and frontman for The Cure. The book hinges on Tolhurst and Smith's relationship with one another, and how.

Read the rest at PopMatters.
Posted by Craig at 6:51 AM

Metro interview with Lol

Montreal's Metro has a new interview with Lol.
Posted by Craig at 6:50 AM

Lol on The Hustle podcast

Posted by Craig at 6:49 AM

Lol wrote some music for a documentary


Posted by Craig at 6:48 AM

Reeves with Billy Howerdel

From Reeves on Instagram - Reeves with Billy Howerdel from A Perfect Circle in Albany, NY on Nov. 11th, 2017
Posted by Craig at 6:45 AM

Cure won the BBC 6 Music Goth Cup




Posted by Craig at 6:40 AM

Legendärer Konzertfilm: „The Cure In Orange“ wird 30


Rolling Stone Germany takes a look back at The Cure In Orange.
Posted by Craig at 6:39 AM

Ghouls Don’t Cry: CONTACT preview their Halloween set as The Cure


Chalk this one up to the mighty Ian Camfield.

A few weeks back, when CONTACT released their infectious new single “Gravekeeper,” the legendary British radio host/producer, now holding it down in the desert at ALT AZ, dropped a quote that stopped us cold. “With their dark lyrics and illuminating melodies, CONTACT have the sound and ability to be this generation’s The Cure,” Camfield stated.

High praise, of course, and probably a bit unfair to the Boston trio.

But it got us thinking: CONTACT’s knack for melody and brooding lyrical tone are certainly from Robert Smith’s darkened pop galaxy, so what if we heard the iconic music of The Cure filtered through the CONTACT lens? With that, we asked them to take part in this year’s HaloVVeen show, Tuesday (October 31) at Hojoko in Boston, and the lads agreed.

“When we were asked to play this show as The Cure originally we had some trepidation as we are trying to finish a record and work on our own songs,” says CONTACT frontman Matt Rhoades. “However, I am so stoked we decided to do this as it has helped me look at my songs a little differently. We all studied The Cure songs and definitely are looking at their structures, synths, and chord progressions in a new way.”

Read the rest at Vanyaland.
Posted by Craig at 6:35 AM
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)