Roger at WGT Festival tonight

Roger O'Donnell, mega-goth that he is : ), plays the Wave Gotik Treffen festival in Leipzig, Germany tonight at 6pm in the Central Theater.

From Roger on Twitter: "Best show of my solo career tonight in Leipzig incredible venue amazing audience. Finally I played like I know I can Danke!"

Update: Here's an interview (English translation here) Roger did while at the festival. (Thanks Schneeflocke)

And a bit of clarification from Roger: "Well if you can make any sense of that you are a better man than I! It wasnt an interview it was a conversation but his pass did say PRESS so I should have known better... and nobody fell asleep. Im not sure how a secret album would work? and no its nonsense!"

Update 2: Some photos from the show.

'Reflections' thoughts from Lol & Roger

From Lol on Facebook: "Finally jet lag free! Just beginning to process the extraordinary events of the last few weeks. A wonderful and emotionally uplifting experience for me. Life is a beautiful journey and as Joe Strummer said "the future is unwritten "

Roger's reply: "It was a privilege and a joy to be a part of this experience with you Lol.. To hear the old stories, relive some old memories and most of all just enjoy the moment. Heres to writing some future together again..." (Thanks Carnage Visors)

Rear View Mirror: 'Close to Me'

'Close to Me', and its various versions, was featured on CBC Radio 2's Rear View Mirror yesterday. (Thanks Greg)

Reflections reviews

Update: Couple of new reviews posted - Seattle PI (via Blogcritics) and Le Parisien (English translation).
(Thanks David, Mauro, and ML68)

Tim had asked me to set up a Reviews post for the shows, so here it is. If you went to the shows, we'd love to hear your reviews, stories, tales of adventures & misadventures, and everything about your trip. Thanks!

Roger returns

More incredible video from Fuji. You know I had to post this one on the page. For me, the happiest Cure moment in at least 6 years. Thank you for capturing it, Fuji! And thank you to Robert for asking, and to Roger for saying yes. : )

Roger playing tonight

From Roger: "Tonight Temple Pier London Bar & co Ship Of Fools me and Jo Quail best show in town be there or forever remain Square!"

Update: From Cure1980 - "Roger was excellent and finished off with a homage to 'All Cats are Grey'". Some photos from the show. And some from Vicky, too.
(Thanks Vicky, JC/Perfect.Murder & Cure1980)

And from Roger: "Perfect way to end a perfect week... Thank you to everyone who has been there with me in person in spirit."

Close Encounters in Sydney

JC/Perfect.Murder with Robert at Heathrow airport in London, after the trip home from Sydney. (Thanks JC!)

More fan photos and stories posted here.

Update: Added Heron's and Suzie's photos with Simon.

'All Cats Are Grey' - Reflections Night 2

Another great video from Fujifezz! Doesn't matter, Lol, we love you! : ) And watch Fuji's 'Charlotte Sometimes', 'Primary', 'Holy Hour', 'Weedy Burton', and 'In Your House' clips, too.

Canyons Cure collaboration canned

Mess & Noise says Robert's proposed collaboration with Canyons won't be happening.

Reflections June 1st videos

Some excellent clips from night 2 - Three (Happy Birthday) & The Final Sound / Doubt / Plastic Passion / Descent / Splintered in Her Head. (Thank you so much, Anonymous. Great job, as always!)

And if you missed the Anonymous videos from night 1, here's Secrets & It's Not You.

Reflections audio

May 31st audio (sound rated at B+) posted at Fan Made Recordings. As always, if there's a problem with posting this, just let me know and this post will vanish. (Thanks Grinderman)

Update: And here's June 1st. (Thanks Grinderman)

The Cure - 'Reflections' Night 2

Setlist & notes moved here.

Audio: Fan Made Recordings (Thanks Grinderman)

Videos
Three Imaginary Boys - Pre-show audience/music / 10:15 Saturday Night 1 - 2 - 3 / Accuracy / Another Day 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 / Object 1 - 2 - 3 / Subway Song / Foxy Lady 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 / So What 1 - 2 / It's Not You 1 - 2 / Three Imaginary Boys / 3IB & Weedy Burton 1 - 2 / Weedy Burton 1 - 2 - 3 - 4

Seventeen Seconds - A Reflection 1 - 2 - 3 / A Reflection & Play For Today / In Your House 1 - 2 / Three (Happy Birthday Simon) 1 - 2 / Three (Happy Birthday) & The Final Sound / A Forest 1 - 2 - 3 / M / At Night 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 / Seventeen Seconds

Faith - Holy Hour 1 - 2 / Primary 1 - 2 / Other Voices 1 - 2 / All Cats Are Grey 1 - 2 / Drowning Man / Doubt / Faith 1 - 2

Encores - "A long walk back from 1981" / World War 1 - 2 / I'm Cold 1 - 2 - 3 / Plastic Passion 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 / Boys Don't Cry / Killing Another / Jumping Someone Else's Train & Another Journey By Train / Descent 1 - 2 - 3 / Splintered in Her Head 1 - 2 - 3 / Lovecats

Reviews: Clarin (English translation) / The Australian

Photos: Heron / Faster Louder / Remo / Happy Birthday Simon banner / 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5

Thanks again to Olivier and Bill for the updates!

The Cure - 'Reflections' Night 1

Robert & Roger at soundcheck (Thanks Anonymous)

Setlist & notes moved here.

From Roger: "Last night was incredible, thanks to everyone there and everyone not there... I felt like crying half way through A Reflection... Incredible.."

Photos of the stage setlists for Faith and the encores.
(Thanks Kelbel and Tim)

Audio: Fan Made Recordings (Thanks Grinderman)

Videos
Three Imaginary Boys: Pre-show audience / 10:15 Saturday Night / Grinding Halt / Subway Song 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 / Meathook / It's Not You

Seventeen Seconds: Play For Today / Secrets 1 (great!) - 2 / In Your House / Three 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 / A Forest 1 - 2 - 3 / M / At Night 1 - 2

Faith: Other Voices / All Cats Are Grey 1 - 2 / Funeral Party 1 - 2 / Doubt / Faith

Encores: World War / Boys Don't Cry 1 - 2 - 3 / Another Journey By Train / Descent 1 - 2 - 3 / Splintered in Her Head 1 - 2 - 3 / Charlotte Sometimes 1 (great video!) - 2 / Hanging Garden 1 - 2 - 3 / The Walk / The Lovecats 1 - 2 - 3 - 4

Reviews: South Sydney Herald / Mess & Noise / Faster Louder / NME / Spin / The Vine / Time Out Sydney / Triple M / New Zealand Herald / Daily Telegraph / Yahoo Maximum Performance / Sydney Morning Herald

Photos: Heron / April / Debi / Spiggy / AOL Music / Olivier / Pru / Faster Louder / Radio Alice / Vivid Live / The Advocate / Getty Images / The Vine / WireImage / Triple M / Sydney Morning Herald / The Music Network / Olivier / Others - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11

Happy Birthday, Simon!

A very Happy Birthday and Best Wishes to the eternally youthful Simon Gallup! Hope you had a great day and have an even better night! Cheers to you, Simon!

Cure Reflections gear report

Great report from Greg, about the gear the band used last night:

Observed from row 6 (J) of the stalls.

Robert:
- 3 Jazzmasters (1 sunburst for 3IB and associated encore songs, 1 white for 17S, 1 black for Faith and associated encores) Each guitar has an 'M' sticker on it. None have matching headstocks or 3rd 'Top 20' pickup. They all looked pretty pristine so maybe newly purchased?
- 1 Fender Bass VI black with matching headstock (looks like the one used in Trilogy with fewer stickers on it now)
- 1 red 2ble cutaway epiphone for JW encores (suspect this is the guitar he bought to record Lovecats with, and I believe is seen during this song in Cure in Japan 84 video but it's been awhile since I watched that)

2x Roland JC-120 amps for guitars and one for Bass VI. Usual array of Boss pedals. Guitar sounds were all wonderfully authentic unsurprisingly.

Simon:
- 2 Guild basses just like Michael Dempsey's. Very nice touch! 1 walnut w/ black pickguard which he used for all 3IB associated material and a black one for backup.
- 2 Fender Precision basses both black with black pickguards and maple necks. Almost certainly the original ones. The backup one had a white pickup cover.
- 2 Gibson Tbirds (his usual black one and a sunburst one for backup). Used for JW encores only.

2x Ampeg SVT heads and 2x Ampeg 4x10 cabinets instead of his usual 2x 8x10 cabinets. The bass was huge and full and rich sounding all night particularly with the Guild and Fender basses interestingly.

Boss pedals.

Roger & Lol:
Each had only a single keyboard rather than the double keyboard setup the Cure have used since 85. Manufacturer and model taped over, maybe Roland D50? Either way the sounds were all very authentic and MIDI from some ext source no doubt. Particularly impressive were the sounds Roger played during a Reflection, Secrets and The Final Sound. Both main keyboard rigs were placed in line with the guitar backline so set back from the guitarists for Faith although Roger had another keyboard setup inline with Robert and Simon for all of 17S which then was removed after that set.
(Update from Roger: "we were playing Kurzweil PC2xs and no midi all internal sounds that I programmed! Very difficult but what Robert wanted, some of the sounds were closer to the originals than ever!")

Hope this is interesting to technically minded COF readers! (Thanks Greg!)

Cure fan meet up & birthday plans

Simon/Friends & Family of Simon, stop reading now. : )

From Heron: "There's another CoF/Cure meetup at the Opera Bar again today starting at 4:30 pm. I have another banner blank that will say Happy Birthday Simon. Cure fans are welcome

to stop by and sign it - it will be given to him after the show."

And from Junko: "Please join in singing Happy Birthday to Simon. Start singing the moment Simon steps back on stage at the 1st encore! The more who join in, the better chance we'll all be heard!"

Show him the love, guys. He, and every one of them, deserves it!

Reflections tickets for sale

Have extra tickets for sale at face value? Email me or post details in the comments and I'll post them on the Tickets page for you.

The Cure have arrived in Sydney!

May 30th (9:47 PM): Last minute ticket info from Xuan - "I went to the Opera house booth and asked if some tickets would possibly released. He said often, they still hold a couple of seats and release them during the day or possibly right before the show. So for anyone who is in Sydney, any hopes of getting tickets is to keep checking the front booth (dread). If the answer is it's still sold out, then come back again (rinse repeat)."

May 30th (9:05 PM): Heron has just told me that they are doing a fan meet up (fans meeting up with other fans, not The Cure) at the SOH Opera Bar at 4:30pm. If you go, have fun!

May 30th (9:00 PM): Expect some great Cure Reflections photos here.

May 30th (8:17 PM): From The West Australian & 3 News - Lol Tolhurst rejoins The Cure for Sydney gigs.

May 30th (8:05 PM): Just in case you want to watch some live cams around the SOH - Cam 1 & Cam 2.


May 30th (9:21 AM): Grinderman sends a photo of The Cure rehearsing for the show! Photo by anonymous.

May 30th (9:06 AM): Ben sends in a 'Reflections' ad from Rave magazine.

May 30th (12:26 AM): Olivier sends photos of Cure Reflections tickets, both SOH & Ticketmaster versions. He will also be posting thoughts, photos, etc. from the Sydney trip here. For those without Facebook, he has also given me permission to post his stuff here on CoF, so no worries.

May 30th (12:01 AM): Stephen Pavlovic talks to The Music Network about getting The Cure for Vivid.

May 29th (8:01 AM): Antti sends some photos of Vivid posters from around Sydney. Also, you can watch a live video feed (each night) of the light display on the sails of the SOH here.

May 28th (11:35 PM): From Lol on Facebook - "Great to be In Australia again ! Haven't been here in a long while! Getting ready for the "Reflections" shows. Really looking forward to this."

May 28th (7:46 PM): Qiong sends a couple of photos from the Sydney Morning Herald's Spectrum Vivid guide.

May 28th (11:32 AM): Qiong also got Robert, Simon and Lol to sign a vinyl copy of 'Faith' at the Sydney airport. More details posted here.

May 28th (8:33 AM): Here's a photo that Qiong took with Robert at Sydney airport and another brief clip of Robert in the airport.

May 28th (8:16 AM): From April - "Christina and I were walking near the opera house when we almost literally bumped into Simon, Jason, Keith and Jeremy. We were too shy to say anything but tailed them for a bit and then lost them ...i think they were onto us!"

Original post - May 27th (5:51 PM): The Cure have made it safely to Sydney, all systems are go, and Qiong gives us a report:

"I've been very lucky to catch up with the band this morning @ Sydney Airport. The band are in great shape although Roger complained the flight was too long.

Robert seems a lot slimmer than ever, seriously. Looks so much better. When he stepped out, the first spot of him made me think of his late 80s, rejuvenated ahhhh?? which is an awesome sign !!!

I've attached a far shot of Robert leaving in the van from Sydney Airport Parking lot.

I also uploaded a video I took this morning when Robert was stepping out the terminal." (Thanks Qiong)

Ticketmaster pickup reminder

"Just in case I am not the only one who didn't read the ticket confirmation details properly, if you purchased your tickets through Ticketmaster and selected the 'pick-up' option - remember that the pick up is from Ticketmaster - not the SOH. The closest one to the venue is at the State Theatre on the corner of Market and Pitt St... happy travels everyone!"
(Thanks robsmithslipstick)

Update: Actually, you should check your email confirmation/invoice and see where you're supposed to pick yours up. Some will have selected Will Call/Venue Pickup at the SOH, others might have selected a TM retail outlet.

'Reflections' general planning/discussion

This topic will be for general planning, discussion, and requests (except tickets) for the 'Reflections' shows. Who needs what and who can help? Want to plan a fan meet up, ask for help in Sydney, look for a ride to the show, or someone to share a room with? This is the place. Let's help make this the best fan experience ever.