The Cure at Frequency Festival 2012

Setlist: Tape/Open, High, The End of the World, Lovesong, Sleep When I'm Dead, Push, Inbetween Days, Just Like Heaven, Bananafishbones, Pictures of You, Lullaby, The Caterpillar, The Walk, Friday I'm in Love, Doing the Unstuck, Trust, From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea, Play For Today, A Forest, Primary, Want, The Hungry Ghost, Wrong Number, One Hundred Years, End

Encore: The Lovecats, Close To Me, Let's Go To Bed, Why Can't I Be You?, Boys Don't Cry.

Huge thank you to Jorg for the setlist & reports, and to Olivier for the same. It would not be a Cure tour without at least one show update from Olivier. :)

Video: Open / High / The End of the World / Lovesong 1 - 2 - 3 / Sleep When I'm Dead / Push 1 - 2 / Inbetween Days 1 - 2 / Just Like Heaven 1 - 2 / Bananafishbones / Pictures of You 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 / Lullaby 1 - 2 / The Caterpillar / The Walk 1 - 2 / Friday I'm in Love 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 / Doing the Unstuck / Trust 1 - 2 / From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea 1 - 2 / Play For Today / A Forest 1 - 2 - 3 / Primary 1 - 2 / Want 1 - 2 / The Hungry Ghost 1 - 2 - 3 / Wrong Number 1 - 2 / One Hundred Years / End 1 - 2 / The Lovecats 1 - 2 / Close To Me 1 - 2 / Let's Go To Bed / Why Can't I Be You? 1 - 2 / Boys Don't Cry 1 - 2 - 3

Photos: Marsworld / Luca / Fran Fiorini / Olivier / Balati (1 - 2 - 3) / Christopher Johnson / Gabor (1 - 2 - 3 - 4)

Reviews: Vienna Online (with a brief interview) (English) / Webnoviny (English) / Kleine Zeitung (English) / derStandard (English) / Nachrichten (English) / FM4 (English) / NOE ORF (English)

Dream Tour necklace for sale

"I have a Dream Tour rose pendant necklace for sale on E-Bay if anyone is interested. As of now, it is the least expensive one listed." (Thanks -R-)

Anyone get their Secret 7" prize?

From Ville: "I am one of the secret 7" winners that the Cure picked. I still haven't got my copy of the record and i'm not getting any answer from the authors, i was wondering have you heard anyone has gotten their copies? I wonder what's the delay?"

Well that was quick. Here's a reply straight from @Secret7s: "They won't have yet, they will do soon. They should be back from Robert any day now."

The Cure and the Story of the Alternative 80s

New magazine special out on Aug. 17th. You can pre-order it here. (Thanks Andy)

Update (Aug. 17th, 2012): Out today. Perfect.Murder says "130 pages, 7 on The Cure. The rest is too gothic for my liking." :) He also sends some photos of the Cure article.

Cure in Glasgow 84 on Austrian TV

"Austrian television ORFIII shows Cure live in Barrowlands 1984 tomorrow 04:55-05:55 am in their Day Of Rock special."
(Thanks Andreas)

Cure Albums From Worst to Best

Stereogum has posted their countdown of Cure albums from worst to best. (Thanks @DebiDelGrande and @thequeenofsiam)

Here's their list: #13 - 'Wild Mood Swings', #12 - 'The Cure', #11 - '4:13 Dream', #10 - 'Bloodflowers', #9 - 'The Top', #8 - 'Seventeen Seconds', #7 - 'Three Imaginary Boys', #6 - 'Wish', #5 - 'Faith', #4 - 'The Head on the Door', #3 - 'Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me', #2 - 'Pornography', and...

#1 - 'Disintegration': "You feel everything Smith feels -- the vague dissatisfaction of searching for a perfect moment that doesn't even exist -- but it doesn't matter because you can't help but move. Life may not live up to our expectations, but albums like this make it worth living. Nothing compares to Disintegration, and nothing ever will."

NME's Most Exciting Live Acts Ever poll

Think The Cure are one of the Most Exciting Live Acts Ever? If so, vote for them here. (Thanks @AaronLaw92)
Update: The Cure came in at #15.

And 'Friday I'm in Love' is #3 on their 50 Most Uplifting Songs Ever list. (Thanks Pom)

Robert Smith "If Only..."

Photo of Robert at Vieilles Charrues 2012 by Robin-Photo. (Thanks Eric)

Ariel Pink on Robert Smith

Ariel Pink (@menopausemen) talks to NME about his supernatural bond with Robert Smith.
(Thanks Perfect.Murder)

More Cure at Vieilles Charrues videos

Arte Live Web has finally posted the 6 videos that Robert picked for broadcast. Happy that he picked 6 that weren't included in the original webcast.
(Thanks Olivier, Joy, and @guillaumegrivaz)

Update (Aug. 9th, 2012): Posted on The Cure's Facebook last night (I assume this was written by Robert?): ""EXPERIENCE THE WONDER THAT IS JASON AND THE CUREONAUTS - SIX LIVE SONGS FROM THE 120720 VIEILLES CHARRUES FESTIVAL - http://liveweb.arte.tv/fr/video/The_Cure_Vieilles_Charrues/ - WOW!!!" (Thanks @HaloCure13)

Robert on 'Crystal Castles'

From the NME 60th anniversary special issue (and this is apparently the only Cure content in the entire thing) - Robert Smith talks about 'Crystal Castles' by Crystal Castles.
(Thanks Perfect.Murder)

Cure at Primavera review in Rolling Stone

Nice review from the Aug. 16th, 2012 issue of Rolling Stone. And I think all of us can agree with the "Here's hoping The Cure bring this show stateside sometime soon" bit. (Thanks Jaimie)

Close Encounters Brazil 1987

"As another fan told us about his 25th year of his first Cure Concert, I am sending pictures of mine in March 1987.

Here is a picture of my first close encounter with them. This picture was published in our local newspaper back then, and I remember as if it happened yesterday.

I went with a couple of friends to the airport, but did not get in touch with the band. So, we ran to the best hotel in town. When we got there, the band was heading in to the hall, with tons of fans and press right behind them. I managed to pass them by the side, and got in front of Robert.

This is the exact moment were i am turning around and asking him for an autograph! You can imagine how happy i was!!! Even more meeting them almost 25 years after in Milan this year!!

I still got them, with the signature of the rest of the band!

Here are some pictures taken from the first Cure performances in Brazil, in Porto Alegre, March 1987. I bought them from a local newspaper." (Thanks Luciano)

Cure pub in Seoul, South Korea

"Have you ever heard about this? It's a huge pub in Seoul (Hongdae) called "The Cure" with pictures and posters of the band (and of a few other British bands) all over the place and on TV screens. The place looks insane! Look at the Gallery here, more pictures here." (Thanks Olivier)

Rob da Bank on 'Disintegration'

Rob da Bank spoke to Q Magazine about how he discovered The Cure and his love for 'Disintegration'. (Thanks Aaron)

Clash of the Titans: The Cure vs Radiohead Live

The Quietus went to Bilbao BBK Live, and takes a look at who had the better set between The Cure and Radiohead.
(Thanks Mike and Darrell)

Roger & Adam's Requiem DVD

From Roger on Facebook: "Brief news update; the Requiem DVD should be available for order from August 1st. It won't be numbered but will include Day and Night the two extra pieces of music Adam and I wrote for before and after the performance. I think its going to be £15 inc p+p but may be less.."

Update (Aug. 4th, 2012): The DVD is up for pre-ordering. Will ship out on Sept. 1st.

Perry update

More of a Perryspotting, but there's this from a profile of Perry's wife Donna: "And there aren't many amateur jockeys who are married to rock stars. Donna's partner is Perry Bamonte, formerly of Goth band The Cure, who until he met Donna four years ago was enjoying some quiet seclusion. "No one knew who he was," said Donna. "There was even a rumour a devil worshipper had moved in to the house! Once we got together, then everyone knew who he was. He says I made him famous!"
(Thanks @CrimsonTonight)

Robert Smith interview with The Word

I was asked to wait until 2 weeks after publication to post this, and now that the time is up, here's the complete Word interview with Robert. Might still find a copy on newsstands, and also available on iPad.
(Thanks Perfect.Murder)

Rob Fitzpatrick goes on the road with Robert Smith and The Cure

Robert Smith, Cure keyboard-player Roger O’Donnell and I are in a black van – the sort of multi-seat box soccer “moms” ferry their offspring around in – rolling down a motorway somewhere between Zurich and the small southern German town of Singen. It is early evening and the sun warms the lush green hills that surround us.

Smith and I are having a beer while O’Donnell tells us about touring America with The Thompson Twins in support to The Police somewhere in the long-lost mid-’80s. We’re pulling up to a junction when Smith tells me how The Cure were playing in Moscow a week or so ago and everywhere they went there were posters for an upcoming show by Sting. “Unfortunately they’d written his name in Cyrillic script,” he says, chucking a peanut in his mouth. “And that’s how I know Sting in Russian is spelled C, U, M, T.” We laugh out loud and take another drink and let the light play on our sunglasses, and I think to myself, could there be any nicer way to spend Saturday evening?

Porl Thompson amp for sale

"Here is another Porl item for sale. Its one of his amps that sold on auction recently (lot #10). This one sold for 140 pounds and is now up for about 800." (Thanks Leo)