Musical Encounter with The Cure on May 29th!

We just locked in a very special and secret LIVE 105 show with one of the greatest bands ever..THE CURE! details this Friday at 3PM @LIVE105
— aaron axelsen (@AaronAxelsen) May 21, 2014

From Live105 on Instagram: "hit up http://LIVE105.com this weekend to enter for chance to get into a SECRET SHOW with THE CURE."

Articles about this: Slicing Up Eyeballs / Post-Punk 

Update (05/22/14): @AaronAxelsen just confirmed that the secret show will be next Thursday, May 29th. And he says it will be an "intimate" show.

Update (05/23/14 1:37pm): LIVE105 just said the Secret Show will be a private BottleRock rehearsal only open to 7 people. 7! Win tickets from them starting at 3pm today. Yeah, good luck with that!

It needs to be stressed that this is NOT going to be a "secret show". As in a full Cure show. Think soundcheck level type of show.  Live105 messed that announcement up. Still, will be nice to attend it.

And here are the details.

Riot Fest updates

For those of you going to the Denver Riot, they've posted shuttle info for you. You can take it from Denver, Boulder, or Fort Collins.

For those headed to the Chicago Riot, they've posted info on locker rentals.

They've also posted hotel info for all Riots, but unless I'm missing something, it's just Booking.com links, no special discounts or packages.

Cure were a last minute addition to BottleRock

From the Napa Valley Register:

"Graham said the tipping point for the festival came at a meeting with a Los Angeles-based William Morris music executive named Marc Geiger.

“We flew down there, and we told him our story,” said Graham. “Who we were. Our intentions. Our background.” In the end, “He let us give them our money,” said Graham with a laugh.

The producers ended up booking all-important headliners Outkast and Eric Church through Geiger, Graham said.

The Cure was a last-minute, but “much welcomed,” addition, and just in time to announce the entire lineup, he said."

New Cure ink

Melanie G.'s tattoo

Added new tattoos from Hayley Jane and Melanie G. to the Cure Tattoo Gallery.

'Fantastic Guitars' from Reeves & Bill Nelson

From Reverend Guitars on Facebook: "Reeves Gabrels has an album coming out with Bill Nelson, called Fantastic Guitars!"

'Sugar Girl' in 'The Wait'

This should be in Curespottings, but was too good to just post it there. I watched a movie called 'The Wait' last night, and what happens out of the blue? Chloe Sevigny puts on The Cure's 'Sugar Girl'! Plays almost the entire song. Loved it! It's on Netflix streaming, so if you want to watch it, it starts at 31:25 or watch most of the scene here. See Chloe Sevigny & Jena Malone dance to 'Sugar Girl'. :)

Is 'Just Like Heaven' The Cure's best song?

From Music Times:
7 Artists Whose Best Song Isn't On Their Best Album
6. The Cure - "Just Like Heaven" (1987)
It might be a little lame and unoriginal to think that a band's most popular song is its best, but the Cure's "Just Like Heaven" is truly a tour de force of pop songwriting. Unfortunately, the rest of the songs on Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me don't even come close to reaching the same heights. The albums released before and after it, The Head on the Door and Disintegration, are the band's two best. (Thanks Perfect.Murder)

'The Figurehead' (karaoke version)

Have you been waiting & hoping for a karaoke version of 'The Figurehead'? Well today is your lucky day. Someone has created what nobody really wanted. :) (Thanks Christian)

BottleRock schedule posted

The set times have been posted. The Cure get 2 & 1/2 hours! Will play from 7:30 - 10pm on the Toshiba stage.

XFM's 15 Greatest Double Albums

From XFM:
The Cure - Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me (1987)
Decamping from London to the South of France, Robert Smith and co had such a good time in the studio, they came out with this 18-track double set that ranges from the screeching wah-wah rock of opening track The Kiss to the sweet pop of Catch and Just Like Heaven. (Thanks Andy G.)

'Shake Dog Shake' (Multicam) at RAH

From Francois: Multicam version of The Cure - Shake Dog Shake at Royal Albert Hall (March 28th & 29th)

NME calls 'The Cure' a "classic indie album"

From the strange little world of NME:
15 Classic Indie Albums That Turn 10 In 2014
The Cure released their self-titled record in 2004, dogged by rumours that it would be their last. This was not to be the case, but what ensued was still ‘heavier, more menacing and more rhythmic than ever’ according to NME’s Rob Fitzpatrick. Perfectly befitting of the albums artwork, designed to represent ‘a good and a bad dream’. Luckily what laid inside was no nightmare, earning 8/10. (Thanks Andy)

15 Classic Indie Albums That Turn 10 In 2014
Read more at http://www.nme.com/photos/15-classic-indie-albums-that-turn-10-in-2014/338978/1/1#ch9Fjy6yBYRpoBEO.99

15 Classic Indie Albums That Turn 10 In 2014
Read more at http://www.nme.com/photos/15-classic-indie-albums-that-turn-10-in-2014/338978/1/1#ch9Fjy6yBYRpoBEO.99

Cure to play Riot Fest Toronto, Chicago, Denver

The Cure will be playing Riot Fest in Toronto (Sept. 6th - 7th), Chicago (Sept. 12th - 14th), and Denver (Sept. 19th - 21st). Tickets on sale now - Toronto / Chicago / Denver.

The limited number of cheaper 3 day passes went fast! Prices keep rising. Toronto is now $180, Chicago is $180, Denver is $160.

Will there be single day passes? Last year, there were. For Chicago, they didn't go on sale until late July, when they announced the daily lineup. They were $60 each day. No guarantees for this year, but it seems likely.

The much more important question? Will there be some Cure solo shows between each weekend of these festivals? They did it last year for ACL, so fingers crossed for some more this year.

Info now posted on the official site.

Articles about this: Loudwire / Huffington Post / Colorado Springs Independent / MXDWN / AntiMusic / Billboard / Music Times / Illinois Entertainer / Death and Taxes / Stereogum / 303 Magazine / Vanyaland 1 - 2 / Colorado Daily / Chicago Reader / Tico Times / Slicing Up Eyeballs / USA Today / The DePaulia / Under The Gun Review / Chicagoist 1 - 2 / Westword / Reverb / Chicago Sun-Times / Exclaim / Gapers Block / Chicago Tribune / Red Eye Chicago / Rolling Stone / Consequence of Sound / Pitchfork / Alternative Press

Update (05/15/14):  They've just announced 10 Years, 10 Essential Albums Played Live for Denver & Chicago. 10 bands playing their essential albums in their entirety. 9 bands announced, 1 left. How about The Cure doing 'Pornography'? It would certainly fit the spirit of the festival. Just wishful thinking right now.

EP-iphanies: “Just Like Heaven” U.K. 12″

The Analog Kid takes a look at the 'Just Like Heaven' UK 12" single in his latest EP-iphanies post. (Thanks Gary)

Rumor: 3 shows in Italy this September?

In this article, Italian band Spiral69 claim The Cure will play 3 shows in Italy this September, and they will open for them. Needless to say, nothing more than a rumor at this time.

Richard, you will open the concerts of The Cure? How does it feel?
"It 's one of those things that never quite realized - says the founder and lead singer of the group -. Robert Smith (historical leader of the British band, ed) a year ago I wrote an e-mail announcing exciting too the next tour Cure: The group will be in Italy in September to three dates and we should play before them. There are only the latest confirmations. " (Thanks Max)

Update (03/30/14): With Robert's comments about shows in late September, maybe there's some truth to this?

Update (04/14/14): New article in Rolling Stone Italy. No news on these supposed shows they say are happening. (Thanks @Pjotrke)

Update (05/08/14): "Spiral 69 says 'news very soon' on their FB when asking them about their support gigs of The Cure. So more announcements soonish." (Thanks @Pjotrke)

Update (05/14/14): Spiral69 now says "Cherry, vedrai che non si fermano agli States e se non sarà Settembre, sarà Ottobre." So they are saying that if the shows don't happen in September, they will happen in October. Really hope they're not misleading fans about this. (Thanks fmjews)

Classic Album Sundays - 'Disintegration'

From Classic Album Sundays:

Robert Smith tried on several occasions to ‘break up the band’ but one can surmise he was quite serious this time around as the name of their eighth album attests. Somehow in the face of much adversity and despite their record label calling their double platter effort ‘commercial suicide’, ‘Disintegration’ remains their best-selling album to this day.

Join us to first listen to music that either inspired or was relevant to this LP such as Siouxsie and the Banshees, Cocteau Twins and Joy Division followed by the story of the album. Then the lights go down, the volume goes up and we play the album from beginning to end on vinyl on our audiophile hi-fi. Listening guidelines apply. And fear not, as it is a double album, we will be taking an intermission between Sides B & C!

London
Sunday, 8 June, 5 to 8 pm
The Hanbury Arms, 33 Linton Street, London N1 7DU
Tickets: £10 on the door and £8 + service charge here
Presenter: Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy

New York City
Sunday, June 8th, 4 – 7:30 pm
Baby’s All Right, 146 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Tickets: $10 on the door and $10 + service charge here
Presenter: Ron Like Hell
(Thanks @maccatori)

Perry on Polaroid Kiss' 'Walk The Room' 2

After a number of delays, it looks like the Polaroid Kiss album, 'Weakness of the Beautiful Souls', will be released by Rough Trade Records this year. Before that, 'Pay Your Dues' will be released as a single on June 17th, and one of the b-sides will be 'Walk the Room' 2, which features "additional guitar by Perry Bamonte" and vocals from Steve Kilbey of The Church. (Thanks ml68)

Also on Soundcloud.

Update (05/12/14): I asked Polaroid Kiss about other tracks Perry plays on, and here's the reply - "Perry appears on 3 album tracks. No other B-Sides. PS. Perry Bamonte recorded all of his contributions in Bath, UK with Paul Corkett co-producer of the 'Cure' album 'Bloodflowers'."

"Perry Bamonte also features in 'Pay Your Dues', in particular the guitar solo during the outro."

Happy 35th to 'Three Imaginary Boys'!

#3IB of #TheCure is 35 years old today. Very 1st copies of the album were sold with postcard & badge @CraigatCoF pic.twitter.com/Uf2xgAx1ku
— Guillaume G_z (@guillaume_g_z) May 8, 2014

'However Far Away'

From Victor D. Infante at the Worcester Telegram:

'However far away': Revisiting The Cure's 'Disintegration'

"'I think it's dark and it looks like rain' you said
'and the wind is blowing like it's the end of the
world' you said 'and it's so cold it's like the
cold if you were dead' and then you smiled for
a second. — The Cure, "Plainsong"

"Plainsong," the opening number on The Cure's seminal album, "Disintegration," rolls along slowly like fog. The song's in no hurry. It's about two minutes and 40 seconds until the vocals appear, and when they do, they're more spoken than sung, finding a strange, muffled middle ground between the two. It's an almost alienating way to begin the album. The gloom informs everything that comes afterward. It soaks into your skin, sticks to your ribs.

And it's utterly rewarding.

"Disintegration," released 25 years ago last week, was a dangerous album for a melancholic 17-year-old to discover. It was entirely too easy to sink into its operatic heartbreak and multilayered sense of loneliness, the Sturm und Drang of adolescent romance, that awkward moment where love inevitably slipped through your fingers like water, leaving behind a bitter "almost."

'Beautiful Noise' Kickstarter campaign

Kickstarter campaign started for the 'Beautiful Noise' shoegazing documentary (with a Robert Smith interview) that's been in the works for the past 8 years. We've been following this for over 4 years now, and you can read some of Eric's  previous updates here.  There's also a post about it on The Cure's Facebook. (Thanks John, Keith, and @Pjotrke)


Update: Only a few days left to help get this funded. They've added this clip of Robert talking about the Cocteau Twins. (Thanks Laurent)

Update: The project has reached it's goal and will be funded! Congratulations to all involved, and to all who contributed! (Thanks Shawn)

Update (05/22/13): Eric finally posted an update last week.

Update (02/26/14): Looks like we are finally getting close to a release! From their Facebook - "Good news everyone, we are finalizing the end credits now and prepping for final post. So, if you are a Kickstarter supporter who pledged for a credit in the film, please make sure to respond to our email thru Kickstarter and verify your name by Friday the 28th. More news to come soon!"

Update (05/01/14): The latest - "Just a quick note to let you all know the progress on the film.  The music clearances are finally done and with that 15 month odyssey behind us we can happily move forward towards the release. The documentary is now being mixed on the sound stage and we are preparing for a summer 2014 festival release. 
Kickstarter rewards will go out after the festivals, during the home video release stage. When the rewards are about to be sent out we will send you a survey confirming your addresses.
Thank you so much for helping us to make this happen and for your continued patience!  This is an independent documentary made for the fans without any corporate backing. More to come soon...Thanks again, Eric & Sarah"

And now we have a debut date! May 31st & June 1st at the Seattle International Film Fest.

Update (05/08/14): International premiere will be June 8th & 9th at Sheffield Doc/Fest.