The Cure in New Orleans (05-10-16)

May 10th, 2016 - New Orleans, LA
UNO Lakefront Arena
Doors at 6 pm, Twilight Sad 7:20 - 8, The Cure 8:35 - 11:07
Tickets still available / Parking is $10 (cash only).

Setlist: Tape / Open, alt.end, All I Want, Push, In Between Days, From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea, Step Into The Light, Sleep When I'm Dead, A Letter to Elise, High, The Walk, Lovesong, Just Like Heaven, Trust, Want, The Hanging Garden, One Hundred Years, End

1st Encore: At Night, M, Play for Today, A Forest

2nd Encore: Dressing Up, Piggy in the Mirror, Shake Dog Shake, Give Me It

3rd Encore: Burn

4th Encore: It Can Never Be the Same

Reviews: Nola.com

Photos: New Orleans Local

Articles: RadioX / Entertainment Weekly / Vanyaland / Stereogum / Billboard / Rolling Stone / Radio.com / Diffuser / NME / Pitchfork / The 405 / CoS / GigWise / Crack / Overblown

Videos: From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea 1 - 2 / From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea & Step Into The Light & Sleep When I'm Dead & A Letter To  Elise / Step Into The Light / A Letter To Elise / The Walk / Lovesong / A Forest /Give Me It / Burn 1 - 2 / It Can Never Be The Same / 1 hour 3 minutes of the show (Deep Green Sea to Give Me It) / 1 hour 45 minutes of the show 

Clips: Robert talks about playing different songs both nights / Robert tells a joke about his shirt /At Night 1 - 2 / Trust 1 - 2 - 3 / A Forest 

A bit of 'At Night' in New Orleans

A bit of The Cure - At Night in New Orleans (05-10-16) pic.twitter.com/ZTaFkgtbMG

— Chain of Flowers (@CraigatCoF) May 11, 2016

A bit more of The Cure - At Night in New Orleans (04-10-16) pic.twitter.com/Q73ZyeCe0i

— Chain of Flowers (@CraigatCoF) May 11, 2016

Setlist photos

@CraigatCoF From my buddy @Eisonhawk pic.twitter.com/qLcfYsoegl

— Joe A Rodriguez (@joefrog91) May 11, 2016

@CraigatCoF set list of first new song pic.twitter.com/L93n8yIln2

— Mariano Pontillas (@PonMariano) May 11, 2016

'It Can Never Be The Same' in New Orleans

Some periscope footage of it here, along with 'Burn" (Thanks @La_Bestia_Tina)
And here's audio on Soundcloud. (Thanks @TheCureMexico & @RosaReyesRomero)

'Step into the Light' in New Orleans

And here's audio on Soundcloud. (Thanks @TheCureMexico & @RosaReyesRomero)

Line reports: NOLA night 1

01:30 pm: Mindy C - There's 14 people here in line now. Saw The Twilight Sad.

11:19 am: Mindy C - I'm just getting here and there's about 10 people in line including me.

9:38 am: Aquashark - I'm in line now, and there are 6 people including me at the moment!

One big request/plea from me...if you are out there and hear soundcheck, please do not post the songs in the comments, or email/tweet them to me! This is my one chance to be completely surprised by the setlist, and I don't want any spoilers until after the 2 NOLA shows. If you have the soundchek info, I do want it, but send it in after Wednesday night's show. Thank you so much!

"It's opening time, down on Fascination Street"

Robert: "I was thinking of Bourbon Street in New Orleans when I wrote it. I was getting ready to go there and I thought, what the fuck do I think I'm going to find? It's about the incredulity that I could still be fooled into looking for a perfect moment."

The day has finally arrived. Cure Tour 2016 starts tonight, and I couldn't be more excited or happier that they're starting here in New Orleans. After the Dream Tour in 2000, we had a 13 year drought, finally broken by the Voodoo show in 2013. Now we've had 3 shows in 2.5 years. I can live with that. :)

So, just a very grateful and heartfelt THANK YOU! to Robert Smith. And that is also extended to Simon Gallup, Roger O'Donnell, Jason Cooper, and Reeves Gabrels, as well. We love you all, and are so thankful that we get to do all of this at least one more time. Hope you all have a wonderful tour, with as few problems as possible! Here's to health, happiness, and incredible shows. Cheers!

Now let's all go hit opening time, down on Fascination Street!

Push - A Cure Fan Documentary

Been following this project since the Dream Tour days. Good luck to Arusha and her team! Hope you have a great and productive time on this tour! Wishing safe travels to you and all of the fans traveling around the country and world.

PUSH - A CURE FAN DOCUMENTARY
Do you have a favorite Cure story to share? From Past or Present? Were you ever doubted or misunderstood because of your Cure Fan fever? Send your brief story and photo to info@curefandocumentary.com. All submissions will be posted on this site and will be considered for the film. Thank you all for your contributions. Devotion is not a crime!

http://www.curefandocumentary.com/trailer/

New Orleans Cure Afterparty on May 10th

Siberia will host an afterparty on May 10th from 10 pm - 2 am.

Update (May 6th, 2016): Here's the Facebook event page.

The Twilight Sad are ready to go

@andyjmf using his new @copeland_guitars for the 1st time at today's practise in New Orleans

A photo posted by The Twilight Sad (@thetwilightsad) on May 9, 2016 at 12:44pm PDT

Practise in New Orleans finished. Decided to put the 1st song we ever wrote in the set as it's our 1st gig with @thecure tomorrow night

— the twilight sad (@thetwilightsad) May 9, 2016

@CraigatCoF Our set is 40mins :)

— the twilight sad (@thetwilightsad) May 10, 2016

NOLA Security & Show info

Just got this from Lakefront Arena:

This is a reminder that you have purchased tickets for The Cure concert this upcoming week!

For your information, the doors to the Lakefront Arena are scheduled to open at 6:00pm and the concert is scheduled to begin at 7:30pm. Please plan on arriving early as heavy traffic is expected around our venue.

All patrons are subject to a security search. Please note the following items and actions are not allowed: smoking, all cameras (small hand held, removable lens, 35mm, and including iPads and Tablets, etc.), audio recording devices, video recording devices, illegal drugs, flash photography, weapons of any kind, guns, knives, tasers, mace, flash lights, glass items, cans, containers of any kind, fireworks, aerosol cans (including hairspray), political banners, radio scanning / jamming equipment, outside food, beverages, or alcohol, banner poles, laser pointers, spiked jewelry, chains (including those on wallets), backpacks, large bags or purses, glow sticks, objects that may be used as projectiles, moshing or crowd surfing & other items and activities deemed unsafe and a challenge to public safety. Yes, we know it’s a long list – but we want everyone to be safe and enjoy the show!

Those guests with a Floor / General Admission ticket should enter under Ramp 4 at the Ground 4 entrance. Guests with reserved seats can enter up Ramp 1 or 4.

Please note that strobe lights will be used during the performance.

Parking on site is $10.00 per vehicle; cash only.

Cure Sasquatch poster

New Orleans preview articles

From Mike Griffith at New Orleans magazine:

UK post-punk legends The Cure are coming through town May 10-11 for a two night stand at the UNO Lakefront Arena. The Cure remain an outstanding live band. Their headlining sets often stretch to three hours and include a mix of hits and deep cuts. Whether you’re a longtime fan or casually interested, this is one worth seeing.

From Keith Spera at The New Orleans Advocate:

The Cure
7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday
UNO Lakefront Arena, 6801 Franklin Ave.
Tickets: $38 to $68 plus service charges

Goth-pop didn’t get much more melodic than that of The Cure. Singer-songwriter Robert Smith, a poster boy for the permanently pale, and his collaborators churned out a long string of irresistible tragic-romantic singles in their 1980s heyday: “Boys Don’t Cry,” “Close to Me,” “Just Like Heaven,” “Lovesong,” “Why Can’t I Be You,” “Friday I’m in Love,” “The Love Cats,” “Pictures of You.” Smith and company occasionally reconvene to hit the road. Following an extremely well-received show at the 2013 Voodoo Experience, the Cure will launch their 2016 North American tour with two nights at the Lakefront Arena. Tickets for the arena floor are standing-room-only general admission; balcony seats are reserved. The Twilight Sad is the opening act for both nights.

From The Times-Picayune's Lagniappe section (May 6th, 2016):

And Where Y'at Magazine (May 2016) seems to think it's still 2000 and that the Dream Tour is about to begin. Don't we wish!

Update (May 9th, 2016): And this was in today's issue of Gambit.

10 Songs We Want on The Cure’s 2016 Tour

Let me stress that this is what the guy at CoS wants to hear. The guy at CoF would have a very different list (and it starts with - 1. 'A Chain of Flowers', 2. 'Last Dance', 3. 'Cold', 4. 'Secrets', 5. 'The Same Deep Water As You').

10 Songs We Want to Hear on The Cure’s 2016 Tour

Their list:
Treasure
Sinking
Do the Hansa
Sirensong
Doubt
Wendytime
The 13th
Descent
(I Don't Know What's Going) On
A Thousand Hours (or Years as he calls it) 

Love Cats: A Tribute to The Cure

From Stereogum (listen to Tancred's cover of 'The Figurehead' on their website):

Love Cats: A Tribute To The Cure is the latest release from Reimagine Music, a label that employs the indie rockers of today to cover the classics. (They’ve also overseen tributes to the Beatles, the Smiths, Uncle Tupelo, and John Vanderslice’s album-length cover of David Bowie’s Diamond Dogs.) Artists such as the Hotelier and Dowsing contributed to Love Cats, but the first track to be released is Tancred’s cover of Pornography highlight “The Figurehead.” It’s fascinating to hear the voice behind this year’s brightly energetic Out Of The Garden applying her perspective to such a dark, despairing dirge.

Tracklist:
01 Canopy Climbers – “Friday I’m In Love”
02 The Hotelier – “Doing The Unstuck”
03 Hayley Richman – “Love Song”
04 Dowsing – “Push”
05 Tancred – “The Figurehead”
06 The Crookes – “Boys Don’t Cry”
07 Minipop – “Pictures of You”
08 Grace Kelly – “Love Cats”
09 The Worm Is Green – “Close To Me”
10 Sealions – “In Between Days”
11 Woodpigeon – “Lullaby”
12 The Guessing Game – “Love Song”

Love Cats: A Tribute To The Cure is out 5/13 (Friday the 13th, the press release notes) on Reimagine Music. Pre-order it here.

Update (May 9th, 2016): Pitchfork has posted The Hotelier's cover of 'Doing the Unstuck'.

Cure tribute night in NYC tonight

A Night Like This: A Tribute to The Cure
CAKE SHOP 152 Ludlow St, New York, NY 10002
June 9th, 2016 at 8 pm
Admission: $8
https://www.facebook.com/events/253158621704481/

Join us for a special evening featuring music by The Cure. In anticipation of The Cure's upcoming 2016 world tour and three sold out nights at MSG, Brooklyn band, Like Herding Cats is hosting an evening dedicated to one of the most influential bands of all time.

The evening kicks off featuring local bands playing original music and Cure covers. Like Herding Cats front man, Dom P will be DJing Cure Hits, New wave, Dark wave, Brit Pop and Alternative dance through the night. More details and news to follow so stay tuned.

Participating Bands:

9pm GRASSFIGHT
https://www.facebook.com/Grassfightmusic/?fref=photo

10pm LIKE HERDING CATS
https://www.facebook.com/LikeHerdingCats/?fref=ts

ALT DANCE PARTY
DJ: DOM P

The first time The Cure played Lakefront Arena

Note: This was originally posted on July 25th, 2012. No reason for reposting now, other than another trip down "Cure at Lakefront Arena" memory lane. Thanks for indulging me. We start creating new memories tomorrow!

July 25th, 1987 - New Orleans, LA (UNO Lakefront Arena)

Setlist: The Kiss, Torture, All I Want, A Japanese Dream, Catch, Just Like Heaven, Hot Hot Hot!!!, If Only Tonight We Could Sleep, Like Cockatoos, The Walk, In Between Days, How Beautiful You Are, The Perfect Girl, The Snakepit, A Forest, Fight

1st Encore: Close to Me, Let's Go to Bed

2nd Encore: One More Time, Charlotte Sometimes, Shiver and Shake

3rd Encore: Three Imaginary Boys, Primary, Boys Don't Cry, Why Can't I Be You?


It was 25 years ago tonight that I saw The Cure live for the very first time. And for only $15! My seat wasn't the best, but not bad for buying tickets just 2 weeks before the show. Thanks to mom for buying it for me at the Maison Blanche in the Oakwood Mall.

What sold me on the show? Had to be this description in the New Orleans Times-Picayune of them being "a bizarre British pop/rock band". How could I resist? :)

This was the preview article from the New Orleans Times-Picayune (most likely from the Lagniappe section on July 24th, 1987), which featured an interview with Lol. Love how he casually mentions that they have some new guy, Roger O'Donnell, on keyboards with them for this tour. :)

Perth & Adelaide shows announced

July 29th - Adelaide at Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Telstra presale: May 11th at 14:00
Live Nation presale: May 13th at 15:00
On sale: May 17th at 09:00

July 31st - Perth at Perth Arena
Telstra presale: May 11th at 14:00
Live Nation presale: May 13th at 15:00
On sale: May 17th at 09:00

The last time The Cure played Lakefront Arena

Aug. 25th, 1996 - New Orleans, LA (UNO Lakefront Arena)
(Attendance: 4,941 / Capacity: 7,861 / Gross Sales: $115,538)

Setlist: Want, Club America, Fascination St., Lullaby, Strange Attraction, This is a Lie, Just Like Heaven, Jupiter Crash, Round & Round & Round, Lovesong, Mint Car, Catch, The Drowning Man, The Kiss, Charlotte Sometimes, If Only Tonight We Could Sleep, Dressing Up, Return, Treasure, Trap, Prayers for Rain, Inbetween Days, From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea, Bare, Disintegration

1st Encore: The 13th, Hot Hot Hot, Let's Go to Bed, Why Can't I Be You (That Old Black Magic/Young at Heart/Moon River("Old Man River")/Lovecats)

2nd Encore: Boys Don't Cry, 10:15 Saturday Night, Killing An Arab, Faith.

Soundcheck: The 13th, Figurehead, The Drowning Man, Just Like Heaven, beginning of Plainsong, Want.

Robert: "There's like a whole glut of songs we haven't played in years. Apparently 'cause we're in New Orleans, and it's a dark kind of city. I will see if that's true again later. This is called If Only Tonight We Could Sleep"

Trent Reznor, Marilyn Manson, and Clint Mansell were at the show.

 



 





After the show, the infamous Trent & Robert brohug happened at The Blue Crystal. Alternative Press has the story:

""Every city in America has at least one Gothic club. In New Orleans, it's the Blue Crystal. When a band like the Cure is in town, the Blue Crystal throws a party after the show. The club called Reznor, the closest thing they have to a local dignitary, to invite him to the Cure after-show party. Further conversation revealed that the only way the Cure would show is if Reznor is there, too. You can't hear it anywhere in Nine Inch Nails, but Reznor is a Cure fan from way back. He considers the Cure's The Head On The Door" one of the best records ever." His favorite description of himself: "Robert Smith with a head cold."

"I end up going to the club, and surprisingly, everyone from the Cure is there. And the bartender calls me over and says, 'Robert really wants to talk to you.'" Reznor smiles, makes a face that says: You mean I have to meet one of my teen idols in a goth club in Louisiana? Now? In front of all these people?

"It ends up," Reznor says, "me and him, hugging on the dance floor. He's like, 'I love you, dude,' and I'm like, 'I love you too, man.'" The Cure fans formed a loose circle around the pair while New Order's "Blue Monday" pumped out of the speakers. "It was the greatest scene," Reznor says.

"We were both fairly incoherent," he feels compelled to add."

Sorry, there's really no point to this post. Just traveling down memory lane a bit, before this week's shows.  Kinda excited. :)

The Twilight Sad are on their way!

Packed and ready to leave for 🇺🇸 tomorrow! Still can't quite believe this is happening. pic.twitter.com/I69Qn7pYv2

— the twilight sad (@thetwilightsad) May 7, 2016