As marketing ploys go, The Cure paired their long-awaited comeback record with the scariest week of the year, and it turned out to be an extremely sinister one. Ahead of launch on Friday (November 1) Song of the Lost WorldThe band’s first LP in 16 years, the intimate song was performed by the band for the BBC in London and aired on TV and radio in the lead-up to Halloween. They performed the new album in its entirety and more hits and fan favorites at a release day show at East London’s Troxy on Friday night.
The goth icon’s show in this stunning Art Deco building isn’t decorated with candlelit pumpkins and fake spiders, but it’s just as dark and brutal as it should be. The merchandise on the merchandise table comes in only one color: black.
Even frontman Robert Smith knew he should be breaking through the gloom on a day of celebration like this. Sound effects of pouring rain played over loudspeakers before the show started and during intermission. “I implore you not to hear the thunder until we get back on stage again,” he joked with his team as he returned to the stage after intermission.
A 16-year wait since 2008 4:13 Dream This was the longest stretch in the band’s history, but it wasn’t a period of complete dormancy. The band toured extensively, headlining Glastonbury Festival in 2019, and embarked on supporting promotional tours ahead of the album’s completion and release, notably Shows of a Lost World in 2023. There was even time with Chvrches and Gorillaz, and a brawl with Ticketmaster (which our Bob won).
The tune remains essentially the same, but Song of the Lost World Face new challenges. Smith said the songs on the record were influenced by the death of his brother and the collective loss caused by the pandemic. Keyboardist Roger O’Donnell was diagnosed with cancer and bassist Simon Gallup, the longest-tenured member since Smith, briefly left the band in 2021, Describing himself as “tired of betrayal,” he returned a few months later. Life is fragile, but The Cure’s presence remains constant, even as it approaches its 50th anniversary in 2028.
By Smith’s own admission, the record’s release was severely delayed. He was a perfectionist, but the best kind of perfectionist: all results were precise and impactful. The words were not wasted, nor was the vast work containing them. It’s worth the wait.
The momentous release day show, which was streamed live on YouTube, proved to be a celebration of a band still at the top of their game, and could become one of the most memorable shows of their storied career.
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Thoughtful Prologue
Speaking ahead of the album’s release, Smith said “Alone” was the song that sparked their motivation to complete the long-gestating record. Its chilling opening line, in particular, sets the tone for reflection: “This is the end of every song we sing/Fires burn to cinders, stars dim with tears/Cold and fear, the ghost of everything we’ve been through We drink with the bitter dregs, to our emptiness”. As the show’s final episode, it’s already a fan favorite.
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Hymn for lost souls
Parting plays a huge role in providing Song of the Lost World Its emotional weight, nowhere more evident than in “I Can Never Say Goodbye.” The song was written in response to the death of Robert’s brother Richard and depicts a “November moon in cold black rain” on the night his brother died. Years later, Robert’s grief and depression at his loss were felt by those in the audience of 2,000 who were also grieving.
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‘Schism dominates
Song of the Lost World Thanks for their 1989 masterpiece disintegrationThe perfect record blends hit singles like “Lovesong” (which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100) with dazzling atmospheres like the eight-minute-long title track; both LPs feature on the same murky Swim in the water. Six tracks from disintegration “Fascination Street” and “Pictures Of You” entered the playlist, sparking a collective obsession. At one point, Smith even said he was wearing his “disintegration shirt” show. Spoiler: It’s black and floating.
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Popular parades
The Cure’s live shows regularly break the three-hour mark, and their setlists even include their most popular albums. Even with a slight dip in energy, there’s plenty of great content to keep their loyal audience rising again. The fact that “Close To Me” and “Just Like Heaven” – their best love songs – can be played back-to-back over the course of two hours and still feel like there’s a bigger chorus waiting to be sung is a testament to that Their enduring class. Smith’s voice is strong throughout, but sounds especially spectacular on the latter.
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rare deep cuts
But it couldn’t be a therapy show without a curveball or two. it is not quite 45th anniversary of the 1980 album seventeen secondsbut that didn’t stop them from paying homage to their second album before the band’s third and final performance. “Secrets” aired live for the first time since 2011, as did the less-played “M.” The pulsing “A Forest” was the band’s first real foray into black tones, and it remains powerful and eerie to this day.
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Friday I’m at…eh?
“Friday I’m In Love” has been a fixture on nearly every Cure episode since 1992, but that doesn’t guarantee perfection. By the time the band reached the third verse, Smith had messed up the lyrics and the rest of the band had to restyle it to put the song back together. But it wasn’t a disaster, as Smith and the rest of the band seemed to be enjoying themselves as much as ever, sharing smiles and winks throughout.
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final review
The Cure encore was one of the most joyful songs in all of rock music: “Lullaby,” “Friday I’m in Love,” “Close to Me,” “Why Can’t I Be You?” and “Boys Don’t Cry” come and go. Thick and fast. The audience’s joy was keenly felt as the band said their farewells, and Smith slowly left the stage. After the performance, he turned away several times, looking longingly at the audience with a mischievous smile on his face. “See you soon,” he promised, knowing that for all the fans in the room watching at home, one Cure show would never be enough.
