As marketing strategies go, The Cure aligning their long-awaited comeback record with the spookiest week of the year is proving to be a devilishly wicked one. In the build-up to the Friday (Nov. 1) release of Songs of a Lost World, the group’s first LP in 16 years, the band played an intimate set in London for the BBC, which aired on Halloween Eve on TV and radio. Their release day show at east London’s Troxy on Friday evening featured a performance of the new album in full and a further amount of greatest hits and fan favorites.
The goth icons’ show at the stunning Art deco building was not adorned with candle-lit pumpkins and fake spiders, but it was fittingly dark and ghoulish. The wares on the merch table came in one color only: black.
Even frontman Robert Smith knew he ought to cut through the gloom on a day of celebration like this. Prior to the show’s start and during the intermission, sound effects of a deluge of rain played out on the PA. “I’m begging you to not have the thunderclap just before we come back on stage again,” he joked with his team during one their return to stage following an intermission.
The 16-year wait since 2008’s 4:13 Dream has been the longest in the band’s history, but this has not been an entirely dormant period. The group have toured extensively, headlined Glastonbury Festival in 2019 and embarked on an accompanying promotional tour — notably their Shows of a Lost World run in 2023 — before the album was completed and released. There was even time for collaborations with Chvrches and Gorillaz, and a scrap with Ticketmaster (which our Bob won.)
The tune largely remains the same, but Songs of a Lost World confronts new challenges. Smith has said the songs on this record were influenced by the death of his brother and the collective loss through the pandemic. Keyboardist Roger O’Donnell was diagnosed with cancer, and bassist Simon Gallup, the longest-tenured member after Smith, briefly left the band in 2021 saying he was “fed up of betrayal” before returning months later. Life is fragile, but The Cure’s presence has remained a constant, even as they approach their 50th anniversary in 2028.
The record has been heavily delayed by Smith’s own admission. He is a perfectionist, but the best kind: everything that comes out is exact and impactful. Words are not wasted, nor are the enormity of the productions that envelope them. It’s been worth the wait.
This momentous release day show – which was live-streamed on YouTube – proved to be a celebration of a band still very much at the top of their game, and may go down as one of their most memorable of their storied career.
A Brooding Opener
Speaking prior to its release, Smith said that “Alone” was the song that spurred momentum towards completing their long gestating record. Specifically its macabre opening lines which set a tone of reflection: “This is the end of every song that we sing/ The fire burned out to ash and the stars grown dim with tears/ Cold and afraid, the ghosts of all that we’ve been/ We toast with bitter dregs, to our emptiness”. Played as the show’s curtain-raiser, it’s already a firm fan favorite.
A Paean to a Lost Soul
Partings play a huge role in providing Songs of a Lost World its emotional heft, and this is none more apparent than on “I Can Never Say Goodbye.” Written in response to the death of Robert’s elder brother Richard, the song paints an image of a “November moon in cold black rain” on the night of his sibling’s passing. Years later, the sorrow and frustration Robert at this loss is felt by those in the 2,000-capacity crowd who are similarly navigating grief.
‘Disintegration’ Dominates
Songs of a Lost World is indebted to their 1989 masterpiece Disintegration, a perfect record that fused hit singles like “Lovesong” — which landed at No.2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart — with atmospheric dazzlers, like the eight-minute long title track; both LPs swim in the same murky waters. Six tracks from Disintegration made their way into the setlist, with “Fascination Street” and “Pictures Of You” encouraging a collective swoon. At one point, Smith even says he’s wearing his “Disintegration shirt” for the big show. Spoiler: it’s black and floaty.
Hit Parade
The Cure’s live performances regularly breach the three-hour mark and their setlists feature even representation amongst their most beloved albums. Even if the energy dips a little bit, there’s multiple bangers to chuck in and get a rise again out of their devoted crowd. The fact that “Close To Me” and “Just Like Heaven” — their finest love song — can be played consecutively at the two-hour mark, and for it to still feel like there’s bigger choruses waiting to be sung, is a testament to their lasting class. Smith’s voice throughout is powerful, but on the latter he sounds particularly spectacular.
Rare Deep Cuts
But it couldn’t be a Cure show without a curveball or two. It’s not quite the 45th anniversary of 1980 album Seventeen Seconds, but that didn’t stop them paying homage to their second album prior to the band’s third and final act. “Secrets” received its first live airing since 2011, as did the lesser-played “M.” The pulsing “A Forest,” the band’s first real foray into noirish undertones, remains potent and eerie.
Friday I’m In… Erm?
“Friday I’m In Love” has been a fixture in almost all Cure sets since 1992, but that doesn’t guarantee perfection. As the band reached its third verse, Smith fluffed the words and the rest of the group had to style it out to bring the song back together. But it’s no disaster, as Smith and the rest of the band appeared to be enjoying themselves as much as they ever have, sharing smiles and winks throughout.
A Final Look Back
A Cure encore is one of the most joyous 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 thick and fast. The joy from the audience is felt keenly by the band said their goodbyes, with Smith slow to leave the stage. Multiple times when walking off at the show’s close, he turned back to look longingly to his audience, an impish grin on his face. “See you again soon,” he promised, knowing for all the fans in the room and watching at home, that one Cure show is never enough.
