Sept. 13th,1989-Phoenix,Az. (Compton Terrace)

The Cure Proves To Be Hot,Soothing Treat For Energetic Listeners

by Salvatore Caputo of the Arizona Republic (9/15/89)

The Cure's front man,Robert Smith,is not the most overwhelming stage
performer,but he sings the band's dark songs emotionally while maintaining a
surprising sense of humor.

About 12,000 people,mostly teen and college-age,were at Compton Terrace to
catch the band's show Wednesday.They were an enthusiastic lot,dancing through
Smith's slow romantic tragedies and occasionally more upbeat tunes.

The band's stage set evoked an artist's loft,with light rigging and risers
swathed in thin plastic sheets.Thick swirls of dry-ice fog pierced by lights
bolstered the ambiance.
There was also a smell of incense in the air.

As musicians,The Cure concentrated on repeated,simple chord progressions,and
heartbeat rhythms that kept the many couples in attendance dancing.
Rather than using sudden melodic or dynamic changes,the band took a
painterly approach by slowly adding textures and shapes to the sound.
The subtle variations played over a long time allowed the audience to dance
in a virtual trance,while providing the music with internal movement.

Keyboardist Roger O'Donnell,guitarist Porl Thompson,bassist Simon Gallup and
drummer Boris Williams all gave Smith faithful support,calling little or no
attention to themselves except in an occasional solo.
The show,with three encores,lasted a little more than two hours and ran
through a program that included Fascination Street,the group's current
Lovesong and blasts from Kiss Me,Kiss Me,Kiss Me and earlier works.
Williams played with brushes rather than drumsticks on one number,something
I never before have seen at a rock show.

While we're on the subject of things never seen before,one of the big
public-address speakers at the left edge of the stage caught fire during one
of the encores.
At first,it seemed like part of the show,but the worried faces on the
security people showed it was an unplanned event.The fire burned most of the
speaker covering before the security personnel put it out with a fire
extinguisher.
What song was the group playing?
Hot, Hot, Hot.

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