Like its other concerts over the years,the Cure's show Saturday night at the
Forum was about youth. 
Though Robert Smith is 37 and has been leading the English band for about 18
years,he still focuses on the poetry of adolescence:mopey complaints about
cultural artifice and arbitrariness,personal isolation and powerlessness.

Because his audience remains quite youthful,Smith found himself not singing
to peers,but to people largely still in or just out of their teens.
                        
Ironically,it wasn't youth that gave the show its brightest spark.It was a
trio of gray-haired women,brought on stage for the encore of the recent song
"Gone" to pretend to be a horn section as cameras shot the number for a 
video.
Shaking their hips and bobbing their heads as they blew their prop trumpets,
the women were obviously having a blast--and having an effect on Smith.
Whereas the singer-guitarist had stayed nearly immobile behind his 
microphone for the previous two hours,he now shimmied over to the women,
danced around them and even playfully bumped hips with one.And then--the 
biggest surprise--the guru of glum smiled.
 
Even after the women left, Smith remained energized throughout the encore
sets.He and his four bandmates gave rich renditions of such Cure classics as
"Killing an Arab" (a gripping meditation on Camus' "The Outsider") and "Why
Can't I Be You?" while battling stage-climber fans who,too,got swept up in
the spirit. 
 
So you have to wonder about the static moroseness earlier.Is Smith bored
with being an idol to people so much younger than himself--many of whom 
still ignore his "be yourself" message and try to look like him with his 
rat's-nest hair,black togs and vampire pallor? 

As songs from the new "Wild Mood Swings" album showed,Smith has at least
occasional up moments to counter the downs.
In the evening's first song, "Want," Smith sang that he's "always wanting
more." Maybe it took those three older women to show him--and his fans--how
to get it.               

        Saturday proved to be a very unique day, as the Cure arrived into
Los Angeles for the first of two nights at the Forum.  Several points of
interest: for the first time on the current U.S. Swing Tour, the Band had
scheduled two consecutive nights in the same city, the first show having
sold out in mere minutes.  Also for the first time on the tour, a
performance was nearly canceled for reasons other than poor ticket sales...
        Partially incapacitated from the previous evening of 'enjoyment', I
was more than happy to entrust the driving of the 'Cure-mobile' to Ryan and
Kevin, as we departed for the four-hour drive back to Los Angeles.  We sped
out of Las Vegas (having deposited our money at the El Cortez sports book)
with the hope of catching the Cure at the Forum later that evening.  My new
friends both laughed at me as I explained to them how extraordinarily rare
it was to be driving under a cloud-filled desert sky -- if it was  nothing
short of an ominous sign of things to come, it was indeed an indication that
received as much attention as did the tiny pitter-patter of rain on the
windshield.  In more simple terms, we were not about to let anything rain on
our parade.  For the duration of our drive, we blasted everything from 'Lost
Wishes', to rare B-sides, as well as previous shows from this Tour,
complimented in a very poor way by the occasional off-beat taps produced by
one set of Jason's drumsticks.  [At the conclusion of the previous night's
show at the T&M Arena, I kindly asked a stagehand for one of Jason's
drumsticks. The guy handed me four of them. It was then that I noticed that
there was an extra set of hands grasping for a piece of the action.  Being
as selfish as I am, I started growling viciously...  My impolite bark
immediately turned into laughter, as I realized that the other set of hands
belonged to, of all people, Ryan, who I had long since lost during the
concert..!] 
        As we pulled into the outskirts of L.A., I gave Kevin a good
sampling of how people drive here - minus the firearms.  Kev had flown in
from the 'other LA', down in New Orleans, and had never previously visited
California.  He got to see Los Angeles on a perfect Saturday morning...the
sun...the palm trees...and the smog was even thin enough to allow us a nice
view of the downtown skyline...  Somewhere in this twisting mess of concrete
and steel, we knew that the Cure was resting up.  As we turned north on
Pacific Coast Highway, we had figured that it was the bodacious bouncing
beach-bunnies nearby who had caused the traffic to come to a grinding
halt...but that guess was not to hold true.  Although L.A. is notorious for
its traffic jams, something seemed a lil weird...a lil 'strange'. Having
finally run out of Cure songs to play, we tuned into the news just in time
to hear a broadcaster say "...and no matter what, at all costs, avoid going
north-bound on PCH...".  Great. The show was to start in two hours, and this
guy is telling us that a traffic signal wasn't working up the road.  It was
just a matter of time before we were to hear that nine states and provinces
(as far north and east as British Columbia and Colorado) had sporadically
lost all electrical power.  KROQ Radio mentioned that it was caused by an
Alien spaceship on the other side of the moon...
        So now what?  Would this be the first-ever Sold-Out concert to be
canceled? Would the Cure be plugging into their portable generators and
providing us fans with candles?  Would this truly be an 'un-plugged'
concert?  The fact was clear: up until now, the Wild Mood Swings Tour had
been such a powerfully electrifying production that, power or no power, the
show was destined to go on and succeed -- at least that was what we had
stubbornly hoped to be true...  It was weird to hear the all-news radio
station give us the verdict: "...and for those of you worried about the big
Cure Concert at the Forum tonight"  They actually referred to it as the
'Big' concert!  And it wasn't even KROQ! Oh wait...SHHHH: "...it will be
going on as scheduled".  Yeeees!  Noooo! It was to start in less than 90
minutes by the time we got to Ryan's.  We split up, and I swung by my place
in West L.A. for about 17 seconds, and proceeded on to the arena.
        At this point, it is important for me to mention my love-hate
relationship with the city which I now call 'Home'.  Having spent a good
part of the past decade here in L.A., I naturally have experienced and
endured the many memorable moments and the hardships which have come with
the territory.  For those on the outside looking in, Los Angelenos may be
envied for living the glitzy and glamorous life of SoCal.  For some of us
looking in but wanting out, the 'glitz' and 'glamor' can be seen as the
glaze which covers the pretention and the elitist attitudes which thrive
quite well here.  What else would you expect from the entertainment capital
of the world...  With everyone wanting to be somebody who they aren't and
never will be, I was Cure-ious to see who would be showing up at this
evening's sold-out performance.  I was further curious as to what the Band
thought about playing in this 'fair-weather' town - although they couldn't
have complained about the ticket sales here..!  I selfishly wanted nothing
more than to write a negative review about a town that was less-deserving
than what it thought it was...  As the evening progressed it became evident
how in some categories I was to be perfectly correct, while in other areas,
my lack of faith was to prove me so very wrong...
        It can easily be argued that the Crowd sets the tone for whether a
concert is to be successful or not.  As I embarked on my task of people
watching before the show, one thing quickly became clear: there was to be no
hesitation regarding 'dressing up' in this town.  Everywhere I looked I saw
black garb, white make-up, and highly flammable hair-styles -- the grim
reaper would have been proud.  Cure fans of all ages crawled out from every
corner of this weird town to make this show by far the most 'gothic' crowd
of any show to date... :)  At the will-call window, as I had expected, the
masses of wanna-be cool people gathered to boast that they were friends of
the Band...and that the band had simply forgotten to put their name on the
personal guest-lists.  Yeah, whatever you all say..!  Ryan and I already
knew that we were 'cool', so we didn't sweat it out. It was inside that I
finally hooked up with Ryan, who sat directly at the back of the floor,
several rows up, for an excellent vantage point to watch the lighting and
projection extravaganza, now just minutes away.  He had sweet-talked two of
his female 'friends' to join him, one for himself, and the other one just
for...well...not me. :(  Instead, Kevin got the joyous privilege of hitting
it off (almost literally) with the other babe at a post-concert rendezvous
that night at Denny's... [I just had to mention it, K!]
        Without any seat assignment, I was tragically relegated to roam all
over the floor unhindered (darn...), as well as visit whichever section of
screaming maniacs I chose.  Within seconds after Gary had put his headset on
behind the lighting board, the lights cut off in simultaneous fashion.  It
was either another power outage...or else "Want" was being loaded.  The
emergence of the Band before the hysterical Forum crowd proved the latter to
be true.  Perhaps hinting at the drain of life on the road, Robert sported
the black L.A. Kings jersey on this night - the third concert in three
nights for the Band.  The question of whether or not the Band would lack any
electricity for this performance would soon be answered... 
        In an effort to reach out and pull the crowd in from the start, the
band had opted to perform their 'main' set-list, which followed suit with
'Club America', the always-entrancing 'Fascination', the ever-popular
'Pictures', and 'Lullaby'.  Way up in the upper Colonnade sections, despite
their distance, the Fans remained overly-receptive. In the aisle, I came
across a woman who danced only slightly better than her 6 year-old daughter.
"This Is A Lie' once again featured Jason's percussive talent. The several
people who dared to sit down were right back up for the dynamically-happy
duo of 'Mint Car' and 'Heaven'.  Back on the floor, the 'community joint'
could be seen (and smelled) being passed around to everybody except
security.  Nine songs into the show, and there were no signs of any energy
drain from either the Band or the Fans...  The acoustic beauty which was
'Jupiter Crash' was complemented in brilliant fashion by the numerous
flickering lighters which accompanied the gem for its duration.
        I chose an open seat about 15 rows off the floor, directly to the
side of front stage, from which I absorbed the remainder of the performance.
I was excited to have caught the ever-so-rare 'Like Cockatoos' in its full
splendor, and cheered along with the 12,000 other fans who also appreciated
the wonderful 'Dressing Up' which followed.  So as not to cater just to us
older fans :), the worn-out 'Friday' was followed with the always-welcome
live version of 'Strange Attraction'.  This song will not only be the Cure's
next single off of "Wild Mood Swings", but is also clearly one of the best
tracks to be performed live.  The keyboards on this one were shared nicely
by Roger and Perry, the latter playing the high notes while Roger carried
the bulk of the piano notes.  The backbone was provided by Simon's blaring
bass, the heart by Robert's melodically melting vocals, and the thundering
Booms courtesy of Jason.  The second half of the show was kicked off by the
ageless 'Charlotte' and the wishful yearning of 'Catch', once again
performed to perfection...
        The lively 'Return' teased the crowd to continue dancing, only to be
followed by the somewhat hypnotic and enchanting treasure, 'Treasure'.
Realizing that the climax of the show was quickly approaching, I was indeed
trapped in my seat, not wanting to miss a beat.  So I found myself singing
along with Robert to the next song: "Yeah I'm sick of this Song...Sick of it
All!" (was that right?!)  At the conclusion of 'Trap', the screeching
feedback of the guitars led directly into the gripping anthem 'Prayers For
Rain', which brought the loudest cheers of the evening from L.A.'s finest.
20 Loud seconds on this night. 'Inbetween Days' had a strange effect on me
this evening, more so than on any other. It allowed me to actually step out
of my role as concert critic, pleasantly taking me back to my youthful
memories of a high-school crush gone sour, reminding me of this very first
song which originally drew me into the Cure, turning me into a faithful fan
of the band ever since -- I will not forget the day when SHE asked to borrow
the lyrics from ME on that snowy Michigan morning in Astronomy class back in
'84... :)
        Returning to 1996, the new and improved Cure broke into the epic
'Deep Green Sea', as I resumed my people watching.  Amidst a sea of green
lights which beamed all the way up to the top row of the Arena, I noticed
how virtually no one had lost their energy - the glaring exception was the
immediate section in which I was sitting.  The Forum has one section,
directly side stage, which is usually reserved for VIP's (does that stand
for 'Very Insignificant Posers'?) and those with Guest Passes.  This would
include the celebrity-types, the ever-present Recording Industry types, and
more often so, just people who have their personal 'connections' within the
LA Kings & LA Lakers front offices.  These people around me were either too
cool to stand, didn't know any of the songs (or who was on stage for that
matter), or were simply totally lost without their teleprompter in front of
them, directing them as to when it was ok to stand and applaud - I tend to
believe all three explanations were valid.  I was determined not to let
anything get me down...until 'Bare' followed.  This emotion-filled ballad
allowed me to sulk in depression for a few solitary moments, until
'Disintegration' smashed its way throughout the building to mark the
beginning of the end...  Screaming at the top of his lungs, Robert told us
how the ending "Alll-Waaaays Is...".   As he departed the Forum stage, he
feverishly clutched his throat, either having strained his vocal chords, or
to seek solace from the silver necklace around his neck, given to him by M...
        Much to the delight of the crowd, the eight band members re-emerged
back onstage to kick-off the Pop-hits encore segment.  Robert audibly
pronounced a 'thank you very much', which was followed moments later with a
much more spirited scream of "Thank You Very Much..!".  The rare smile which
beamed from Robert's face was indicative of a genuine enjoyment of the
moment, rather than a simple pose for the video cameras which zoomed in on
the lead vocalist - a hint that the fun was just beginning. The usually shy
Robert grabbed the mic stand to introduce his guests for the evening.  "Uh,
now, I'd better explain...it'll take me five seconds.  We're making a video
for the next song, and this is our Trumpet Section...and this song is called
'Gone!'".  Three elder ladies, complete with the gray hair and old-fashioned
dresses, provided the pseudo-horn section for the Band, as well as the
smiles for the appreciative audience.  Standing side by side, the ladies
swayed their trumpets and their hips to the jazzy tune.  At one point,
Robert joined the ladies in line, jokingly bumping hips with one.  At the
conclusion of the song, the crowd voiced their approval for the guests, not
caring that the threesome was hired on a one-time basis and would not be
"staying with the Band for the rest of the Swing Tour", as Robert had so
explained.
        The first encore continued, with the ever-popular 'Close To Me'. The
fun was indeed beginning, as several fans decided to take Robert's lyric as
an open invitation to get Close to Him, by climbing past security onto the
stage. During 'Let's Go To Bed', Robert smiled and sang out "...you think
you're tired now, but wait until...S-S-Seven". He came over to stage left
and judged his dance contest. The crowd erupted as the Band broke into
'Y.C.I.B.U'. As is now standard during live performances of this song, in
the middle of the song the music fades with just the beat keeping the song
alive.  Robert walked over to Roger, as if to serenade him, and crooned a
few lines of 'Moon River'. An appreciative Simon was taking in the moment,
sitting cross-legged on the stage with his bass on his lap, directly in
front of Jason's drums. After visiting 'Lovecats' for a few verses, the song
returned full circle to the original.  As Robert was singing the chorus "So
WWhhyyy...", a fan nearly tackled him, much to the dismay of the stage
security, and released him just in time for the "Can't I...Be...You!".  When
the extended song finally ended, the Band waved their goodbyes...
        After a few moments, the Band returned onstage, and Robert once
again shouted a "Thank You Very Much!" with fiery enthusiasm. "Imagine if I
talk like this all the time!", he continued, as the guitars began the
familiar tuning for 'Boys Don't Cry'. "But I don't...talk like that...Ever,
in fact".  The song concluded, and having survived yet another wave of stage
crashers, Robert gave a another big smile as he told us "Now that was a
fucking SERIOUS stage there for a while..!", just as the notes to the catchy
classic '10:15' filled the arena.  This second encore clearly catered to the
older crowd of long-time Cure fanatics, as smiles were visible all around.
Playing around with the distortion pedal, Robert slowly crept into 'Arab',
which, as the earliest Cure single, ironically turned out to be one of the
more energetic and powerful songs on this strange evening.  The eerie intro
to 'A Forest' bled from the speakers, and a split second before Jason's
lively drums kicked in, Robert said "This is for Dave..." - a dedication
directed at his good friend and recuperating lead vocalist for the band
Depeche Mode, who was invited to the show as a guest of the Band.  As
quickly as the song reached its furious crescendo, it broke down with
Robert's 'dying helicopter', and Simon throwing his bass onto the floor to
close out the performance with an abrupt bang.  Robert returned his
appreciation for L.A.'s finest, by leaving us with a "Thank you very
much...You were fucking excellent...Goodnight! K'you", as he faded away into
the night, once again clutching his throat dearly...
        This evening was indeed the irony of ironies, in many different
ways. It was a concert threatened by a total loss of electricity, which bit
back in such a way that made this particular night one of the most
electrifying and energy-packed performances of the entire Tour.  It featured
a tired and weary Band, performing impressively in its own inspired way.
And it was indeed a rare occasion of an outwardly unappreciative and
fair-weather city, showing their true colors and undying appreciation for
their beloved Band who was visiting their hometown. Our hometown. Many
different kinds of 'fans' were represented this sold-out night, from the
Teeny-boppers, to the Gothic lot; from those older fans now with their own
families, to the lowly ticket scalpers who weren't able to part with every
ticket they had to sell...  The setlist from the evening was indeed laden
with the 'Hits', but it didn't matter to a crowd who had starved for four
long years to hear the Cure live in concert.  For myself, as a concert
critic, the highlight of the evening was indeed getting the opportunity to
walk around wherever I wanted to go, meeting whoever it was I wanted to meet
- people watching.  In some sense, I felt as if I had experienced the
perspective and emotions of 12,000 different people at once... As I drifted
off into the Los Angeles night, I realized that this special concert had
succeeded in a way no other had:  I actually caught myself smiling by the
end of the show... :) 

Craig's Rating: A

     This show had incredible energy.  After the lackluster Vegas
perfromance, I was starting to think that the reviewers in the press
were somwhat right.Boy was I wrong!The band REALLY stepped up
and played on this night.

     The biggest highlight had to be the filming of the Gone video.  I
couldn't stop smiling!  I had the same seats as Vegas (7th row Perry),
and saw the old ladies on the side of me with their fingers in their
ears.  I was thinking 'what the hell are they doing here?', and then
they got on and trumpet-synched to Gone.  It was hilarious!

     Several people managed to get on stage.  It was really starting
to get out of control.  During WCIBY, 2 people latched onto Robert and
had to be yanked off by security while Robert tried to shake them.
Then a guy ran on to the stage and clotheslined Robert big time.
Almost knocked him over!  Finally, a HUGE dude ran on stage, touched
Robert with his finger, and started dancing like an idiot.  The band
was completely cracking up at this point.  After that song (BDC),
Robert said 'What a fucking space opera!'.

     Like Cockatoos and Dressing Up were nice surprises, and Robert
whipped-out a verse of 'Moon River' during WCIBY/Lovecats.This
show blew away all the other Cure shows I have been to in terms of
atmosphere and pure energy!

The show started late.  bob and the boys didnt really look like they were
TOO happy.i think that they were a little camera shy because they were
shooting footage for the new gone video.three old ladies helped them
with the horns footage,one of which i think scarred bob quite a bit.he
messed up the lyrics on all the normal songs.lovesongs change in
inflections were great.like cockatoos was a joy to hear again.friday
and lets go were a bore.rain was only 20 seconds.deep sea was
powerful.disintegration was a bit slow.why cant was okay,the darkmen
boot was MUCH better.a forest was only 12 min,and kinda a let down,
but still entertaining (of course!).
every freak from here to there showed up in costume,as expected.sorry if i
offend,but i just cant figure it out.there is nothing goth about the cure
anymore,not that there ever was.they didnt play any of the sad stuff,so
why bother? that look and lifestyle is old now.seeing teenagers dressing
up like that just screamed wannabees.the drunk and drugged out were
everywhere,but i guess that is to be expected in the fine city of lost
angels.
there were multiple stage crashers.two girls,a guy that took a running
jump at bob and then somehow in mid air stopped himself,realizing that if
he were to actually connect with bob that he would have taken him to
the floor.then there was a HUGE guy that jumped up,touched bob,did
the white mans dance,then realized that nobody was coming to get him,
hung out with his arm around bob,then started playing air guitar right
along side him.it would have been really funny and cute if he hadnt
been such a dick while the six or seven guards TRIED to get him off
stage.
the people that thought they deserved better seats during the show and
came up to bother us in the first 15 rows were out of control.i cant figure
them out either.and all of the fair weather fans seemed a bit confused by
a lot of the songs.but surprisingly a lot of the crowd knew the older stuff.
all in all, a VERY good show.wasnt the best due to the all the jerks. i
didnt want to let them bother me,but it was very hard.perhaps the san
diego show will be a bit more under control.