Nobody likes a tease.
 
   But that's exactly what The  Cure  did to the audience Thursday night at
the Delta Center.
 
   The English quintet -- Perry Bamonte on guitar, Simon Gallup on bass
guitar, Roger O'Donnel on keyboards, Jason Cooper on drums and  Robert
Smith,  the pasty-faced, goth-god lead singer -- was as up and down in its
performance as the wrecked remnants of the roller coaster that made up the
stage set.
 
   Smith, who with his innovative guitar work and use of off-key and varied
beats, was a pioneer of the alternative-music scene of the '80s, sported a
Utah Grizzlies hockey jersey throughout the show. Unfortunately, nobody came
out fromthe shadows and checked him into the boards to knock some sense into
him.
 
   Fans were given the bait early with a great version of "Fascination
Street"and "Pictures of You."
 
   But, as much as the audience wanted to love what the band was offering,
the lineup of songs after "Pictures of You" turned into as much of an
incomprehensible mangled affair as the dilapidated amusement-park set. 
   The songs ran into one another and disinterest was evident a mere hour
into the show.
 
   People were sitting around talking, and many were walking the halls
outside the arena or were outside smoking.
 
   The only gem featured over the second hour was a new song from the
Cure's recent release "Wild Mood Swings."  "This Is a Lie" is a throwback to
the  Cure's dark side, a glimmer of the band's gloom-and-doom days.
 
   Keyboardist O'Donnell used his synthesizer to effectively create the
sounds of multiple violins and Cooper left his drum kit and took a place
behind an array of percussion instruments that gave the song a wonderful
texture. 
   Then it was over and Smith and his crew were leaving the stage.
 
   But then something wonderful happened. 

   Maybe it was remorse on the band's part.
 
   Or maybe someone hooked up jumper cables to the bolts on Smith's goth
neck and gave him a charge.
 
   Whatever the reason, the  Cure  that people know and love emerged from
the bowels of the Delta Center renewed and energized.
 
   Smith even smiled once.
 
  The encores -- there were two of them -- featur ed everything that people
had waited two hours to hear.
 
   The band used both opportunities to launch into old favorites "Catch,"
"Hot Hot Hot," "Let's Go to Bed," "Why Can't I Be You," "Love Song" and
"Boys Don't Cry," and finished with a great, faster, distortion-laced
version of "Killing anArab."
 
   Overall, the  Cure's  performance was much like having to walk through a
cow pasture to get an ice-cream cone.

 THE CURE, Thursday, Aug. 8, at the Delta Center, 7:30 p.m. One show  only.

 The Cure's lead singer/guitarist Robert Smith took a while to warm
 up to the audience in the Delta Center's lower bowl Thursday.

 ''I haven't been communicating with you,'' he said as the band
 reemerged for its first encore. ''I must apologize and start
 talking to you.''

 It was almost too late. Although the music throughout the night was
 good, tight and rocking, Smith seemed to shy away from speaking
 with the crowd. And in doing so, he nearly alienated his adoring
 fans. Sure they grooved, cheered and danced the night away, but the
 overall show lacked the energy on which it ended.

 The crowd was wanting to scream. They did during every break
 between songs. But the wailing and cheering seemed to explode when
 Smith gave his speech, grabbed the microphone and strolled to each
 side of the stage. And when he pumped his shoulders to the music,
 the audience lost control.

 Still, the Cure -- featuring Smith, guitarist Perry Bamonte,
 bassist Simon Gallup, keyboardist Roger O'Donnell and drummer Jason
 Cooper -- delivered the hits.

 The night opened with the fanfare of ''Want.'' As the band walked
 through the canned smoke spewing out of spigots located above and
 around the stage, the audience welcomed the British group back
 after a four-year hiatus.

 Other tunes such as ''Club America,'' ''Fascination Street'' and
 ''Push,'' from the albums ''Wild Mood Swings,'' ''Disintegration''
 and ''Head On the Door,'' respectively, had fans dancing in the
 aisles.

 The melancholy lament of ''Pictures of You'' and the gothic waltz
 of ''This Is a Lie'' mixed well as a well-choreographed light show
 highlighted each tune. Numerous stage lights shot their beams into
 the audience as broad-stroked back lights illuminated a billowing
 back drop -- giving the stage a color-bursting hallucinatory
 effect.

 There were times, however, when the show became a little
 monotonous. Smith and the boys would play for four minutes, stop,
 remain silent, play a new tune for four minutes, stop and so on.
 Maybe if the Cure would have made more medleys of their hits
 instead of using the stop-and-play method, things might have been a
 little more exciting.

 The good thing about keeping the songs short was the lack of
 unnecessary pomp. There were no unsolicited solos or drawn-out
 improvisational jams, which has become gauche with some of the
 touring bands these days. In fact, Smith said it was time for a
 guitar solo and cheekily plucked a few scratchy notes before
 introducing the big sound of ''Charlotte Sometime.''

 For the most part, the Cure played well and loud. Loud is an
 understatement. The music roared. And with such high decibels
 racing through the speakers, there was a faint trace of feedback
 that the sound crew was successful at controlling.

 As morphed human faces shifted across the backdrop, Smith gave a
 nod and began ''Round & Round & Round,'' which was followed by the
 grooving ''Love Song.'' ''Trap'' was the Cure's nod to '70s funk
 revival, and ''Never Enough'' ended the set.

 The audience-friendly encore featured the adrenaline pumping
 ''Catch,'' ''Hot Hot Hot!!!!'' and ''Bananafishbone.'' The band
 also played ''Why Can't I Be You,'' and snuck a jab at the Osmonds
 as Smith croaked out a line from ''Crazy Horses.''

 Encore No. 2 featured ''Friday, I'm In Love'' and ''Boys Don't
 Cry.''

	WOW!  This is about as much as I could say to describe tonight's 
performance...just like heaven!  For me it was a dream come true.  I have 
been waiting to see the Cure for over eight years now and finally the day 
has come!  
Robert,It was worth the wait!  
Coming to the show I tried every possible way to get backstage with no 
success.  Only the radio stations were giving away passes and you know 
how easy that is to win. (NOT!)  But I can't be greedy because I did have 
front row tickets,so I was extremely  happy and felt very lucky indeed!  
As I entered the arena I was overwhelmed by the extravagant stage which 
was before me.  Part of a rollercoaster  and a huge overhanging assembly 
of lights and what not.  We found our seats towards the right side of the 
stage positioned right in front of where Perry would be.  Moments later 
(towards show time) those lucky winners of the backstage passes emerged 
with autographed pictures from the band.  I asked one of the girls what 
Robert was like,she didn't seem very excited she said  "oh he was 
alright".  Don't they always pick the right person to meet the band?
So the lights dim and the tape for Want begins and smoke drifts onto the 
stage as does Roger, Robert, Simon, Perry and Jason.  The opening was a 
bit anti-climatic,I would have hoped for a bigger opening with the lights 
and such but they just gradually came on just as the band gradually began 
to play.  Robert gave his "K'you" and "Hello again" as they moved into 
the next few songs.  The show started a bit slow.  I wonder if an opening 
band would have helped ease the crowd into a better position to join in 
the show right from the start,yet it took a few songs to get going.  
Don't get me wrong though, the show was wonderful to say the least!
Robert didn't speak much until towards the end of the show.  Yet this 
didn't matter much as his voice is so wonderful when he sings and so full 
of emotion.  I felt like I was hearing each of the songs for the first 
time!  Robert's guitar playing was the highlight!  He is so talented!  It 
is incredible to watch!  
We kept yelling at Perry in between songs,but he never really looked up. 
 I guess I wasn't as impressed with him.  He just sort of looks down as 
if guitar chord diagrams are on the ground and he has to study them out 
or he won't be able to play the next song.  All in all I guess I miss 
PORL being in the band.  Perry's playing is a bit weak.  He doesn't play 
through many of the songs.  He leaves the solos and noodles to Robert.
Simon was incredible.  He is so intense and fun to watch.  My wife and I 
stole a few smiles from him as we would wave each time he looked our way. 
 I could really tell he enjoys playing the songs and it was exciting to 
watch a master of the bass guitar perform.  
Roger was really goofy and smiling a lot.  I seemed to me that he and 
Robert have quite a few inside jokes.  He was also strange in that he 
seemed like the one who responded to the crowd the most yet he was the 
first one off the stage before each encore.  I couldn't hear his 
keyboards very well either.  Although I think he's a great performer and 
I hope he stays with the Cure in the future.
Jason looked a bit pissed and uptight.  He had a big frown on his face 
throughout,perhaps touring is not what he had though it to be.  He's a 
very talented drummer though and I was impressed with all that he added 
to the songs and the show.
The greatest part of the show was during Why Can't I Be You when Robert 
came to the edge of the stage directly in front of me and sang!  It was 
incredible to be so close!  What an experience to be next to one who has 
written music that is SO close to my very soul!  It was a moment in time, 
a moment just like heaven!
Well- This is not the end,I'm planning to see the Cure In Albq. New 
Mexico on the 19th.  So I guess I'll see all of you down there! 

Set List:
Want ( a bit slow, but very well done)
Club America (sounded great,never liked this song too much, but loved
it tonight)
Fascination St.  (THE most incredible version I've ever heard!!!!They
sounded very tight!)
Push  (always a GREAT song to get things moving!  ROBERT finally
speaks,and says "This is  one off the Head on the Door Album")
Pictures of You  (VERY Beautiful Version of this song,although not quite 
as drawn out as the album version)
Lullaby  (Very well done!!!  GREAT LIGHTS AND STAGE PRODUCTION
 AT THIS POINT!)
This is a lie ( Jason comes down to the right side of the stage to play
the drums,he doesn't smile much!)
Just Like Heaven (This song WAS Just like Heaven!  Impressed with
Perry's guitar playing!)
Jupiter Crash (Well done,but a bit of a boring song)
Round and Round (Great Version,had a hard time hearing Roger's
beautiful strings which play mid way through the song)
Love Song  (Robert didn't seem too depressed about this song as has
been previously reported! It sounded great!)
The Walk  (I really liked the guitars that Perry added to the song,Robert
said after this song that he would like for someone to take him up on the
offer ..of taking a walk,but sadly the next song would always seem to
happen,an intro to Strange Attraction)
Strange Attraction ( was a little rough)
Mint Car (as was previously reported,Roger and Robert seem to have
some inside joke going about Roger's playing the tambourine,Roger had 
a BIG grin on his face throughout the song and kept creeping up on
Robert at the end of the song Robert said something like "Can't a man
play his guitar?")
Charlotte Sometimes  (This was probably the BEST live version of this
song that I've ever heard!  It was VERY tight and very intense,It was at
this point when the show REALLY started to pick up)
Return  (Very Fast version of this song!)
Trap (A little rough)
Treasure (this song was one that I was Excited to hear,but it was a bit
rough as well)
Prayers for Rain (A great Version,nothing like ENTREAT)
In Between Days (Wonderful how they started this song with just the
Bass and Drums and added the acoustic a bit later)
Edge of the Green Sea  ( A bit slower than I expected!)
Bare (It started out very rough and I was again disappointed as it was a
song I really wanted to hear off their new album,but once it got going IT
REALLY SOUNDED SO BEAUTIFUL!)
Disintegration  (It was great how Simon jumped right into this song after
BARE,VERY INTENSE,better than the live version on the single!)

First Encore:
Robert came out and apologized for not "being so communicative"  and 
promised to talk a bit more,he said they were going to play four singles
Catch (GREAT version of this song,better than PARIS)
Hot Hot Hot (Was very IMPRESSED with Perry's playing,taking over for 
Porl is no easy task)
Lets go to Bed  (Robert finally emerges from behind the mike stand!)
Why Can't I be You  (Robert comes over to our side of the stage, I was
in the front row,and stands a foot in front of me.  I could almost reach
out and touch him,The experience of a lifetime! Great extended version
of the song with a bit of LOVE CATS!)
Second Encore:
Friday I'm in Love  (This song sounded really good!)
Boys Don't Cry (Very impressive,yet you could really miss Porl's guitar
playing here!)
10:15  (A great song,forgot how much I like it!)
Killing an Arab (VERY INTENSE,BEST VERSION EVER HEARD!)
A Forest  (MY ALL TIME FAV.  Very well done,although I would have
liked the long drawn out song with Simon ending the show as was done
on the Wish and Orange live tapes,yet they went into FOREVER to
close the show which was also a very INTENSE and fast song!

Well the Salt Lake show was fantastic. They played about 8 songs from
Mood Swings

Changed a lot of lyrics on a couple songs.Why Can't I Be You was really
wild went on forever and durring the middle they inserted about a third
of Love Cats it was great. 10:15 Saturday night was Incredible! I don't
like that song much but it was great in concert. I was waiting for A
Forest the whole night Because I love how they Play it forever and drag
the end out. Well they played it forever but didn't do the usuall ending
instead they added on a song I have never heard before and I have all
their tapes. Last word was of the song was "Kill"?

My wife liked it much also. She knew all the songs from Disentegration
and they played four from that. Lullaby was cool with the lights
creeping down like spiders.

2 encores

The concert was fantastic!  It started at about 8:00 p.m. and when I
first saw that spiky hair person in the same room as me it sent chills
that went up and down my spine.  There they were, right in front of me!
I had fifth row seats so I was less than twenty feet away from Robert.
Robert was wearing a jersey from the Grizzlies, a local hockey team.
The songs were great.  They played all the ones that I really wanted to
hear live.  Disintegration was absolutely incredible, with improvised
lyrics and extended instrumental parts (what ever you want to call
them).  Things only got better after that as they came back for the
first encore.  They ended the first encore with an extended version of
Why Can't I be You which seemed to go on and on and it was really fun.
The second encore was great too.  When they started up with A Forest I was
ecstatic,I had been waiting for this moment for weeks.They started the song,
but then Robert stopped playing.The band continued with the early part while
Robert got a new guitar.I guess a string had broken or something.He came
back and fooled around with the knobs a bit before continuing with the song.
And it was an incredible song.I timed it from my girlfriends watch,after
about 5-6 minutes they slipped into Forever.What can I say,this song is
amazing live.Most of the audience stopped moving around and just
stood and stared as they went on.Near the end,Robert and Simon 
faced each other and played faster and faster until they were both
strumming as fast as they could.Jason was hitting the symbols almost
every beat and the music was so intense.And then all the band
members left except Robert (and Jason but you couldn't see him very
well) and he wrapped up the song alone.After this he said,"Thank
you,good night" and left.Nobody was disappointed after this amazing
performance.