From Rolling Stone (Issue #956):

Curiosa

Randalls Island, New York, July 31, 2004 (three stars)

After a quarter-century of crafting emotional, gloomy, and often epic art-rock, the Cure have suddenly become the hippest band in the land. Not only was their new album, The Cure, a surprise Top Ten hit, but the group had become a guiding light to a whole new genertion of post-punk bands. Which explains the concept behind the Curiosa Festival, an all-day spectacular that paired the revitalized Cure with several of their disciples. If the harmonic convergence between old and new never quite materialized, it wasn't for a lack of trying.

Interpol-perhaps the band on the tour most direclty influenced by the headliners-proved unable to communicate their nervous post-punk nervous energy to the big crowd, and sound problems hindered their set. More successful were Muse, who augmented Brit-rock anthems with metal guitar riffs, piano solos, and a disco light show worthy of a Madonna tour. The Rapture got some people dancing with their PiL-inspired funk rock, thanks primarily to the boundless energy of keyboardist/cowbell player/saxophonist Gabe Andruzzi.

Anyone catching their first Cure show might have initially wondering what all the fuss was about. Smith, dressed in his classic blacker-than black attire, barely acknowledged his legions of fans, preferring to spent most of the evening hunched over his guitar. The frontman also sounded a little bored during some of the hits, rushing through the vocal nuances of "In Between Days" and "Love Song." That said, the Cure were much more alive when they concentrated on new material, such as "Us or Them." And halfway through the majestic "Pictures of You," hundreds of tiny white lights blazed like stars behind Smith as he strethced out his arms and let the song's vastness and yearning overtake him. It was, literally, Just Like Heaven.

--Kirk Miller

(Thanks Tempest)


From The Village Voice:

HAIR TO DIE FOR

A melancholapalooza of bands does its best to beat the heat
An Ozzfest for kids who've already seen the newly expanded Donnie Darko, Robert Smith's Curiosa Festival landed on Randalls Island two Saturdays ago for a six-hour stretch of distorted guitars, precarious haircuts, and—what else?—three-dollar bottled refreshments. With Lollapalooza a moot point, Curiosa got pretty close to resembling a scaled-down East Coast Coachella: generous lineup of hip bands; stifling, oppressive heat; helicopters buzzing overhead. Unlike at Coachella, I didn't spy any oil-industry scions or stars of The O.C. Indeed, offstage celeb sightings were low: a couple of emaciated inky-haired guys who might've been members of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Cliff Burnstein, the Metallica manager enjoying his newfound fame after appearing in Some Kind of Monster, in which the Rip Van Winkle impersonator trumps all expectations of what a high-powered rock manager looks like.
We strolled through security just as Auf der Maur took the tiny second stage. If the band's recent self-titled debut succeeds in crafting an entire album out of the central riff from Heart's "Barracuda," live, their goth-sludge power-rock lacked oomph. The Rapture, as gracious and enthused as always, lit up the cavernous main stage next. "Y'all like to boogie?" bassist Mattie Safer asked to a roar in the affirmative, though mostly folks sipped beer and blew smoke in my face.
New Jersey emo faves Thursday sounded tinny and overdriven, but they also had a guy whose job it was to tinker with amps and scream choruses. Interpol, perhaps the day's most accomplished Cure disciples, previewed songs from their excellent Antics, Paul Banks's stentorian vocals floating easily over his and Daniel Kessler's interlocking guitars. Muse were insane.
Then the Cure played. Their new stuff's a little too psychedelic and grungy for me—I've still got my old Screaming Trees cassettes, you know?—but on Saturday their classics sounded comfortingly classic: lithe, beautiful little melodies wrapped around unadorned need. "I will always love you," Smith sang. I know the feeling. Mikael Wood

(Thanks Amanda)


From MTV:

NEW YORK — The Cure can't be blamed for catering to their diehards. After all, it's thanks to their passionate devotion that the band that has kept active for most of its 25-year career.

But while many of the fans up front reveled in the improvisational guitar solos and extended versions of the non-single songs that inspired the other bands on the Curiosa festival — most notably the Rapture, Interpol and Muse — the musical histrionics were lost on the casual fans, many of whom began their exodus when the show's early momentum slowed following the singles "Fascination Street" and "High."

If they had only waited through a few more songs, however, the early exiters would have gotten the greatest-hits set that they had hoped for.

"Love Song," off 1989's Disintegration, got the party started and was easily the most well-received offering of the Cure's nearly two-hour set. Any fatigue from the muggy, 85-degree daytime temperature seemed to temporarily dissipate through the sing-and-dance-along flood of "In Between Days" (off 1985's The Head on the Door), "Just Like Heaven" (1987's Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me) and "Pictures of You" (1989's Disintegration). After the onslaught, the elated masses were left wondering when to expect other hits "Friday I'm In Love" (never) and the Cure's signature tune, "Boys Don't Cry" (the end of the second encore).

Frontman Robert Smith kept to himself throughout much of the set, stepping away from the mic to rock gently with his head down, moves that made for a less-than-engaging stage show. Luckily the props, light show and a large video screen that flashed alternating images of abstract Middle East designs, magnified insects and full moons made up for the lack of visual allure.

The lone organic attraction, however, was bassist Simon Gallup. Compared to Smith and his other stiff bandmates, Gallup was a dance machine on par with the most fervent in the crowd. Shuffling his feet and throttling the neck of his instrument, he energetically rode the songs' weaving bass lines that are responsible for the Cure's grooviness, even if they are often overlooked in favor of Smith's gloomy lyrics, uppity hairdo and penchant for wearing black.

Despite being the festival anomaly, Thursday managed to draw a sizable pre-dinner crowd to the second stage with their emotionally wrought metal. They were followed by Muse, who launched into their second-stage performance just as the sun had set to contrast the swirling light show that complemented their fleet-fingered Brit rock.

While the Rapture, the band most obviously affected by the Cure, opted for comfort as they dug into their cowbell-driven dance rock wearing jeans and T-shirts, making them indistinguishable from any other messy-haired concertgoer, fellow NYC hipsters Interpol disturbingly donned black suits in the sweltering afternoon heat. During their set of ultra-cool mod rock, composed of tracks from 2002's Turn on the Bright Lights and their forthcoming Antics, the band somehow avoided passing out from heatstroke.

Former Hole/ Smashing Pumpkins bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur led her quintet Auf Der Maur wearing an olive green miniskirt and knee-high boots. She was all swinging hips and red hair as she proffered the sprawling, unconventional rock songs that comprise her self-titled debut album. At the close of her mid-afternoon set, she thanked the Cure for having them, and commented that Curiosa was "the most romantic tour of the summer."

Glaswegian rockers Mogwai opened the main stage with walls of thick, droning noise and feedback, which made for a disorienting introduction to what amounted to a laid-back day that offered something for everyone.

- Joe D'Angelo

(Thanks Tallis)


From The New York Times:

A Bunch of Hypersensitive Guys Emote, Along With Their Disciples

August 2, 2004
By JON PARELES

If a band sticks around long enough, it can headline a festival of its disciples. That's what the Cure is doing with its Curiosa Festival, which brought eight bands and six hours of music to Randalls Island on Saturday. Playing half-hour sets on two stages, alternating so that every concertgoer could hear every note, the opening acts lavished admiration on the Cure; Geoff Rickly, the lead singer of Thursday, even thanked the woman who first played a Cure album for him.

The Cure had a lot to teach. As early as its 1979 single, "Boys Don't Cry" - Saturday's finale - the Cure was not only insisting that a man could be vulnerable and emotional, but giving those feelings a new kind of voice: Robert Smith's quivering, almost androgynous yelp, desperately blurting out its need. Two decades later, the Cure would turn out to be a cornerstone of emo, the collegiate rock in which hypersensitive guys tell all.

Thursday was Curiosa's emo representative. Its songs whipsaw between personal and political alienation; its music regularly churned into double time while the hyperactive Mr. Rickly bounded across the stage and down into the audience, cuing singalongs on lines like, "I don't want to feel this way forever." Mr. Smith's yelp was also echoed by Luke Jenner of the Rapture, who used it to blurt his band's enigmatic lyrics over bare-bones dance grooves that reach back to the no wave of the early 1980's.

The Cure's attention to texture - from the minimalism of its early trio lineup to the layered counterpoint of songs like "Fascination Street" to the psychedelic infernos of its latest album, "The Cure" (Geffen) - also echoed through the bill. Mogwai, from Scotland, played radiant introspective rock instrumentals that gradually and inexorably moved between shimmer and stomp, presaging the crescendos of the Cure's own set.

The Rapture and Interpol, both from New York City, leaned toward the minimal side of the Cure's legacy, with neatly interlocked guitars making each song a blueprint of itself, clarifying each moving part; neither band does much with melody, but the Rapture's terse little mottoes and dance
momentum had more charm than Interpol's nasal, portentous metaphors. And the Cooper Temple Clause, which has learned more than a few things from Radiohead, segued tinkling keyboards into pounding rock that seethed with darker impulses, filling up the songs from within with noise.

All those ingredients returned in the Cure's two-hour set, along with the band's secret of longevity: its pop instincts. Mr. Smith writes songs with lyrics that might look mawkish on the page, often bemoaning the loves that got away. He promises endless, boundless love that just won't stop after a breakup; it gnaws at him, as the music piles up layer upon layer, taking its time. His songs have become doomed-romantic anthems for a generation of
high-school and college students.

Some songs are neat matrixes of short pop hooks; in others, a bass line tolls while guitars create fogbanks of distortion. And every so often, a lyric glimpses the outside world; a new one, "Us or Them," lashed out at war and bigotry, insisting, "There is no terror in my heart." Onstage, with lights that gave Mr. Smith a saintly aura, the Cure's music reached a genuine grandeur, turning romantic torment into its own lush sanctuary.

Only two bands seemed out of place on the bill: Auf der Maur, led by Melissa Auf der Maur, which came across as a self-parody of punk and hard-rock poses, and Muse, which overdecorated its own troubled songs with the virtuosic guitar, keyboard and vocal excesses of Matt Bellamy,
including a quasi-classical piano interlude worthy of Liberace. Mr. Bellamy was the most conventionally gifted singer on the bill, and the most insufferable one. His histrionics made the yelpers sound even more sincere.

(Thanks Lenore)


Concert review: Curiosa
By Mick Stingley, Reuters

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Curiosa is two stages of offbeat music featuring headliners the Cure along with the Cooper Temple Clause,
Interpol, the Rapture, Mogwai and former Hole/Smashing Pumpkins bassist Melissa Auf der Maur (her band called simply Auf der Maur).

Whether it goes down as an alt-rock Ozzfest or a Lollapalooza for the new millennium, "Curiosa" arrived at Randall's Island, just across the
East River from Manhattan, to a strong turnout and overwhelming enthusiasm.

Yet despite electrifying performances from the Cooper Temple Clause and Auf der Maur, it is clear that the star of the Curiosa show is Robert
Smith, gauged by the throng of attendees who besieged the main stage at 9 p.m. to embrace the bleak beauty and contagious pop of his highly
influential band, the Cure.

Emerging from plumes of dry ice blowing across the stage, the Cure opened with the mournful "Lost," the first track from their eponymous
new Geffen CD. Singing "I can't find myself!" Smith indeed seemed overwhelmed by the immense arcs of the three-tiered lighting rig that
shrouded him in blue. But he was very much a presence and a force to be reckoned with.

Clad in black, guitar slung across his chest and his electrified hair teased out beyond self-parody, Mr. Smith was larger than life. The
singer gleefully yelped and whooped his finest songs to the delight of his screaming fans -- male and female, young and old.

Following with "Labyrinth," also from the new album, the Cure embraced their past and their loyal following, showcasing a spectacular array of
gems including "Let's Go to Bed," the dreamy "Fascination Street," "Lovesong," "Just Like Heaven" and the '80s synthesizer glory of
"Inbetween Days."

Though he barely spoke between songs, Smith offered communion to the masses with a riveting long version of "Pictures of You." The moment was
so beautiful and elegant that Melissa Auf der Maur appeared in the crowd at stage right, dancing with spirited Cure fans, hips swaying, arms in
the air. She was overheard to say, "This is the most romantic music."

Truly, for the crowd at Randall's Island, dancing before Robert Smith under a shimmering Manhattan sky, it was.

Returning for two encores, the Cure delighted the already mesmerized audience with choice selections from their catalog, including "A Forest," "10:15 Saturday Night" and the show-stopping closer, "Boys Don't Cry."

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

08/02/04 19:28 ET

(Thanks TrentinLA)


The concert in New York is the first time I got to see The Cure playing since the dream tour. Transportation to Randall's island was convenient, although the day was suffocatingly hot and humid, and this was not help by security at the entrance confiscating water bottles. The sound from the first stage (where mogwai was playing) reached the entire park, but it was difficult to hear the second stage unless you were really close, and even then, the sound was horrible. The crowd was pretty quiet until Interpol showed up, mostly lounging on the lawn or standing in line for beer. One interpol were done however, most people rushed forward to the stage, missing Muse whom someone brilliantly stuck right before The Cure.

We waited for close to an hour in the tight crowd, where lots of people were smoking, happily spreading their ashes over everyone. Unfortunately, Marlboro wasn't the favoured smoking material of the day, resulting in a lot of people in the crowd being high following as many as 8 (at least for the guy standing in front of me) reefers before the show started. Personally, I despise seeing this in the crowd, as some cure fans who're high tend to
dance like crazy, grinding themselves against everyone (including my GF), and reenacting the songs in pantomime.

At 8:45 The cure finally took the stage. It was thankfully dark, with an errie full moon. The lighting on the stage was very good, with computer
projectors providing the backdrop. Not as impressive as the dream tour, but it's not really the same settings.

The show started with a good rendering of "Lost", drawing sounds of disappointed from the crowd who was looking for plainsong. This was followed
by Labyrinth, foretelling too many songs from the new album in tonight's setlist. Next was Fascination street, which I personally dislike and consider to be mediocre compared to the rest of disintegration, certainly not worthy of being played in every show. Before Three, my favourite song from the new album was up next, and it was rendered nicely, although I think there was potential for more. Then, finally, came the first surprise of the day, with a great version of High. Next, building on the energy, was the end of the world.

Next came the familiar songs, a pretty standard rendition of lovesong, followed by an energetic Inbetween Days and a great and touching performance of just like heaven. Pictures of you, another overplayed song from disintegration was next. Back to the new album, Robert gave a very
disappointing performance of "us or them", barely getting the excitement to shout and not reproducing the great feeling of anger from the album. My GF thought that the best thing about this performance was the eerie graphics of ants in the background.

Apparently, Robert wasn't really lacking energy because up came deep-green-sea, with great graphics in the background and a very touching
performance, although the crowd wasn't swept. Back to the new album, a good performance of the very mediocre "alt.end", again a peculiar selection, but then again, some chose to make it a single. Hundred years was ok, although not up to dream-tour standards (although the lighting scheme was similar). Finally, a lackluster version of the promise ended a disappointing setlist.

During the first encores, M was disappointing, whereas play for today and forest were great. Coming back for the second encore, the band started what sounded like the first chords of lovecats, switching rapidly to become 10:15 in the second surprise of the day, drawing cheers from a lot of people in the crowd. Boys don't cry, not surprisingly, ended the show. After the show was over, the music went on playing for too long, making us cheer until five minutes later things were shut off.

So all-in-all, a disappointing show because of the predictable setlist, with a few great moments from the older material. It was clear that the band was
being rushed, often starting a song immediately after the first ended, with the only word in between is an occasional "thank you".

I'm praying that the Boston show will have something closer to the Camden setlist rather than to this show.

- Uri.


1. Did anyone else have as much parking trouble as us? We literally circled the parking lot 6 or 7 times asking *every* attendant for "Lot 3?" before someone knew where Lot 3 actually was.

2. The rest of the venue: What a mess. Far and away the *worst* place I've ever seen the Cure play at. This includes HFStival. Luckily, the people were far far better at getting along in a festival environment than the HFStival crowd.  Because of the lack of pit, we opted to sit up front through the second stage acts - which was an unfortunate choice and ultimately a mistake.  We had, however, a mission (The Anniversary poster ;) ) and went with that.

3. The sound: This was, as well, the worst sounding Cure gig I've been to. No idea what was off...but it wasn't anything good. The best I can say is that I was definitely hearing instruments and notes that I don't normally hear at live shows. This would've been ok except for...well. the rest of it was so bad.  The Cure did seem to hit their stride somewhere before "The Promise"...and really took off halfway through that song.

4. The energy: So, in Florida, Robert was spitting into the mic when he sang "Lost" and was totally energetic. That may have been the mixing, but I got that impression from the other bands as well. The heat? Out partying the night before? Don't know...Even the CowBell Guy from Rapture was amazingly subdued

5. Mogwai: Yeah...they were mogwai :)

6. Rapture: Fun, but they felt a bit beat.

7. Interpol: They were real troopers about Carlos' bass problems! He's really an entertaining fellow and I almost welcomed him being "center stage" (so to speak) for a bit.

8. Cure: Wow. Lost was a mess! It didn't get better for awhile.  If this had been my first (or only) Curiosa gig...I either would have been disappointed or just not known any better. I really hope a lot of the first-timers made it to Camden...

9. Anniversary: No go. Oh Well. We'll try again the next night...even we weren't that enthusiastic about it Saturday.

10. The venue(2): THE best "hanging out after the show and lounging around" policy I've encountered. Laying on the ground and munching on a $5 domino's pizza is a surprisingly good way to wait out the departing traffic....

- jofny/jack and spiggy/paivi


Good times last night.  I was, like most, dissapointed with the set list.  Was really hoping for Plainsong or Disintegration.  I'm very jealous of everyone in Europe who got to hear Closedown.  Oh well.

I've already seen the Cure twice this year, at Coachella and WHFS.  Right now I'm really mad at myself for jumping the gun and spending all travel/ticket cash on those shows rather than saving my money/energy for Curiosa.  It really just takes things to a new level when it's the Cure's
actual show.  Coachella/HFS had not video whatsoever.  You really don't get the full effect without it.

I LOVE the lights/video on this tour.  (I think it's better than the dream tour.)  Several white sheets blowing in the wind cover the entire backdrop area.

Lots of people are talking about these shows being "festival" shows and the Cure having to tailor their setlists to the "festival crowd" who aren't familiar with them.  I really think that's a fallacy.  This is a CURE show.  Yeah there are 7 other bands who play for 30 minutes (slightly more in Interpol's case) but no one is shelling out the money to see this show without being there first and foremost for the Cure.  Coachella and HFS were festival shows, these are CURE SHOWS and should play to serious Cure fans (as the Dream Tour did).  If the Cure come back this winter and do an indoor tour for the fans, then I'll change my mind on this.  We can dream...

Mogwai was great, though they are better suited for a club show where they can really be loud.  Rapture was boring. Interpol was great, but got old for me about half way through...

Lost- this is my favorite track on the Cure, but hearing it meant I probably wasn't going to get Plainsong. Bittersweet.  Robert didn't really go all out for this one. At HFS he was wailing (as he does on the album) as somone else mentioned, this version was missing the "third gear" that the album track gets to.

Labyrith - first time live for me.  Really dug it.  The video of the spinning maze was great.

Fascination St. - sick of it.  I mean, it's great... but I don't get why it's in every show.  It's just not good enough to be in every setlist.

Before 3 - Whether it was the soundboard or the band...this one didn't sound as good as it usually does live.  The visuals were great though.  The glistening yellows and the huge moon...

High - Surprise!  You really take the fun out of these tours by reading the setlists on COF every day, but I have no willpower.  I have to!  But this was one of those left field surprises.  To be honest the mix didn't sound that great, but I was so happy to hear it.  Blue skys and white clouds flowing on the video.

EOTW/Lovesong/Days/JLH - Got to have the pop part to get the whole crowd rocking.  I'm not sold on EOTW... it's not horrible... but I just don't love it.  Not poppy enough to be a great single... not dark enough to be a cure classic. Lovesong I'm sick of... but I know why they have to play it.  Inbetween Days I'm totally sick of too... I don't know why this is in practically 100% of all setlists... throw in Lovecats or Friday or some other pop to change it up.  JLH I will never get sick of because it's the perfect song.

Pictures was just great.  A young drunk idiot was falling into people near me during JLH.  We settled him down, but then when POY started he was at it again.  Shoving people and acting like a dazed moron.  I almost punched him in the face... I'm not an agressive or particularly strong person, but when you try to ruin the instrumental opening of POY for me, I will take you out.  I and some other dudes shoved him to the back. 

Other than that incident I have to say the crowd was great where I was.  Others have complained, but everyone around me had their hands in the air, sung the Play for Today keys, and new every word of every song, even the new ones.

Us or Them -- very cool video.  Ants!  Song was ok.  Not that emotional... whatevs.

FTEOTDGS - Every time I hear this song I think, well that is the best version ever.  This was my 7th... and it was the best version ever.  The Video made it for me.  Awesome green waves crashing... This is the only song that should be in every set.  It's just amazing live.

alt.end did absolutely nothing for me.  Boring on the album.  Boring live.

100 Years - Very aggesive.  Perry in particular got into this... jumping as he played... I didn't like the video for this one on the Dream Tour, and it hasn't changed.  It's just a little heavy handed, all the genocide imagery.  Love the lights.

The Promise.  This song builds to a fervor.  So great. Roger was really into it.  Slamming the keys...  I would always rather hear Disintegration as a main set closer...but this is a good substitute.  Better than Bloodflowers,in my opinion.

17 Seconds encore was quite nice.

10:15 and BDC was good too. 

Nothing much to say about the encores.  I enjoyed them. The crowd dug it.  But nothing exciting like "Faith"... I know it's stupid to harp on, but it's just such a damn shame that they have time constraints.  Couldn't the festival start 30 minutes earlier?  Cut Interpol 15 minute short?  Something? 

The idiots running the light / sound board kept the stage lights on for a good 5 minutes after the 2nd encore.  We were all cheering like mad for a third... and then the house music finally came on.  UGH.  This is SO CRUEL.  Not the first time this has happened to me at a Cure show. When the band is done, please turn on the "show over" lights and play the house music as soon as possible.  It's just mean to make us cheer for another encore for nothing.

So I just read the Camden set... Wish I had a car.  NYC defintely got the short end of the stick. 

Sorry for all the whining.  There were some definite high points.

- Charlie Todd


I don't disagree wholeheartedly with Josh's review of the NY show. Everybody has different levels of expectations when they attend a concert, and one person's great show is another persons exercise in mediocrity. I went into this show with lower expectations than for a "full on" Cure concert. There's only so much one can expect from their favorite artist when they are dealing with strict time constraints and performing to an audience who may not be as familiar with their work than the hard-core fans. That said, I think the NY show was a bit uneven, yet still had many moments of brilliance. First off I have to say that Simon is in fantastic form, his playing is the backbone of their sound, just absolutely mesmerizing watching and listening, every note punching through the mix with crystal clear quality.

I was happy to hear many new songs played. I think that some of the songs came off better than the studio versions, and some vice versa.

The weather was oppressively hot and humid and by the time the Cure started at 8:50, the crowd was eager but very drained. Midway through the set an eerie huge full moon arose out of the trees in the eastern sky. It seemed to be moving so fast off the horizon it added a strange feeling for me especially during 100 years.

In the afternoon as my friends and Iwere siting down on the lawn near the front right of the stage Jason Cooper walked right by us with a gal in tow. I think he was going to the second stage to check out Thursday as after they were done he came right back by us and went right through the gate to the
backstage area. He seemed to go unrecognized.

Lost: The show started with some ambient tape music and the band hit the stage. I thought it might lead into Plainsong, but the tape abruptly stopped and then "I...." I think this was very good live, but Robert's vocal inflections were a little different. His voice didn't reach the stratosphere on that first "IIIIIIIIII..." like on the album when the song hits third gear. It was good to hear the keys a bit more pushed forward. I'm almost certain that Robert didn't hit every line, and this was to happen a couple of times with the new songs. I just don't understand that.

Labyrinth: This is one of my favorite new songs on the album. Simon was incredible of course, and I'm pretty sure Robert missed the line "...the
same boy burning in the same bed" which is my favorite line from the first half of the song. Not so much for the content but for the delivery. Also, the vocal effects which I love were absent. Overall, a bit sloppy but powerful.

Fascination Street: Tight.

Before Three: Robert missed the first "yeah yeah" which some people probably didn't mind lol, but hey I like them yeah yeahs, especially the third one. Perry's guitar could have been louder for the main riff. Again Robert seems to stumble midway through this song every time. The song seems to
sputter midway, and then gets going again for the end when they play this one out. Still, this is a great summer outdoor kind of song.

High: Why? This is where the set list started getting weak for me. It was like being back at the Galore show again.

TEOTW/Lovesong/Inbetween Days/JLH: Crowd really came alive for JLH. Nothing spectacular in this block but the warm embrace of familiarity
for the festival crowd. Again if it wasn't for Simon I would have been bored.

Pictures Of You: Great full intro.

Us Or Them: Wow. Really heavy and manic. Loved it.

Deep Green Sea: From where I was I did see a lot "hands in the air." A little too long maybe.

alt.end: I thought this was much better live, more heavy electric guitar than the album and no clap track! Excellent.

One Hundred Years: Absolutely fantastic. Robert attacking his guitar at the end like I've never seen (well he may have topped it in The Promise)
The show really hit full flight right here as the full moon appeared on the horizon.

The Promise: OMG..this may be the best song I've ever seen them play out. Just kept building and building around Simon until an explosive finale that seemed to go on and on. I never wanted it to end.

M, Play For Today, A Forest: Excellent. Band was in full flight, Robert sounded great. Robert once again frantically attacking his guitar was
awesome. His voice got better as the show went on. He started a bit scratchy with Lost.

10:15: Played at 10:25 on a Saturday night. Cool.

Boys Don't Cry: A nice punchy end to the night. Crowd really moving for this one. Robert said his "thanks for making it fucking great" or something. Seems he's been saying that at every show.

Overall I think the show will please depending on the level of expectation going into it. The final third of the show was fantastic. 100 years and The Promise were the high points for me. I was disappointed with the set list. I would have much preferred A Night Like This, or even Push to High if I
had to hear a "poppy song". NYC got the "pop nightmare". Nonetheless it had some really memorable high points such as 100 Years, The Promise, and both encores.

Just a couple of more gripes about Curiosa. The field where the concert was held was HUGE. Could have easily fit  150,000 people. According to
COF the capacity was 25,000 or so. You'd think that would be amazing, so much room. Well yes, and no. Sure it was great being able to actually
sit down very close to the stage for most of the day. But for some reason the merchandise booth was placed directly behind the sound board about 200 feet or less back from the stage. Impossible to have a clear sight line from behind it whatsoever. So everybody crammed in front of it by the time The Cure played and it was very tight. I give all the credit in the world to the sound because it was ctystal clear even all the way back even 200 yards away.

I'd recomend that no one go to to Curiosa with hopes of drinking beer because there were 2 lines and they stretched all the way across the field. It would have taken easily an hour to get a beer. In that heat it wasn't a good idea to drink anyway. This may just be this venue though. I'm sure the amphitheaters have more beer kiosks. On the good note, the food, soft drink stands, and rest rooms were plentiful and was nary a wait. Kudos.

- Mike

Bottom line review:  Band sounded great, Robert sounded great ... with the exception of "wussing-out" a bit on Lost, Before 3, and Us or Them (as well the occasional and endearing flubbed line now or then), lighting was exceptional, sound clear and powerful (except Before 3). Set was predictable, yet enjoyable for my first show of this tour.
 
BUT ... I am SO over hearing people bitch about how the "true fans" were let down by all the pop stuff in the setlist.  I've been a "true" fan for 25 years and appreciate all sides of The Cure ... the miserable, the silly, the emotional, and the pop.  It's this ecclectic spirit that makes the band as great as they are.
 
Now I've got to get my ass on the road to Camden!
 
- Blobby


Barring the Trilogy shows, which likely will endure as the most amazing experience I’ve ever participated in ‘til the day I die, last night’s show at Randall’s Island was in the top tier of Cure shows I’ve seen. (Which is something like 25 shows across 12 years?) Feeling that way, and knowing that I'm usually pretty picky, I was surprised to see the mixed-leaning-to-negative reviews so far. To me, that show was EXCELLENT. Couldn’t have asked for more. (Except Homesick, of course, but hey, I finally got it in Germany, and I’m resigned to never hearing it again. Kinda.)

Anyway, I’m a big dance fiend, and I don’t dance “small,” so I made myself comfortable way, way out back so I could dance my face off without interfering with anyone else’s concert experience. That also means I can’t comment on the show itself, since frankly I rarely if ever WATCH any Cure shows. Too busy grooving.

The Bloodflowers tour was prolly the peak for the old-skool, "the-deeper-and-darker-the-better" fans like me--last night offered a much wider selection. They mixed things up enough so I never got bored, though. I thought most of the new album played well, with the exception of Us or Them--one of my favorites on the CD but, sadly, kind of a dud live. Didn't seem like Robert was "feeling it." But even Lost, which I CAN’T STAND on record, kinda won me over, which totally shocked me. Labyrinth was great, too. I love the song on record but the vocal effect irritates me; I liked that they didn't use the effect live.

Now, on to my highlight: THE PROMISE, which absolutely scorched the place. Seriously, I’m praying this becomes one of those EOTDGS/Forest/Fascination St. staples that you can almost always count on hearing live from now ‘til eternity. I danced so hard to that song that the muscles from my fingers to my ankles are still shaky. Nirvana=attained. I’m still running an internal argument in my head over whether I should jump in the car and head to Camden purely so I can dance to that song live one more time.

I was psyched that we got so many “dark era” encores. I was too far back to hear the crowd chorus for Play for Today, which made me sad, but I’m
happy to hear from other reviews that it happened. I “Ohhh'd” by myself in the back like a fool anyway.

So obviously, I had a ball. Any show that I walk out of wishing I had a stretcher to get my exhausted flesh to the car is a good show as far as I’m concerned. I still have about 2.5 hours to decide if I’m going to Jersey or not. MUST HAVE WILL POWER. Wish me luck.
 
- Angel

Nothing else to really say about the show that hasnt been. Had both its high and lows. High was a great surprise and the encores were amazing. I
got to meet Robert Smith on fuse yesterday and then to be in frontrow yesterday and have him laugh when he saw me waving was awsome.

-Dan 


Last nights concert had a variety of highs and lows.  I hate the new album, plain and simple. I can listen to it and try to like it but to be honest the only song that has any passion in it is The Promise. Because of this, half the concert was amazing, half not so.

We arrived early so we were maybe 20 ft from the stage, dead center. It was unbeliveably humid and everyone was sweaty and disgusting, but
once they came on it suddenly became bearable.

I can never quite figure out why bands begin a show with a sucky new song. Its always a downer. Why can't they understand that you get the crowd excited if you start them off with a favorite? So the first 2 songs were nothing special. Reading the setlists for the other shows this tour I knew that if I didn't hear Plainsong within the first 2 songs, I wasn't going to hear it. Oh well.

Fascination Street was excellent.  A big problem during the entire show was the main guitar was coming over the speakers too low, while the keyboards too loud. So in the songs where the guitar is key (FTEOTDGS, Fascination Street, One Hundred Years), I felt we missed out. But they were still amazingly powerful. I'm glad he mixed up a new song, then a good old song, new song, etc because if we had to stand there and listen to 5 new songs in a row I think people would have started leaving. It did feel kind of like a greatest hits show at some points with Just Like Heaven, Fascination Street, Lovesong and High. But I'm so in love with this band it didn't matter, even if I was longing for some old classics. Pictures of You was so moving and on the last lines I felt as if Robert was weeping with emotion. So beautiful.

The encores were awesome. When Play for Today came on the audience (at least around where we were) were all singing the harmony in unison
(OOOhh ooohh OOOOHHHHHHHHH...). Really pulled us together as true, undying fans. Truly a main highlight of the night. 10:15 was also
awesome with everyone Drip Drip Drip Dripping together.

Although nothing, NOTHING will ever compare with the Dream Tour (especially Jones Beach) it was definitely nice to catch them again in an outdoor Summer show. I'm not sure how many fans actually turned out and why it was so few, but it didn't matter. I felt priveledged to be there. While the new stuff sucks, I would go to watch them play anything and always enjoy myself. Robert is a true artist and always captures my heart and soul.

- Simone Launerts

While my opinion of the new Cure record is the exact opposite of Josh's (I actually think it's their strongest since 'Wish'), I agree that most of the
new songs fizzled live.  Robert didn't seem to be ablt eo muster the neither conviction nor the energy he does on the album, and even fiery numbers like "Us or Them" seemed lackluster and mechanical.  Sadly, the same was true for the rest of the set.  Though the band doubtlessly needs to be more ecumenical in song choice when playing for a festival crowd, the reliance on hits was, at times, almost exasperating.  The back-to-back "Inbetween Days" and "Just Like Heaven" felt lazy and predictable.  I hadn't seen the Cure since the 1996 tour, and my hopes were impossibly high.  Save for an encore and a smoldering performance of "A Hundred Years", I was more than a little let down.

I do think this has to do with the fact that on this tour, the band is playing to crowds that mostly know the hits.  While I can certainly undertsand this decision to tailor the setlist to that crowd (and the people around me seemed thrilled by the set choice), I do think the hardcore Cure fan is going to feel a bit cheated.

The day's two other highlights were Interpol and The Rapture.  I'd seen both before, but I was surprised at how well the Rapture's fractured funk
translated to an open-air daytime rock festival.  Interpol also has grown into their hype, and executed themselves with masterful self-posession. 
Their songs are even leaner and fiercer than they are on the record.

- K


In short:  Great show!, but no surprises.

I hadn’t been to Randall’s Island since 1998 to see Sinead O’Connor, and I was picturing the old stadium.  The old stadium made festivals GREAT. 
There were no assigned seats, but there were plenty of places to sit, and you could just wander onto the field whenever you wanted to get closer to the stage.  So I was quite disappointed to find that the entire set up for concerts now is:  stand or sit in grass.  I’m so lucky the rain never came, because my friend and I didn’t even have a blanket!

The schedule was running early, which pissed me off because the only bands I wanted to see were Rapture, Interpol and The Cure, but the Rapture set was half over.  Not too much of a bummer, since I wound up seeing just enough of them and they get on my nerves after a bit.  Interpol was great, but their set felt like it was over in a wink!  I loved their new songs, which I’d never heard.  Their set list avoided the towering songs like "Untitled" "Hands Away" or "The New" in favor of I guess their more concert-friendly, post-punky songs, which I love too, but I would have preferred a balance.

Then the Cure came on around 8:45.  They played for and hour and forty-five minutes.  I should say, by the way, that this was my first Cure concert ever, but I have Trilogy so at least, I was familiar with their live playing style.  There were, well, no surprises.  The set list built on what they’ve been playing.  The concert was in roughly four acts:  The New Album; The Hit Singles; The Gloomy Dirges; Encores: The Early Years.  I was keeping my fingers crossed for three of the songs that have been mixed into some of the dates:  Plainsong, Push, and Jupiter Crash.  No luck on any of those.  The only "wild card" song I can think of that hasn’t been played too frequently was "Us Or Them," which is easily my least favorite song on the new album, so that didn’t thrill me.

It was thrilling to see Robert in the flesh for the first time, though, and he truly was giving these songs his all.  I really enjoyed the new album songs, and it seems that live they Cure-i-fied them a bit more...I heard a synth line through "Us or Them"...on "Before Three" the percussion was toned down and Roberts voice was more impassioned, less screamy than on the album.  As usual, the audience was thrilled more by the hits.  This didn’t look like I expected a Cure audience to look like anyway...it was heavy on the hippies and fratboys, like they showed up at the wrong night for Dave Matthews.  But everyone was enjoying it, and I most people seemed to be singing along to the new album songs.  One highlight for me had the audience standing stock still, seemingly bewildered, and that was "One Hundred Years."  One of my 10 favorite Cure songs, it was momentous for me to hear it, and it was performed with passion and a suitably bleak stage production.  "The Forest" was also pretty amazing for me.  It was one of the few times the Cure seemed to let go and just go with a feeling and play on the live energy, whereas on most other songs it seems like they are just trying to play the best version of a song they can for us.  But "The Forest" really moved me, and the audience was really wound up.

- Madeye


As a long time fan of the cure, but first time concert goer, I must say that I was a little underwhelmed by the show, but I think Josh's critique was a little harsh.  I too had a problem with many of the new songs........I only like a couple from the latest album.  I strongly disagree with his view that they barely made it through "Before Three".  That has to be my favorite on the album and I think the live version was better than the album version.  As far at the reaction of the crowd, I can't say from experience, but people seemed relatively calm.......maybe it was the heat.  We happened to be standing, front and center about halfway between the stage and the soundboard/controls/whatever, behind a few assholes that happened to be smoking and flicking their ashes around as if there was no one else there.  After we were able to shift a little to one side things go better.  Jones Beach is a great venue and I could imagine a much better show there looking out over the water and being able to sit down if you wanted.  Kudos to the Randall's Island people for getting the parking right.  I dreaded leaving the show, but ended up getting out of the lot in 10 minutes and on my way home out east.
 
We can only hope there is another album, another tour and a better venue.
 
- Chris Pickerell


July 31st 2004. Everyone told me how much Randalls Isle sucks, I can't argue after yesterday, one of the worst possible choices for this show.
I get there into the last fifteen minutes of 'The Raptures' set, this band is worse live than on album, they should be taken off the tour and their time given to Interpol. Interpol was stunning (but we all know this anyway) Bass went out for a while, they must have lost one song of an already small set but sounded exquisite. I loved this band for a while now, seeing them live makes it more. Looking forward to seeing them solo and the new album (the new song sounded so good)

Now onto the Cure. I was able to get a nice stop 4 people back from the railing between Roger and the PA (AND MAN WERE THEY LOUD) I couldn't believe how easily I got this close, I'm thinking what's wrong with this crowd? The whole night I had room to move around, no pushing, nobody
trying to get closer to Robert. This is not normal? Looking around I see all the people dressed in white shirts, the shaved heads, the baseball caps, and I knew at this moment we wouldn't get a good encore. Think that sounds bad? Wait it gets worse. (as far as where I was which was close to the front and Robert) THIS CROWD DID NOT MOVE, THIS CROWD DID NOT SING, THIS CROWD DID NOT DANCE. YOU PEOPLE SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES. That is so disrespectful, Never wonder why you didn't hear Faith, or anything other than a 'greatest hit' These people were like stone white clowns! There wasn't much movement for Inbetween or JLH either. With the exception of a few, most were just standing there still for the entire 105 minutes. People did start to get a bit more into it during the encore, but what's the point then? Were not going to get a
'good' one. I'm just shocked and upset of the crowd..... Never complain when a festival is the only chance to see the greatest band on earth. Never complain that he does not go all out with NYC setlists. Never complain he treats LA better. Never complain that there is 4+ years inbetween US shows. Never complain when there is no US tour in the future. You have no one to blame but yourselves!!!  This crowd was up there with HFStivals crowd.....

Now the show. Fortunately I have a better review for the boys than their audience. I was severely disappointed with the set list. Being realistic
with the songs I would have preferred to hear, I did not hear one. Opened with Lost (which I was hoping wouldn't happen) he was very flat vocally, music sounded great. Labyrinth, same thing. Fasci St.. He started picking up vocally a bit, he came over to us in front of Roger with a big smile <3 (not that the crowd deserved it for the most part) Did a very animated lullaby-esque type of performance here. This song sounded good. Then B43, some reviews said he got the lyrics wrong, he did get the lyrics correct last night, but there were no guitars, I mean NONE him or Perry. I think maybe the last 30 seconds the guitars came back. He also sounded a bit flat in this sound. Then comes the only surprise of the night, High, honestly didn't think this would happen, but while were playing the happiest Cure songs in existence, WHY THE F. NOT  =X It sounded really good, the band and Robert, he gave the cutest howl towards the end of it. This is where the band as a whole really started picking up and getting tight and sounding perfect, and I mean perfect =)) Then into the obligatory hits. TEOTW, not too fond of this one, but the way it sent the band into perfection was so great. This was actually the best I've ever heard this song played live, Roger was mixed right for once here. Lovesong was incredible, Rogers keys really cut through me that close to the PA, did I mention how loud the band was? Inbetween, same shit different day. JLH, see Inbetween (not that they didn't sound great, just nothing worth mentioning) Just imagine a crowd that was close to still for these last two songs. I know, I didn't think it was
possible either. Onto Pictures, perfect as always. Then Us or Them, Okay major note here, I don't like this song, I don't HATE it like 'never', but I don't like this song and edited it off the cdr that I made of the album, I think it's one of the worse Cure songs to date. His voice, in this song, was fucking spectacular!!! High notes galore as if it was the Kissing Tour for 5 minutes, I couldn't believe it, that was his best vocal moment of the night. Still don't like the song, but he was amazing during it, if he can get that high the whole tour, I'll put this song into the Only like it live category. FTEOTDGS. Beautiful. Perfect. Band seriously sounded perfect here, and most of the show, but this was one of, if not, the best song of the night. The screen behind it was a great touch, I should say that for the whole show actually. Alt-end sounded good, but it seemed as if it was missing something. 100yrs, one word needs to be said here, Perfect. The boys seemed really into playing this one. Robert was putting all he had into that guitar, wow. Same for the next song too. He seems very enthused. Promise sounded good. I don't this song should be in the set given the time restraints. As long and new as it is he could play Cold and Charlotte, or Same deep water in the time of this one....But it's pointless for me to say this. The song sounded great and had it's live emotion that it always does. People who don't like this song obviously haven't seen it live. At this point I knew the set was over, I knew I wasn't going to hear any of the songs I wanted to hear in the main set, and I also knew by the crowd I wouldn't hear any of the encores I wanted to hear. However, the encore set could have been ALOT worse. Was expecting the WCIBY type of encore, so actually getting the 17secs encore was a pleasant surprise. M sounded superb, they were still in top form as they were before they left the stage. Play for today was prefect too, people actually started moving a bit here to my surprise, but no "whohhhh ohh ohhhh's" A strangely short Forest, sounded great, strange with the improv cut, but great nonetheless. Then I was shocked it wasn't over. They started playing 1015, this too was a nice surprise, then BDC, wow, you'd almost think they were playing for 3hrs with all these songs =)

All in all, it was a great show given time restraints, the crowd, and the predictable setlist of hits. Robert looked really good and seemed very happy to be playing. Perry did not seem as into it as described in the past few shows. Simon was Simon. Roger didn't look too enthused either. My only complaint was the crowd who seemed as if they would have sat down and fallen asleep if they could have. It really upsets me to see this, WHY ARE YOU EVEN THERE~!!!! You can watch Orange on your couch and save $70 for as much effort as you put into it. Maybe I'm overreacting but I thought it was very disrespectful, especially where I was as close to the stage and just no emotion up there. This is the first of nine shows I'm going to on the tour and I do hope this is the worst crowd of all. Camden is tonight, I hope I can bring back a better review =))

- SugarandOpium


Considering I think the new album is the 2nd worst after The Top, and lacking in any memorable melodies, badly produced, and plain boring with the exception of a couple of song, I was disappointed to have to sit through 7 songs from the new album tonight.  The encores made up for it, and the pop focus in the middle of the main set was a fun treat as well.  The crowd was very much not into it (maybe because of the heat) and they were pathetically boring as well.  Possibly because they are not so enamored with the new album and sitting through 7 songs from it as well, or they were just all drunk (I have never seen so many people willing to wait for so long on not 1, but 2 beer lines that stretched across the whole field!, nor so many people being carried out of the field by friends and drunk idiots screaming at The Cure "Fuck You" and offering me the rest of their beers).  The new album songs sounded horrible live except for Us and Them, The End Of The World, and The Promise.  The rest, especially Before 3 were so horribly played I was embarrassed for them.  The Disintegration songs, especially Pictures Of You and Fascination Street (where Robert came to my side of the stage, tilted his body and gave the BIGGEST most adorable smile ever) were gems.  In the main set; Just Like Heaven, Inbetween Days, One Hundred Years, and From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea (but not many people put their hands in the sky) were fantastic.  High was awkward, and just not together, but they pulled it off... barely.  The Encores were fantastic.  M, Play For Today, A Forest, and the surprising second encores, 10:15 Saturday Night and Boys Don't Cry were amazing, and expertly played.  The setlist was very dark, and the dearth of new songs drug it down even more.  I was very diappointed overall considering the amazing and greatest show The Cure put on at Jones Beach in NY during The Dream tour, but when you make a bad album, and tour behind it, and play those songs, I guess I should not have expected much in the first place.  Hopefully there will be another tour and a better album next time.  Curiosa as a whole was a good idea, I enjoyed The Rapture and Interpol a lot.  Mogwai is good if you like instrumental, experimental rock like Slint, but otherwise, I could have done without them, very much like those 7 awful songs from "The Cure" that were played tonight.  

- Josh