An Evening with The Cure

Sept. 2nd, 2004 - Monterrey, Mexico (Monterrey Arena)

Lost, Plainsong, Labyrinth, Fascination Street, From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea, The End of the World, Lovesong, Push, Inbetween Days, Just Like Heaven, Jupiter Crash, Pictures of You, Lullaby, Before Three, alt.end, Disintegration, One Hundred Years, The Promise

 1st Encore: M, Play for Today, A Forest

2nd Encore: 39, Bloodflowers

3rd Encore: Close to Me, Lovecats, Why Can’t I Be You

4th Enconre: Three Imaginary Boys, Grinding Halt, Boys Don’t Cry, Going Nowhere.

Show was 2 hours and 50 minutes.

(Thanks to Adrian Herrera and Cesar for the setlist)




(Thanks Alejandro)


Photos


Video: Before Three (Dial-up / DSL) - alt.end (Dial-up / DSL)



Reviews


"I was in four concerts in Mexico. That was an amazing and awesome experience. I travelled from de DF to Monterrey Wednesday in the night
with a fan club called Mexicure (11 hours trip). We were 40 in the bus looking for the cure of hour heart, hoping feel our heart with love for a concert...Monterrey concert was really great, that was the most familiar and comfortably concert i was, we were few people in a beatiful venue and i can stay 3 meters in front of Robert and Roger. The arena was of the mexican fans cause we were around 70 people and all of them were on the front of the concert dancing, singing, taking photos, recording  the concert, enjoying and crying a lot of time. My highlights in Monterrey was to see the band all the time smiling and enjoying themselves and the crowd. The travell alone to see my 5th concert in my life of cure and to know a lot of kind people like a cure family.  The setlist was brilliant and they played perfect, excellent, magnifico!!!! The best song for me was Lovecats, 17 seconds encore, 3 imaginary encore. The best screen was FTEOTDGS and a night like this. Beautifull to see perry and simon dance in 100 years and many others. In just like heaven smith threw away his guitar beacuase he lost a string at the end of the song. But they have a lot of great guitars and great special effect machines. I was most part of the concert with a huichols start necklace in my right hand; it was from my especial and lovelly friend
Mariana from Mexico city. I don't see her anymore but a remember her a lot cause she was so excellent.  That start means a lot of love for me,
for her, for my friends and for the band. That night was so perfect. I closed a circle in my life."

- Marvin Roberto Lagunas


yes, its a brazilian review on the monterrey concert.

the show was brilliant, the set list the same. the pity was that faith was suposed to be played, but it wasnt.

about the technical problems, guitar that dosent work on lovesong and a guitar that robert threw away because one chord (?) split away, really
thought the concert would end right there. and robert pissed off the roadie..poor guy..

for the songs, terriffic, specially the promisse, with a wonderfull drum part by jason.

overall, a wonderfull concert. tomorow we have another one!!! cant wait for that!!

- Luciano


The Cure (Monterrey): A wish granted

This will be, perhaps, not a typical review as I’ll try to explain (among other things) how much this concert meant for me. I was luck enough to get “first row / front row” seats, so I was so close to the band. This writing has two parts. But to those interested in reading about the show, go directly to the second one.
But, before I find myself describing the show. Let me put things in perspective.

FIRST PART (a wish granted)
I live in Monterrey, MEXCO and became a fan of the cure in 1989 at the age of 15. So if you do the Math, you’ll realize that I’ve been a fan for 15 years, so far. Unfortunately in 1989 the world wasn’t the small place that is nowadays in that you didn’t have easy access to information about the band (e.g. tour dates), not to mention that being able to buy tickets to shows in the US via a web site was impossible. So, sadly The Prayer Tour was not really a viable option for me. Although I remember watching the band on TV playing Just like heaven live on the MTV Video Music Awards. That was the first time I listened to that song and it was wonderful. Obviously I went to the stores and bought the Kiss me Kiss me Kiss me album the next day.
So, years went by and in 1992 when the Wish album was released, I heard that the band would be playing a show in Monterrey (the first time the band set foot in Mexico). I just couldn’t believe such great news. Of course I bought two tickets (one for me and my brother). Actually it was the first concert ever that I went to. What a debut for me! I must say. That night the band played wonderfully some of my favorite cure’s songs such as pictures of you, from the edge of the deep green sea and trust.
As the years went by I, of course kept, buying all the previous Cure’s cd’s. In 1996 when The Swing Tour was on its way I was in college (university) and since the band didn’t come to Monterrey, it was impossible for me to go to the US to see them live once again. But thank God life offers us second chances and in the year 2000 I had already finished college and this time I didn’t miss the opportunity to see the cure live again. The city was New Orleans (the second date) and for me, it was something beyond words. I remember saying to me at the end of the show: “I can die in peace now” and regretted for not having bought tickets to the first concert date. And ever since I had this sort of wish that the next tour I had to see the band live twice!!!!
This year when the tour dates for the curiosa festival went public, I made plans for the Houston’s date and bought tickets. I flew from Monterrey to Houston and even brought my 65 year old Dad as well to the concert. Yeah! I have a very cool Dad!
He actually enjoyed the show and for my part, being a typical Mexican fan I was the entire show singing all of the songs.
However, following the band to the US is not an easy task. I’m not a rich guy and given the fact that a have a very few days off from my job I only was able to assist to only one show.

But to my surprise early last month, one morning I got a call from my cousin Raquel (Rachel) telling me that the band was going to come not only to Monterrey but to Mexico City as well. I was extremely lucky enough to get FIRST ROW SEATS for Rachel, my brother and I. So now I had my wish granted and I can’t thank life enough for this opportunity!

SECOND PART (the show in Monterrey)
How can you put into words when your biggest dream comes true? I got first row seats so was really close to the band. How do you describe that experience? It makes you feel that you’re dreaming that you’re actually there; it feels so surreal, so unbelievable. You scream like crazy, you sing all the songs and even the members of the band can see you and smile back at you, because they see that you’re having a great time.

My brother, my cousin Rachel and I arrived to the venue at 7:40 P.M. It was a perfect day for the show: dark and rainy. So “cure” so “Disintegration” I might add.
The lighting design was not the same as the one used in the Curiosa Festival (e.g. Houston, as I saw the band in that city), but it was very similar as instead of having three semicircles with lights, there were now tree rectangles placed is similar fashion as the semicircles: one on the edge of the stage, one in the middle and one in the back. There were of course those lights on the floor that the band uses when playing One Hundred Years. But one thing missing from the stage was the huge screen where some pictures are shown. However the light design was enough to create a powerful atmosphere for the songs.
I was in the fist row of the venue between Robert and Simon. So technically, I was in the middle of the stage.
I’m glad that I was surrounded by real cure fans, the ones who know the lyrics to every cure song and don’t cease to scream and sing during the entire show. I even saw two of them crying because they were so close to the members of the band. You have to be there to really understand what an incredible experience that is for a cure fan. It’s beyond words. As for me I didn’t cry, but being a huge fan of the cure I was indeed screaming and singing during whole show that I don’t think that I’m going to be able to speak normally for the next 3 days.
Several times Simon looked at me and I screamed as loud as I could and he smiled back! I think that he must have been thought “this guy is really crazy”. Even Robert smiled me once! See my point? How could you describe the emotion that you feel when something like that happens?
All the band members seemed to be having a great time during the show, and how couldn’t they? with thousands of noisy fans. At least us (the ones in the first row were really noisy).
Simon spent most part of the songs doing “the moves” that he usually does when playing his bass and also watching people’s reaction and he had a look that he was really pleased to see many loyal fans of the cure.
Perry always seemed so focused on playing his guitar, although for the encores he looked more relaxed.
Roger on the contrary seemed very happy as he sometimes gave us that cute smiley face that he does. And of course he always had this “effortless” style to play his keyboards. It’s very impressive though.

Jason did an excellent job on the drums. With songs like “the promise” you can see that he is a truly master on the drums.
Robert always looked so happy during the show. He gave us a quick smile when saw the crowd doing the “hands up” thing on From the Edge of the deep green sea. Only he got upset twice during the show: one during Lovesong, there was a fault on his guitar’s cable and had to unplug it and wait for a new one. And the other one was when at the end of one song, one of his acoustic guitar’s strings broke and he threw it to the floor. But promptly a new guitar was brought to the stage.
One cool thing that I noticed was that on one side of the stage there were some women sitting. And I believe they were their wives as in one song (Grinding Halt)
when only Jason, Simon and Robert were on stage; Perry was taking to one of the women (his wife I believe, very pretty by the way). And also they (the wives) had this look of being so amazed by the fact that their husbands are so popular in Mexico. They had a great time too because I could see them singing several songs, Lovecats in particular.
I believe that for the audience as well as for the band the best part of the show, the most enjoyable were the encores. The band seemed more relaxed and happy and the audience was making much more noise. I enjoyed so much when the whole arena was singing along with Roger’s Keyboards on Play for today and clapping the hands at the end of A Forest. Another two big moments for the encore’s sections were definitively Why Can’t I be you and Close to me. Although Boys don’t cry was another big one. And Robert wisely chose Going nowhere to give us a truly magical ending song as with almost all of the venue’s lights turned off, hundreds maybe thousands of lighters and cell phones (used as lighters of course) made their appearance. It was a magical moment!
Robert finished saying that the concert had been excellent and equally important; he finished with these magical words: “I’ll see you again”.
And as he walked away the stage he looked so happy, so moved by the fact that he’s loved and will always be welcome in the city of Monterrey.

- Cesar Luna


How to describe The Cure’s concert in Monterrey? Alluring? Exciting? I cannot find accurate words to describe what I have seen, heard and felt
tonight. In vulgar Spanish, we would say something that could be translated as “the best blowjob of your life”. Since Sunday we have been suffering from heavy rains in northeast Mexico, so everything is now very damp. We all fans here thought this would have an influence on Robert’s mood and for instance in the setlist. But instead of a show impregnated with that feeling of “black-and-whiteness” (as Robert qualifies Berlin in Trilogy), we got a very heterogeneous setlist, wonderful, brilliant and simply elegant!

After following the band since 1991 (as I fell in love with The Cure listening to my brother’s small collection of Cure cassettes, including Disintegration, Standing on the Beach and Mixed Up), and watching them several times (in Monterrey, 1992; in the United States and today again
at home, including that crazy crossing through southwest U.S. in the Dream Tour starting in Houston where we hadn’t a car and thought we would get caught by the stupid Border Patrol!), I still fill stiffed, fascinated and happy.

The Monterrey Arena is an interesting venue mixing Texan fascination for hugeness in entertainment arenas and northern bad taste, with great
acoustics and a wonderful architectural design that allows you to listen and see very well regardless of your seating.

The crowd was diverse, composed by die hard fans, casual fans and people who simply wanted to see something different. I don’t know if the venue
was sold out, but it seemed almost full. I dare to say it was filled around its 95%..

The scenario decoration was very simple: illumination was ok, but not the sophistication we have seen in past tours. No displays as in the Dream Tour. But still the light show gave the music a very particular mood.

Jason was the first to appear on scene, and then came all the guys walking. Playing Lost is a very strange way of beginning a cure show. Plainsong sounded great, very neat. At this part of the concert, someone handed Robert a very kitschy Mexican hat, which he didn’t wear (I don’t blame him: it was the classical bad taste merchandise for astonished European and American tourists with a very strange idea of Mexican exoticism). They played all of Disintegration hits, album which made them famous in Mexico. Disintegration, by the way, was wonderful and as always very touching: “…through the eye of a needle is easier for me to get closer to heaven…”. I feel like they have been slowing tempo in this song since the Swing Tour. Labyrinth was a passionately and mystically performed. And FTEDGS as always beautiful, and here Perry worked it really out!!! Not to forget Simon’s always passionate bass-playing. I think it was probably to early for this song. Remember that Dream Tour’s long list of opening songs (OOTW, Open, Want, Shake Dog Shake) created a kind of permeability to reach From the edge in the correct mood. I think most of the crowd had never heard Jupiter Crash, but it was a very nice surprise. I told my brother here: “I think only die hard fans know this song”. The Promise was beautiful and played in a shortened version (well, not sure, It’s just I didn’t feel it that long). Push: a nice gift, great guitar. Mister Boris’s intense drumming, but Jason still deserves thumbs up (not the same immature player as in the Swing Tour). One Hundred Years added a note of aggressiveness and intensity to the show, with Robert’s and Perry’s guitaring and Simon’s passionate bass.

The “Seventeen Seconds” encore was of a magnificient beauty. Neatly played. People chorused keyboard parts in Play for Today. A Forest included a long guitar toying by Robert at the end of the song.

In the second encore, people’s mood went up, after a small dose of mysticism in the first one. We all chorused Lovecat’s “papará-pápara—pá…” showing Robert the kind of fans we are!

As of the fourth encore, I was felt with tenderness watching Robert, Simon and Jason playing grinding halt (a jewel, a great rarity we hadn’t seen so often  in setlists since the Swing Tour) as I this remind me of that trio of young, unexperienced and energic rockers Robert, Lol and Dempsey where. It reminded me of that homemade shot which appears in the Staring at the Sea video of a very early cure playing punky songs in a kiosko. It reminded me of that young and thin Robert. It reminded me of that picture of the band playing The Peel Sessions. How long is the path now. How luckily diverse and colorful. The crowd went mad with Boy’s Don’t Cry and Going Nowhere was a very sweet and relaxing final. I must confess that I’d had preferred “Faith”, but our mood was so up that this finale would have probably been too drastic.

Robert played with his classical gestures: hands on his ears, as if he was talking by cell-phone, Robert with a hand on his head’s right side and hand holding the microphone, Robert going around at the beginning of Plainsong, Robert dancing here and there on Close to Me.

Simon: always jumping, punishing his bass wildly. He is the wild guy of the band (no one would imagine he’s a family). In the airport, I told him: “I know you dislike pictures” and he only smiled, visibly tired but gentle.

Perry: always there, concentrated, trying to defeat his shyness. He’s so nice with fans (he signed my CD on the airport and as I told him with my
accent how great I found him he smiled sincerely and said thanks)

Jason: arms and hair floating everywhere.

Roger: he seemed aroused playing the pandero (I don’t know the English word) in Three Imaginary Boys.

And we saw today Robert Smith here, at home, giving us a taste of some the band’s most appreciated jewel: its musical richness.

I almost forget: he spoke very few Spanish in comparison the Wish Tour visit in 1992. He said only “gracias” (THANK YOU). He kept only saying
that and “hello, again” after plainsong. He said something else before the encores but I must confess I have troubles to understand Robert’s
English (thus song us culld). He introduced the 17 sec encore with “now we’re gonna play something darker” and the Bloodflowers with “this is
something we haven’t played in a while…” and then they began with 39.

Perry passed out some guitar nails and Robert, at the end, greeted the crowd at the end and shouted: “it was so fucking excellent. See you again”

I made no pictures; I didn’t take my camera with me since I thought security was going to be very strict. But then I saw it was very easy to filter any kind of device and I regretted not even trying.

But I’m pleased. I cannot complain.

Let’s see what Mexico City shows will bring us. Three dates is long enough to test with different setlists.

- Adrian

 


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