Okay...a little background. This is my second Cure concert, and my first one anywhere near the stage...I actually landed front-row seats!!! I was on the left side of the stage, right by Roger. I went to the show with my girlfriend, Jessica, and my friend, Mike...both like the Cure, but aren't exactly obsessed like me! Although Mike couldn't stop saying, "This is f___ing amazing!" after every song. And Jessica was just drooling over Robert the whole time!

The set was very hard-edged...and very surprising...only six songs from Galore...mostly just album tracks. I loved it. Shake Dog Shake was a great opener and ended up setting the mood for the rest of the night. During the heavy guitar songs, Simon and Perry were such the rock stars...it was so funny to watch. Simon was just being Simon, jumping around and whatnot...especially during 100 Years. He's looking very much like Slash these days. The whole band was dressed in black, and everyone seemed pretty happy...except for Roger. We kept yelling at him to smile, but he didn't much. It seemed like his earplugs weren't working at all, and he was pretty upset. Mike said, "Roger is SO British." He's so right. Anyway, the show got a bit more...up-beat, I guess, around Pictures, High, and Just Like Heaven. The crowd tried singing along with Just Like Heaven, but I guess Robert didn't want that, cuz he changed the words on us...later, he just forgot the words to Disintegration. Normally, From the Edge is my favorite live song, but because of the set built around it, it didn't stick out much. My favorite song of the night was 100 Years.

As you all probably know by now, the Cure had a special guest, Reeves. He came out and played Never Enough, Wrong Number, Cut, and Disintegration. All were very good. Great ways to end the set. The encore was very short...just another "blow-the-roof-off-the-dump" (as Rolling Stone would say) version of Killing an Arab...absolutely amazing. I guess my lasting impressions were a sour Roger (because he was so close)...Slash-looking Simon...I never saw jason... and the oddness of the set list. Don't get me wrong...as I sit here and look at it, it was nearly perfect for me. But, I am shocked to see Torture, 100 Years, and Disintegration in, and A Forest, Friday I'm in Love, and Mint Car out. But, for me, the fewer singles in a show, the better. Oh yeah...for those of you going to shows in the next couple of weeks...they are selling these GREAT black t-shirts. Nicest concert tees I've ever seen! :-)

i just went to the philly cure show and i figured i'd give you a bit of an idea of what happened. they came on around 10:10 and played until 11:30. they could have easily played for another hour or so, but for some reason they were forced to cut it short. robert was in great spirits and they all seemed really happy to play. they recieved a great reception too.

they *wanted* to play more but they were out of time. he kept saying i wish we had more time. it's a shame because they were really rocking at one point. when they started "never enough" reeves gabriel came out and played with them...brilliant! (he's bowie's guitarist). disintegration almost had me in tears. 100 years was so fucking unbelievable. i can't even tell you how shocked i was to hear them start off with shake dog shake! and then when they went into torture, i knew i was in for a great night.

the only problems were that their sound wasn't all that good during certain songs. i wanted to strangle the sound man. from the edge of the deep green sea sounded weak as did fascination street in certain parts.

I am from Worcester, and as most other rabid Cure fans, I will go to far reaches of the country to see them, if it's possible. Well I was able to get Philly tickets to the 11/29 show and the trek down was just crazy. But I got my trip's worth--the Cure were pretty great, once again. Aside from the irregular set, they played really well together. Especially with Reeves. He kinda looked a little out of place, but he did well and we all were lucky to see him.

Of course Robert screwed up the lyrics, but doesn't he always? However this time he messed up about half the songs, and I am wondering if it's his overly drunken state or maybe senility..? In any case, he pulls it off well, just improvising as he goes along...nice guy. I felt badly for Roger, poor guy had major problems all night long with his instrument and ear plug. I put a word into the Orpheum in Boston to NOT SCREW IT UP, unlike the Tower Theater sound men did. But he kept his cool through most of it, kinda stuck up there and you know Roger, staring straight ahead into the audience most times (although he did seem a bit frightened given his problems!). I agree with a previous review--Perry is looking a bit like Slash there...

The fans were not as rabid as I am used to up here in New England. My boyfriend and I recognized songs on the first or second note and went nuts, while people around us kinda didn't get it for 20 seconds or so. And the guy in front of me did not look like he belonged at a Cure show at all, he just stared ahead the whole time as if he was just kinda there. The thing that sucks about these 2000 seat shows is that the really insane Cure fans get just as much chance of getting tickets as the average Joe calling Ticketmaster. They should somehow makes tickets available through a Cure page, since we are the nuts who would most enjoy these surreal experiences.

Aside from those points, I think they were in synch and played an amazing show. Sneaker Pimps were cool too, but Love Spit Love was horrible (stick with the Psychedelic Furs, better songs and better voice!!!). See you in Boston!

The last remaining superheroes of post-punk hit the City of Brotherly Love last night and treated their loyalists to a superbly mixed up set of hits and rarely played album tracks. The one and a half hour show veered back and forth between the familiar (Pictures of You, Fascination St) and songs many audience members had never heard played live (Night Like This, Push, Torture). That the song list was so different than that of the one-off gigs played a month ago confirmed that The Cure are still among the most adventurous and entertaining groups around.

As has been his way of late, Robert looked and sounded happy to be playing live, singing with heart and deftly handling most of the lead playing. Simon spent the whole evening in his trademark hunchback stance (get thee to a chirpractor!), Roger looked as if he were attending his dog's funeral, while Perry bounced about joyfully. Guest guitar hotshot Reeves Gabriel of Tin Machine came on toward the end to lend some piercing tones to Never Enough and Wrong Number among others.

The sound in the Tower Theatre was quite good for a venue of its size with the balance crystal clear even when all three guitars were going at once. The chipper tone Robert spoke with in-between songs (although few words were comprehensible) indicates that the group will be around for some time to come.

Openers Love Spit Love were well-received and indeed Richard Butler sounds like he's lost nothing over the years. The newer material sounded good and it was a blast to hear Psychedelic Furs chestnut, Mr. Jones. About Sneaker Pimps the less said the better.

A few minor quibbles: Some of the hits sounded a bit lackadaisical as if the group were tired of playing them. Just Like Heaven and In Between days in particular sounded a bit plodding as if the drum parts had been simplified or a rhythm guitar were missing. At the end of the evening Robert announced that the group were out of time and they had to play something no more than three minutes. "What have we got that's three minutes," he joked. Here's a personal wish: Much as I love the lengthy style of the last decade, I'd love to see the group come up with some new 3 minute wonders so they didn't have to reach back for Killing An Arab to find one. And to whoever designed the Tower Theatre: People are generally more than four feet tall. The place has no more leg room than the backseat of a Volkswagen Beetle.

Well, I've reached my Cure quota for the year (3X) so I happily pass the torch to you all and needlessly urge you to see the tour if it passes within 200 miles of your home.

the show was incredible! disintegration was one of the best versions i can remember seeing. shake dog shake was a nice surprise but i kinda had a feeling they would play it. torture was supercharged. from the edge was painful as always. and the highlight by far was 100 years. i think they over did it with reeves. three guitars is just too much. cut was great but overdone. reeves should just go back to jaming with the gradfather of modern rock, bowie.i saw robert before the show and i asked what the set would be like and he said " were playing about 6 songs we never played before". i don't know what he meant by that....maybe he meant six songs he never played at the tower theater. and the security sucked there!!!! one gaurd took my film....i was in the second row with a 160mm zoom and i had some great shots but they snagged my film. that's never happened to me before. bastards! i'll just have to make up for it tomorrow. oh well whatever. i'm going to bed i have a long drive to fairfax.