May 31st

"A text message lottery is being held on 6 June to determine who will gain tickets to the UK concert.

Listeners to breakfast shows on BBC and commercial radio stations will be asked to send a text message at 0800 BST containing the answer to a multiple choice question. The winners will get two tickets to the show.

It will also be shown on big screens in seven cities across the UK, and shown live on BBC TV and radio."

(Thanks Chris, Rob, David, Keith, Richard and Stephen)

Update: To those asking about possible tv/radio airings in the US and elsewhere, I haven't seen anything definitive yet. This is what the Live 8 site has to say about it:

In the UK, the BBC is the host broadcaster for LIVE 8 London with coverage across BBC ONE, TWO and THREE, with radio broadcasts on Radio's 1 and 2, the BBC World Service and across the BBC's regional stations.

Partner broadcasters in Europe and America will also be working to bring this huge international event to the world.

Online in the biggest interactive event in history, AOL will be broadcasting all the concerts live, delivering exclusive, interactive material. People around the world can learn more about global poverty, connect with a community of fans and make their voices heard at www.aolmusic.com, www.aol.co.uk, www.aol.de or www.aol.fr

No show in Colmar, France and no Dave Allen. Curses! Foiled again! It's back to the lab to cook up some more.

(Thanks Lenore)



Dear Chris,

Could you tell all the people who contact you that I''m really overwhelmed by the amount of fans who have written to me, and you and to all the Cure websites  - I never knew I had that much of an impact or how important a part of The Cure I was for so many people. Please pass on my thanks to everyone for their support and compliments and their best wishes for my future. I wish the band well and bear no grudge. I have no definite plans at this time but will inform you all if I become involed in any other projects.
Once again -Thank You!

Perry x

(Thank you Chris and Thank You Perry!)



(Thanks Christoffer, David, Steven, Midnightt, Greg & Kristy, Francisco, Radio Show, Aaron, Tempest)

"The free Belgian newspaper 'Metro' has published a small article about the split on 31/5

Here is a rough translation:
 
Bandmembers leave The Cure

London - Most likely it was never a really happy bunch with The Cure, but now it's even worse. Keyboard player Roger O'Donnell and guitarist
Perry Bamonte have left the band from Robert Smith, and also tour manager Daryl Bamonte - Perry's brother - has closed the door behind
him. Problems or not, the remaining three bandmembers continue as if nothing happened. For O'Donnell it is nothing new as he also once left
the Cure 15 years ago."
 
(Thanks Mig)





A follow-up to the May 27th report of The Cure playing in Colmar - the festival site has changed the english page from "concert canceled" to "gig to be confirmed".

About 3 or 4 weeks ago, I received an e-mail from someone who had talked to *********, a well known ********* (best to protect his/her name & occupation, given the current climate), and this anonymous person said that The Cure had already started work on a new album, and that Dave Allen would likely be returning to produce it. At the time, I thought it was interesting but probably false, and I couldn't confirm either part of it (SHOCK! COF does NOT post a rumor! What was wrong with me?). Given what we've learned over the last week or so, it has become much more interesting.

Update: No Colmar, no Dave Allen, so says Robert.



Cure Night Chicago
Tonight! May 31, 05
Neo Night Club
Chicago
www.neo-chicago.com
DJ's Dave R., Kristine, Toast & Kamar
21 and over
no cover
more info @ www.planetearthchicago.com

prizes courtesy of Rhino records. Thank you so much for all the re-issues! www.rhinorecords.com.

(Thanks Kamar)



"Mojo magazine had U2 say there top 20-odd favourite songs of this month, one was The Cure's A Forest.
I also checked out the Mojo site to find out more http://www.mojo4music.com/html/mojo_new_issue.shtml Seems like they did a review on the new batch of remasters ''REISSUES The early Cure: Deluxe Edition'' I didn't get to read into this too much sadly as I was reading it in a shop and had to go."

(Thanks Lips)

May 30th

(Thanks Cheryl)

May 29th

(Thanks Stephanie)



(Thanks Stacey)



"Today 95.5 WBRU in Providence, Rhode Island did a list of the Top 95 Alt Rock Icons.  Robert ended up being #8.  Right now I don't remember what the reasons were other than he was the inspiration for so many current artists.  If you check out www.wbru.com in a few days their site should be
updated...it would most likely be under their "The List" section."

(Thanks Kerri)



"Yes...The Cure has scored a number 1 position in The Dutch Top 100 of the 80's chart. At nummer 55 we can find Boys don't Cry.
Broadcast chart: friday 22 april from 09.00-18.00 hrs.

Top 10:

1) The Cure        A forest
2) U2            Sunday bloody Sunday
3)Cult        She sells Sanctuary
4)Falco        Jeanny
5)Beastie Boys    Fight for your right
6)Aha            Take on me
7)Guns and Roses    Sweet child of mine
8)U2            With or without you
9)Golden earring    When the lay smiles
10)New Order    Blue Monday

You can find the whole list at: http://www.3fm.nl/page/hitlijsten/80s%20Request%20Top%20100/2005-04-21

So, never doubt about the taste of the Dutch people hahaha."

(Thanks Mark)



"Just a bit of info on a "unique" Cure cover, Paul Anka, one of the kings of big band swing, has just released an album called "Rock Swings" and does a very interesting cover of "Love Cats."  If you ever wanted to hear a Cure song performed in Sinatra-esque fashion, this is your chance!"

(Thanks Kyushin)



"I've found something interesting. An Interview with Steve Severin saying interesting things about Robert Smith:

In reading your extensive FAQ file on RE: you talk about your session with Robert Smith for The Glove project. Is there bad blood between the
two of you?

Severin: Not that I'm aware of. Well, nothing stated. Robert has a tendency to edit people out of his life when he has tired of 'draining' them. I have the impression that he lives in a rock star hermetic cocoon surrounded by sycophants. If so, he's welcome to it. I doubt we would have much in common any more.

You can find the whole interview at:

http://80music.about.com/library/weekly/aa052600b.htm"

(Thanks Mark)

May 28th

(Thanks Eric)

(Thanks Lenore)



Update: Cure is now in second place.

May 27th

Update: The story has been updated with new comments from Roger:

"Elaborating to Billboard.com today, O'Donnell reveals that he was informed by Smith that he is transforming the Cure into a three-piece, backed only by bassist Simon Gallup and drummer Jason Cooper. "There's not really much you can say when you are the fifth member," he says, adding that he found out about the Cure's upcoming live dates via a fan Web site."



"The Cure has been announced for Sunday 7th August, in Colmar, France. The date is not confirmed officially yet.
The URL of  Website of the festival "La Foire aux Vins d'Alsace" (means...Wine-market;) ) is http://www.foire-colmar.com/concert3.php"

The french version of that page says Concert To Be Confirmed, yet the english version says Concert Canceled.

(Thanks Fist)





"I've just read the following article on UK Channel 4 Teletext - "PS NEWS" (p.351).... in which Robert speaks of a new album.

CURIOUS NEWS FROM CURE

The Cure won't be touring Britain until next year, PS can reveal.

Although they're playing festivals in Europe, Robert Smith told PS: "I want to bring the Curiosa event here next year. I spent a lot of time researching the bill last year for America. I DON'T HAVE THE TIME NOW, WE'RE DOING A NEW LP."

Smith added: "We won't do Glastonbury, as they've fallen out with us. I was told they think we've never done a good performance whenever we've played there."

Elsewhere on PS NEWS (p.353) Robert talks about the time Lou Reed was rude to his dad...!"

And according to "Second Source" (who turned out to be 100% correct last friday), the trio have already recorded 5 songs and we might see some sort of preview before the festivals.

(Thanks Graham)

And some comments about the Ivor Novello award show:

"Thought you might like to know that Robert gave a short interview this morning on Radio 4's Today programme in the UK in connection with the
Ivor Novello award.  He spoke briefly about Lou Reed and how he was more grumpy than even Robert is!  It sounded like he was there with his Dad
and that Lou ignored him when he said Good Morning.  There was a few seconds of Boys Don't Cry played as well.

You can listen to the programme on the website at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/listenagain/index.shtml.  It's split into time sections and the interview was on at some point between 8.15 and 8.30"

(Thanks James)

To each of you, our sincerest thanks for everything you contributed to The Cure and to the fans over these many years. We will miss you, and we wish you the best of luck with whatever you choose to do next.

May 26th

(Thanks Markus)



"BBC website mentions Robert getting an award:

Brit award winners Keane were named songwriters of the year at the awards, while Duran Duran were honoured for their outstanding contribution to British music.

Snow Patrol, meanwhile, had to share their best album prize with recently departed bassist Mark McClelland. Other winners included U2, whose song Vertigo was named International Hit of the Year, and Robert Smith of the Cure, who won for International Achievement.

(Thanks Richard)

"NME.com have just announced that Robert has picked up an Ivor Novello award for International Achievement"
 
(Thanks Ian)



" We just want to let you know that the n° 1 bis and the n° 5 of Falling Angels, our Curezine, are now available. This fanzine is written in
french for the moment. To get it, please contact us at facurezine@yahoo.fr.
Here are the new prices :
Each issue = 8 €
Subscription 4 issues : 32 €
Subscription 8 issues : 64 €
Thanks to contact us for more informations.
 
Nous voulions vous faire savoir que le n° 1 bis et le n° 5 de Falling Angels, notre Curezine, sont maintenant disponibles. Ce fanzine est en
français pour le moment. Pour les obtenir, merci de nous contacter à facurezine@yahoo.fr.
Voici les nouveaux tarifs :
A l'unité = 8 €
Abonnement 4 numéros = 32 €
Abonnement 8 numéros = 64 €
Pour plus d'informations, merci de nous contacter. "
 
(Thanks to Noreleïs & Annydrin (Nico) from Falling Angels)



"Invitro Music and me with the support of Universal Music are planning a big Cure party on May 28 2005,

Here's the info:

Invitro Independent Music
www.mintcure.hit.bg
Present:
THE PURE CURE  Party
28 may (Saturdaynight) inside of club 3 Ushi, Sofia,
Bulgaria
Played By MO. (pure cure dj session)
Deluxe Editon Promo Listening Of: "Three Imaginary Boys", "17 Seconds", "Faith" and "Pornography"
DVD Performance of THE CURE "Trilogy" Live at Berlin 2003
(Pornography-Disintegration-Bloodflowers)
dvd performance Start: 19h-22:30h Enter: 2lv
pure cure party start : 22:30 Enter:3lv

More details and posters are available here - www.mintcure.hit.bg"

(Thanks Vladislav)




"saw a quick glance of robert on Meet the Barkers tonight, Travis Barker and Blink were in England on the show. "

(Thanks Thomas)

"Now here is the curespotting:  Can't remember if it was yesterday (24th) in the late news or this morning (25th), but on Swiss tv TSR 1 news, they
announced the official bands to play at Rock oz Arenes, Avenches, Switzerland, as provided by the organisers, and they showed a few seconds of
THE CURE live (from lastSwiss show in Paleo Festival?)."

(Thanks Fabien G.)

May 25th

"Billy Corgan's album "The future embrace" is going to be release in France on june 21 st via Warner Music France. CD has 12 tracks, including the Bee Gees cover "To love somebody" featuring Robert Smith. See the scans of the french pre-order form.
A six tracks sampler for this album is going to be sent to medias this week, but don't know if "To love somebody" appears on it."

(Thank to Jerome at Plainsong)

(Thanks Hodh)



(Thanks Steeve)

"The Cure's innovative contribution to music in the late seventies and early eighties saw them featuring regularly in John Peel's Festive Fifty.  In my new book, "The Festive Fifty", recently published via the independent Nevin Publishing, the band are placed at number 29 in a list of the most successful bands in the chart's history.
 
"The Festive Fifty" can be ordered directly from the publishers at:
 
Nevin Publishing
PO Box 194
Widnes
Cheshire
WA8 7WU
 
People can also ask at bookshops (the ISBN is 0-9548317-0-5).  At the moment, there's a limited print run due to the publisher being a small scale operation, but the ISBN should help the shop to track it down.
 
The book covers:
 
A complete history of the Festive Fifty, with commentary on each year and entries of particular interest
A complete alphabetical list of every band to appear, with details of personnel who took part
The top fifty bands to appear in the Festive Fifty, with biography
The top fifty albums in terms of tracks placed in the Festive Fifty
A comprehensive records and statistics section, with everything from bands with most entries down to most successful session tracks, cover versions, electronic/dance tracks, all-female tracks, long tracks, short tracks, continental European tracks, tracks from outside Europe and North America, record labels, etc.
 
I also attach a copy of an order form that you can use to request copies.  They're £14.95 inclusive of postage. 
 
Mark Whitby"

(Thanks Mark)

"I made 2 Cure Remixes 1. Purple Haze and 2. Burn  - If you could put it on the news of your website, so everyone can listen or download them, that would be cool, here is the link  http://www.investigativemgt.net/jvremixes.html"

(Thanks James)



"While flipping channels Sunday I found New Order being interviewed on MSNBC.  I waited uncomfortably for Peter Hook to slag the Cure as he
was doing most of the talking, but he was well behaved until they asked the seemingly ubiquitous question about bands they'd "influenced." 
Peter name dropped various young bands for a good 20 or 30 seconds before saying, "and of course," at which point--and I swear I'm not making this up--they changed camera angles, zoomed in and used this sort of pixelated effect so the picture was grainy, all to emphasize how with great delight he snarled "the Cure."  He briefly expounded upon that theme but I was having trouble hearing him since, like any good Cure fan, I was screaming obscenities at the TV.  I feel it necessary to mention that he was inexplicably dressed in traditional English tennis whites with his socks pulled all the way up and a dirty looking V-neck sweater that at times he wore but otherwise he had tied around his neck.  He also had longish hair but due to male pattern baldness it gave the appearance of a distinctly British take on a mullet."

(Thanks estencil)

"In the latest issue of Time Out (UK weekly 24/05), this week's main feature is "the 100 best london gigs" and the cover of the magazine is made up of ticket concerts.There is a Cure ticket, i would establish it to be around 1980/1981 but i'm not sure.It says The Cure +support and is priced at £3.50.Unfortunatly The Cure do not feature in the list at all."

(Thanks JC)

BTW, I've just checked the official site and can find no mention of Robert's collaboration with Billy Corgan on 'To Love Somebody'. Therefore, it's probably just a rumor. Despite the fact that Billy has mentioned it in numerous interviews. Despite the fact that it's listed on the track list at numerous retail sites. And despite the fact that it's actually on the album and reviewers have heard it (even if he/she got the title wrong). But it hasn't been posted on the official site, so it must not be confirmed yet. See how ridiculous this can get? Not "officially" confirmed doesn't always mean not true.

Before this gets too ugly, I have never had any serious problems with anyone in or involved with The Cure. They have never really interfered, and have been very supportive and helpful whenever and wherever they could. I'd like to think I've been the same to them. Whenever they've asked for something to be removed, I've always done it. When I've been asked to hold back on posting something, I always have. When I've been asked TO post something, it was done immediately.

But you can't take an undeserved shot at someone and expect them to sit there and take it. Hey, I know it's a fight I have no chance of winning, but I'm sure as hell going to put up a defense.

"This article talks about the mexican group Jaguares. At the end it states that Jaguares will be working on a project called "Imagine". The Cure will also participate in this project, as well as, Peter Gabriel. All doing covers of John Lennon.
 
http://www.jaguares.com/articulos/178/index.asp"
 
(Thanks Luigi)



"If youre looking for the new spanish Cure tribute double album "Canciones de los chicos imaginarios" follow this link:

http://www.zonadecompras.com/producto.asp?Id=34793

It works. Got mine within 5 days! From Spain to Austria! See also picture of the cover."

Update: "About the spanish tribute, I found a cheaper link. "

(Thanks Gerald and Fernando)



"I´m Juan form MEXICO and from my site http://www.theendoftheworld.fr.st

Date: 28th May 2005

Hour: 10:30 PM

The Place: Sauce Boxeador

Addres: Mérida No. 30 near to Puebla, Col. Roma near to Glorieta de Insurgentes

The film: ": "NERVIO RETORCIDO. CRONICA DE UN POETA MALDITO"  (EMOTIONAL FILM ABOUT ROBERT SMITH) for Erick R. Rivera

The Tribute Band:ESCARLATA

Info: 5637-2510 

e-mail: coprira@hotmail.com, necromantik2@yahoo.com.mx.


In Spanish

HOMENAJE A THE CURE QUE SE REALIZARA EN EL "SAUCE BOXEADOR" (MERIDA 30 CASI ESQ. PUEBLA EN LA COLONIA ROMA A POCO MAS DE UNA CUADRA DE LA GLORIETA DE INSURGENTES) ESTE PROXIMO 28 DE MAYO A PARTIR DE LAS 10:30 PM. A LAS 11:30 EN PUNTO SE PROYECTARA EL VIDEO PRODUCIDO POR "37.2°" Y "MY PLASTIC BONE SERIES": "NERVIO RETORCIDO. CRONICA DE UN POETA MALDITO" (UN DOCUMENTAL EMOCIONAL SOBRE ROBERT SMITH). REALIZADO POR ERICK R. RIVERA. DESPUES DE LA PROYECCION TOCARA "ESCARLATA" UNA EXELENTE BANDA QUE TOCARA TODO SU REPERTORIO "CURE" Y ALGUNOS OTROS COVERS DE THE CLASH, BLUR, BAUHAUS, THE SMITHS Y MAS DE LA OLA INGLESA. EL COVER SERA DE $50. LA CHELA ES BARATA Y EL AMBIENTE INTIMISTA PARA UNA NOCHE INOLVIDABLE. CUALQUIER INFORME AL 5637-25-10 O ESCRIBIR A

coprira@hotmail.com
necromantik2@yahoo.com.mx "

(Thanks Jose)



"Check out this video of alternative take on Lullaby by hilarious Brooklyn burlesque act Brooklyn girl :)
 
http://www.brooklyngirl.com/littlebrooklyn/mov/spider.mov"
 
(Thanks Alexander)

From The Globe & Mail

"Then there's the more artistically minded Bloc Party, whose music seems to rest somewhere between late Joy Division and early New Order, with a dose of the Cure thrown in; listen to New Order bassist Peter Hook, and he'll tell you how much Robert Smith's gloom-pop purveyors borrowed from his own band to begin with. Hot on the heels of all the above are such bands as Battle, Editors and Apartment, recently featured in an NME magazine story about the "brightest young indie bands" who "are using the music of New Order and Joy Division as a blueprint for their sound."

(Thanks Tempest)

May 23rd

(Thanks Christophe L. and Zach)

May 21st

Update: Come on guys, it was a joke. With the trouble Newsweek has had lately, I would fit right in. : )



Severin and Airey e-mail - This has proven to be 100% false. Steve Severin and Keith Airey ARE NOT joining The Cure.

Roger and Perry - Neither has quit and neither have been told that they have been let go. So as of last night, Roger and Perry are still members of The Cure. And until/unless there is concrete evidence that proves otherwise, The Cure that will be playing this summer should be the same Cure we've had for the last 10 years (Robert, Simon, Roger, Perry and Jason).

Summer Festivals - This was never really connected to the above, just happened to be announced at the same time. These shows have been confirmed by the festivals, promoters and various press outlets. Still no official confirmation from The Cure, but probably just a matter of time.



"Here is some info from spanish newspapers and magazines about The Cure in Benicassim:

http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2005/05/20/cultura/1116613948.html

http://www.elperiodicomediterraneo.com/noticias/noticia.asp?pkid=163972

http://actualidad.terra.es/cultura/articulo/the_cure_festival_benicassim_310410.htm

http://zm.nu/detalle.php?base=zmnews&lay=cgi&form=detalle&tok4=notici&tok5=Noticias&id=11852

http://www.muzikalia.com/noticias_leer.php?referencia=5531 "

(Thanks Manuel)

(Thanks Lenore)



This week's charts changes are:
 
Seventeen Seconds:
down to 194 in France;
entered at 50 in Greece last week and then climbs to 46.
 
Faith:
down to 199 in France
 
Pornography:
down to 174 in France
out in Italy
 
(Thanks Pietro)



"I found this in the news section from the Eagle Rock web site:

“Eagle Rock also has one-minute song clips in MPEG-4 format from Alice Cooper, Marilyn Manson, THE CURE, Busta Rhymes and Dio available for download to the PSP on its website, www.eaglerockent.com.”

Here is the link for that, it is the 6th paragraph:

http://www.eaglerockent.com/eaglerockUSA/news.php?newsid=65"

It’s a story about the Portable Sony Playstation, which Eagle Rock is releasing music videos in UMD format, maybe a Cure one will follow…"

Trilogy on UMD would be pretty cool.

(Thanks Carlos)



"A bit about Ben Folds' cover of In Between Days --

Folds, who has always been fond of delivering playful covers, offers a version of The Cure's "In Between Days." "It's a great song," Folds said. "I've always like that song. (Cure leader) Robert Smith really liked my version a lot. The interesting thing is that he was being urged to let recording artists cover songs for a Cure tribute album and from what I hear, he wasn't crazy about the idea. I'm told my version of 'In Between Days' changed his mind about that."

From http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/81-05132005-489033.html"

(Thanks Lenore)


"I was at this years "WGT" from 13. - 16. may in leipzig, on the 13th of may i saw the concert of APOPTYGMA BERZERK.
during the concert they covered "a strange day" (of course from the cure)...after hearing it again and again and again I like this version ... of course this show was taped ;-) "

(Thanks pillowman)



"On bbc's 6 music joy division tribute thingy, they polled viewers for which cover of "love will tear us apart" to play. the cure's version won
with 78% of the vote. (the other two contendors were nouvelle vauge and a1 people)"
 
(Thanks Elyse)


"Paste magazine has an article about the influence of '80s bands on current music -- http://www.pastemagazine.com/action/article?article_id=1721 -- with emphasis on The Cure's influence:

As more than one critic noted, one of the most striking things about 2004’s edition of the Coachella Festival was the degree to which The Cure were the dominant musical sensibility, their influence weighing heavily on groups like The Rapture, The Killers, Muse and even, arguably, certain slices of the Radiohead catalog. While Robert Smith’s Edward Scissorhands exterior and maudlin melancholia have themselves become something of a visible franchise, the legacy of The Cure looms even larger than it initially appears.

The Cure serves as a meeting point between musical genres. Rising from the intense post-punk subculture of kindred pseudo-gothfolk like Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus and The Comsat Angels, power pop wafted through the band’s sound and sensibility. Aside from the Byrds-jangle of later hits like “Friday I’m in Love,” songs like “Boys Don’t Cry” or “Just Like Heaven” have been touchstones bands ranging from Dinosaur Jr. to Goldfinger have worked into their live repertoire in total earnest. Simultaneously bright and dark, The Cure hit a midpoint between the distraught shadow of Joy Division and the bombastic theatrics of U2. They were to the ’80s what The Doors were to the ’60s: an idiosyncratic voice that distilled various strands of the era’s musical culture with its own sense of atmosphere and mood. In the same way The Doors straddled the line between blues-based rock and hippie psychedelia with dark sonic cinematography, the Cure united punk and pop.

During its first wave of popularity, The Cure was a bit much for me. I was a preteen just learning to play guitar, and a late-enough bloomer that the sexual angst and ethical self-doubt rife in the band’s lyrics were an emotional chasm I’d yet to cross. I stuck instead to the more muscle-bound, unambiguous guitar rock that had started moving New Wave’s more glamorous instincts into hair metal. While The Cure didn’t have the fey operatic flamboyance of The Smiths or the druggy, vaguely sadomasochistic menace of Depeche Mode, its music dealt with fragility, rebounding from cycles of attraction to lovers mysterious as your own capricious self, pining over mistakes made with a hint of inevitability. Melodramatic—hell, yes—but for whom has a song like “Pictures of You” not momentarily seemed like rapturous truth?

Like so much ’80s music, be it Tears for Fears or Elvis Costello, The Cure made intensely personal music. It had a distinct style, but wasn’t preoccupied with poses the way punk—by its very oppositional nature—had to be. Global politics obliquely filtered into many ’80s songs, the Cold War more a moody backdrop than a slogan generator, unlike the music of the ’60s. And rather than the hedonistic flights of fancy in the musical landscapes of ’70s disco and album rock, a lot of ’80s music—and The Cure’s music in particular—was cleaved by a sense of shame and responsibility, a fascination with the internal wounds caused by casual experimentation in sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll.

This dimension of its music may be the strongest link between The Cure and the primary progenitors of its legacy. Even an otherwise ephemeral pop song like The Killer’s “Somebody Told Me,” has a sense of self-measurement and interpersonal earnestness, attributes taken to a more breathless level on Snow Patrol’s “Run.” The pendulum in rock music has swung back to emotional ownership, and in that sense today’s lyricism can’t help flashing a certain reflection of the ’80s.

(Thanks Lenore)


From Pitchfork

The Cure's "End of the World" is a perfect recent example of how amenable an apocalypse is to a romantic recasting. The song's just about a couple breaking up but, you know, it's apocalyptic. Cultural critic Daniel Harris points out how commercials for romantic dinners or getaways often seem post-apocalyptic: the couple are the only people on the planet. "End of the World" uses that same logic of world-negating exclusivity and mate-filtered melodrama. U2's romantic apocalypse, "Until The End of the World", is subtler. Bono's ego is just too healthy to let him plead like Robert Smith. Even Bono's sadness wants to have an oral sex orgy with him: "My sorrows...surrounding me, going down on me..."


From the New Zealand Herald

The Bravery

Only the black-clad eyelinered and quiffed New York gang - who have more in common with fellow Gotham-dwellers Interpol and the Rapture - have a bigger thing for the glum world of New Order, the Cure and countless others who drove the first wave of goths on the dance floor.

(Thanks Tempest)


"Just wanted to tell you that Radio@AOL has the All Cure station listed in their top 11 stations."

(Thanks Asa)


"On Friday the 13, during the Nascar Busch race on FX they played "Friday, I'm In Love" coming back from a commercial break."
 
(Thanks iwannashgasimon)

May 21st

"The AFP (French news agency) confirms that The Cure will play La Route du Rock this year (the only date in France):
http://filinfo.france3.fr/popup_afp.php?nameRegion=ouest&id=%20050520152634.0zpizszn

Tickets go for 27.90 EUR here:
http://www.francebillet.com/processreservation/disponibilite.do?codman=SMPE1&seance=1&_lang=en

Last year's attendance was 25,000 over three nights."

(Thanks Olivier)

"I just heard the confirmation about the concert in Saint Malo on the French radio Europe2.  It seems that the cure will be playing last."

(Thanks Jeff)

May 20th

(Thanks Manuel)

(Thanks Franck)

May 13th

(Thanks Benjamin, Lenore, Greg, Charlie)



June 2005 - Mojo (UK)
3 Reissues = REVIEW; "Death became them" & ADVERT
http://www.picturesofyou.us/05/05-6-mojo-uk-remasters-review.htm

June 2005 - Q (UK)
3 Reissues = REVIEW; "Black Celebration The greatest teenage angst
albums in the world... ever!" & ADVERT
http://www.picturesofyou.us/05/05-6-q-uk-remasters-review.htm

May 2005 - Ice (USA)
ADVERT; 3 Reissues
http://www.picturesofyou.us/05/05-5-ice-3-remasters-advert.htm

May 7,  2005 - NME (UK)
NEWS: Interpol throw a birthday party for The Cure
http://www.picturesofyou.us/05/05-5-7-nme-uk-news-robert-b-day.htm

That photo in NME wasn't from the Interpol concert, just a bit from the Curiosa group shot from last year in Dallas.

(Thanks Autumn)



"Here is the newest chart info I have:
 
In France, this week's chart registered the following changes:
 
Seventeen Seconds at 132
Faith at 129
Pornography at 128
 
Plus in Italy Pornography entered at 89 !!! Wow :-) "
 
(Thanks Pietro)



"Just find a new double cd compilation titled " culture club volume 3", wich contains the 1982 original extended version of "Let's Go
To Bed".
 
It seems to be a belgium compilation. here's the mail adress on the cover : www.news.be "

(Thanks Christophe L.)



"There is a new tribute album (double cd) to The Cure entitled "Canciones de los Chicos Imaginarios" (songs of the Imaginary Boys), by alternative Spanish bands, such as Orders of Ellington, or Migala, which sing the best Cure songs.

I send you the scan of the advert from RockDeLux May 2005."

(Thanks to Sharon at Charlotte Sometimes)



"I interviewed Peter Hook of New Order fow WLUW and neworderonline.com. Hooky had some very interesting things to say about The Cure :) The interview is available on neworderonline.com in the forum titled "Digital Republic". The actual transcript will be available later this week. Here is a recap of what Hooky said:

"Peter's mother was the first to realize that The Cure sounded like New Order and that Gallup was robbing his basslines and it's why they have a
love/hate relationship with Robert Smith's band. On one side they like what they do, on the other, they bothered his mother and he never will forgive
them".

oh yeah he could name some Cure songs as well :)

AND DONT FORGET THE CURE FEATURED ARTIST NIGHT AT NEO MAY 31ST :) email Kamar @ thecurewish@hotmail.com or visit www.planetearthchicago.com for more info."

(Thanks Kamar)



"In this months Q magazine there's a mention from Robert with him saying as 'celebrity fan' of KT Tunstall' s new album (Eye to the telescope)
that she makes raw, edgy, sultry, hush, hazy pop music."
 
(Thanks Jeroen C)

"In the June edition of Revolver magazine (Trent Reznor on the cover), there's an article with Chino Moreno from the Def Tones. The article
concludes with Moreno's "Five Totally Un-Metal Albums That Rock" and in first place is Pornography by The Cure.

He says "That's my favourite Cure record. Lyrically, that record has influenced a lot of the things I've done. I was, like, 15 and living with my grandma, and one day I sat and listened to it and wrote out all the lyrics for the record. They're totally sick!"

Other albums listed were No Guitars EP by Helium, EP + 2 EP by Mogwai, Loveless by My Bloody Valentine, and Siamese Dream by Smashing
Pumpkins."

(Thanks Little Jen)

"From a  DVD review in The Sun (UK tabloid trash, i know sorry);Jools Holland's ..Later.... even louder, out this week.
"As well as 31 live performances, there are enticing extras, including interviews with veterans The Cure and green day's frontman Billy Joe
Armstrong."

(Thanks JC)

May 10th

ROBERT SMITH: DREAM OF A KENNEDY AT DOWNING STREET

Since he's been able to vote, the singer from The Cure has never been happy with his country's government. He's making a mockery of the
Blair-Gallagher relationship and offers his support to the Lib-Dems.

Paris Match: You welcomed Tony Blair's election in 1997. Are you still satisfied with his policy?

Robert Smith: No, I was indeed very pleased the first time around, only because for the first time since I was born, the country was going to be
run by someone else than the Tories. There's nothing worse than being under a Tory government, or to see their leader, Michael Howard, wearing
sunglasses for effect...Anything is better than Tories.

PM: Even for the next election?

RS: LibDems should have the right to win, they should be asked to run the country for just one year. Because they'll never win the election.
People in this country are too stupid to look further than a right wing/left wing political landscape. There aren't just two parties in England. If LibDems ran this country they might be able to change things. I've had the right to vote for 28 years, and in 28 years I have never, and I mean never, been happy with the successive governments.

So yes, let the LibDems run our country for a year so we can see if they can do better than the others. They might turn out to be as useless as the others are as well.

PM: Do you agree with their program?

RS: I agree with most of it, like a lot of the British people, it seems to me. Let's not forget people have a social conscience. Labour has been going on about a new ethic for the past 10 years, but this ethic keeps on being degraded.

It's quite funny to notice actually, it's like looking at anonymous people meeting famous ones. It reminds me of the first time I met David Bowie. People around were very impressed to meet him, even without any knowledge of his music or his songs. They were impressed with the idea of meeting a star. Tony Blair and Labour are going through the same thing. They were seduced by power and glamour, and forgot to run the country. When Blair talks about Cool Britannia or invites Noel Gallagher at Number 10 you have it there.... complete bollocks...

PM: What can you do about it?

RS: Nothing. But vote.

PM: You could talk about it in your songs?

RS: Expressing political ideas doesn't go with pop music, it doesn't work. I've belonged to many social organisations for years, but as a person, not as the leader of a more or less well known rock band. I am socially active, but I have never wanted The Cure to be socially involved in one way or another.

The group is neither a platform nor a voice for political ideas. When I was young I was never attracted or drawn by how a band might speak out
or show their political activities.

PM: Protest singers have some sort of influence though.

RS: Yes, but who remembers that? I was too young to remember that. I was told much later that Dylan or Joan Baez were politically active, that
they were the voice of a generation.

PM: You can't deny the impact The Cure has had during the 80's, especially in France.

RS: I have only ever represented a minority. When I started I never wanted to be famous. Today people come and see me like if I was a dinosaur, and I 'm not sure I like that. Because we've had a certain level of success people think they know me, think they know who I am. I don't like that feeling. There's a reason for not appearing on the cover of our first records, for a long time nobody knew me and I could happily live with that.

PM: You've been around for 25 years - how do you keep faith?

RS: I don't feel my age. A part of me tells me I must be over 100 years old, and another part is stuck at 15. Partly because I don't have kids.

It allows me to remain selfish. I have very little responsibilities outside of the group, apart from my wife, Mary. But Mary's family and mine we have 25 nephews and nieces. The younger ones ask themselves questions about us, they don't know our exact age, they even wonder if we really are adults.

PM: Do you regret not being a dad?

RS: Ever since I was a teenager, I always told myself I wouldn't be a dad, and I haven't changed my mind. I wouldn't know how to bring up my
child, having to lie, create an illusion about life in general. It's too hard.

If Mary had wanted to be a mother I would have had to say yes, but she, too, never felt the desire to have kids. She's got enough work with me;
I'm a real child.......

(Thanks Michael, Jean Christophe, Jerre and Alison)

May 9th

Seventeen Seconds - 2,841
Faith - 2,999
Pornography - 3,375

Three Imaginary Boys - 20,091 (total since release)

"All are really awesome numbers for "re-issues"...Not many sets ever pass 10,000 total..."

(Thanks Friend of COF)



"Now that new stuff is out, I've started checking national charts again and I've found the three albums remasters managed to enter the French Chart, at these positions: Seventeen seconds 80, Faith 84, Pornography 81
 
That's pretty good, isn't it? TIB only reached 141."
 
(Thanks Pietro)



"Robin from Wodonga, Australia here.

A bit of (hopefully accurate!) info on the Australian releases of the deluxe editions of Faith, SS, and Porn.

According to www.sanity.com.au, they'll be available in Australia from 16th of May.  (The last time I looked at the website, it said the 23rd of May!!! Can't complain. I just hope it's correct info.) "

(Thanks Robin J.)



"Latest issue of french mag 'Paris Match' is issueing a lil interview of robert talking about politics in England. Enjoy the picture: http://www.pbase.com/sbill37/image/43167554/original"

(Thanks Bill)



"Last thursday, there was a album top 100 on radio station Studio Brussels.

The Cure ended up real high in that list. Pornography ended up on 80 ( 2 places higher then last year ) and Disintegration ended on place 26 ( more
then 30 places higher then 57 from last year ).

They were 5th in row of bands who gained most places after The Beatles, Lou Reed, Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen !!"

(Thanks Jeroen)



"You can win a signed exemplar of the 100% SKY book by Porl Thompson on www.apinkdream.org.
 
(Thanks TOBERR)



(Thanks Chris)



The Cure Featured Artist Night
Tuesday May 31, 2005
10pm-4am
No Cover
21 and Over
Neo Night Club
Chicago
www.neo-chicago.com
www.planetearthchicago.com

For info on hotels and transporation please email Kamar @ thecurewish@hotmail.com

(Thanks Kamar)



"It's David Henretta from the Sons of Godzilla again, in my downtime from the band i do my own solo stuff and i have just uploaded 2 of my Cure covers (Seventeen Seconds and Siamese Twins) on my website. If the good readers at Chain of Flowers would like to hear them they are at www.myspace.com/davidh"

(Thanks David)

"There's a picture of Robert with the guys from Interpol taken in Paris on Robert's birthday in this week's NME.
There is also 2 mentions of the band in this month's (june) Q magazine.The first is "the 50 essential tracks you need to download this month"-A Forest- The cure,(number 43) with a picture of the band in 1980 outside the BBC's studios.
The second is a review for the Remastered LP's called " Black Celebration"The greatest teenage angst albums in the world.... ever..!!.(full page review + another photo of the band , on the stairs outside the BBC.)

Anybody have a scan of the Robert with Interpol photo?

(Thanks JC)

"I thought it a bit strange that not just one but two tracks were played before the New Order show in Chicago last night. Mixed into many other
great tracks by Bjork, Depeche Mode, The Police, etc.. were The Caterpillar and Why Can't I Be You? We've all heard the comments made by
Peter Hook on the subject of the Cure, so was this a change of mind or did the local radio station put together the track listings? WXRT did
promote the show after all.

P.S. It was a good show!"

(Thanks Jorin)

"I was looking at one of my friends Kerrang! (a U.K. magazine) magazines and I noticed it had a review of the 3 new remasters. Included with it was a
picture of Robert and the 3 new remasters. The issue was issue 1053. Released on 23.04.2005

I have also heared from another friend that The Cure were mentioned alot in Kerrang! which is very strange because they were hardly ever mentioned  before then but they have since "The Cure" album was released.

Also, on 4/5/05 on VH2 there was a show called 40 Greatest Rock N' Roll Bands. In at number 18. The Cure with Fasination Street."

(Thanks Lips)

"The curespotting is that the background music to the tv commercial for a pay-per-view movies channel is "boys don't cry". "
 
(Thanks Pietro)

May 4th

From MTV Asia

Corgan recorded TheFutureEmbrace, the album he says he's always wanted to make, in his hometown of Chicago. The LP features contributions from longtime musical associate Bjorn Thorsrud as well as Bon Harris of Nitzer Ebb fame, ex-Filter member Brian Liesegang, former Pumpkins drummers Jimmy Chamberlin and Matt Walker, and the Cure's Robert Smith, who appears on "To Love Somebody," a cover of the classic Bee Gees track.

"When the Cure were in Chicago for their Curiosa Tour, Robert had come by my house and we sat up all night playing guitars and shooting the whatever and so the idea came up about stuff we wanted to work on together," Corgan explained. "One thing was about working on my solo record. So when we finished all the songs, as I listened to every song, I was thinking, 'OK, what could Robert do?' The only song that seemed really right was this [Bee Gees] cover -- and my version kind of sounds like the Cure anyway. So I called him up and had to talk him into it. But he did an amazing job and it's pretty cool. When we sing together, it's weird. You can't really hear my voice, and you can't really hear his. It's sort of this other voice, which you wouldn't have figured because our voices are so distinctive."

May 2nd

(Thanks Michael and Roree)



"Just come back from a french store called "planet saturn", and the sellers told me that Universal has announced a new release of The Cure for september 2005. Don't know anything else, whether it's new remasters or a new album."

Before anyone gets too excited, it WILL NOT be a new album. Some sort of re-issue is a safe bet though. Blue Sunshine? The next deluxe editions? Something unexpected?

 


"On VH1 today: 100 Greatest Air Guitar Anthems. The Cure's Boys Don't Cry in at number 67."

(Thanks Lips)

"Close to Me (CloserMix) was used as background music on this weeks show of 'This American Life' on National Public Radio.  The episode was
titled 'Sissies' and it is not about The Cure.  Song is in part 4.  www.thisamericanlife.org"

(Thanks ALClovis)