REVIEW

by DERN

I've been to a lot of shows.  Some of the top have been Iron Maiden, Nine Inch Nails, Rammstein... And The Cure.  I had seen them about six times prior to 2000 in Mountain View, CA. So I knew they were a good  live band.  The 1992 Arco Arena Show was a classic, hearing 'M' and 'The Figurehead' live was an experience.

But that is another story. I think some backround is needed... I had never been a fan before I heard 'Disintegration'. The videos I had seen when young; 'Charlotte Sometimes', 'A Forest' and 'The Hanging Garden', never grasped me. I still don't care for the studio versions of those songs... I remember 'Inbetween Day's and 'Let's Go To Bed' etc. in the same context as Spandau Ballet, and 'Keep Feelin' Fascination' etc.  And 'Why Can't I Be You?' (from the album) is still one of the worst songs I've ever heard. I was a punker / metalhead (still am) in Jr. High in 1987 so...

So how did they win me over? And become of one my all-time favorite bands? I have become an almost obsessive collector of their unofficial live stuff.  I am a big fan of Simon Gallup (being a fellow bass player). I heard 'Disintegration' and loved it, I didn't know they used real instruments before that.  Since then I've realized I don't care for the pop stuff too much. 'Friday I'm In Love' blech.  And of course that's all they played on the radio and MTV. 

Which brings us to Mountain View, CA 2000.  When I saw them at the Shoreline in 1997, it was for the Live 105 BFD.  A fun show (Blur is the worst band I've ever seen live. I still shudder to think of how bad they sounded. And how something like that could be so popular).

Anyway, The Cure played a lot pop crap; sure Ithink 'High' is a good song, but... They played only one 'dark' song 'Prayers For Rain' which seemed out of place in the set, and the rest some pretty standard singles... So they had yet to even come close to the 1992 show for me.