I've been a fan of The Cure since I was a kid. Last night, I finally got to see them live!
A few photos from last night's Cure concert in Montreal.
Growing up, live concerts wasn't really an option for me. Even if I hadn't lived in the middle of nowhere, I couldn't have afforded it.
This show was everything my teen goth heart could have wanted - a set list that combined their most popular songs with some newer tracks, and some deep cuts that don't usually make it to their live shows. The stage set up was basic but effective, with multiple screens divided by lights that were very effectively used to convey mood and tone. The merch was great too, each city has its own poster design. Montreal's was this adorable cat design.
The audience ranged from small kids with their parents, all the way up to the grey haired set, with everything in between. And for the most part, people weren't stuck to their phones filming - there were moments of snapping pics and taking short clips, but no one spent the entire show filming with their phones. I took maybe a dozen photos and 3 short clips of video, which is about standard from what I could tell.
The band also made the choice to price tickets fairly, disabled the bullshit "dynamic" and "platinum" ticketmaster mechanics, didn't allow reselling for more than face value, and restricted the tickets to mobile only so there was no resellers' market. I wish every band did this looking at you, Depeche Mode. Tickets in Montreal started at $31 Canadian, which meant it was accessible to just about anyone. My floor show seats were $175, well worth it to see one of my "bucket list" bands up close and in person.
Robert Smith made this show for me. He kept up some light-hearted banter in between songs, did some silly dancing while playing, and just seemed to be enjoying himself. At 64 years old, he's put on a little weight and has grey hair, but who hasn't by that age? He (and his bandmates, including Simon Gallup on bass!) performed an entire 2.5 hour set with only a few brief moments between encores, and his voice sounds as good as it ever has.
If you have a chance to get tickets and are wondering if you should, do it!
Oh man, you weren't kidding about the concert posters. I love the variety. Apparently they partnered with local artists in each city to create them. We saw them in Portland and they were phenomenal. It was my second time seeing them and this was definitely more of a "deep cuts" show, but they made sure to play the hits for the encore, along with peppering a few in along the way.
For me, the most amazing aspect of the whole thing is how well Robert Smith's voice has held up over the years. Dude is creeping up on 70 years old and he legitimately sounds better than he did on the original studio recordings, somehow.
Yeah they put effort into this, and it shows. I missed out on the gold heart version for Montreal, but got the other two!
I wouldn’t call myself a fan - I’ve always enjoyed when they came on the radio but wouldn’t have thought to play them intentionally - but I saw them at a festival and they were brilliant! Such a great show, clearly enjoy being up on stage, totally professional and tight, enormous stage presence… really fun to watch. I will echo your last sentence, definitely worth watching.
Awesome that you got to see them after being a fan for so long!
I'm a little jealous, not gonna lie. I saw a partial show of Bauhaus and NIN, and even the bit I saw was amazing! I bet The Cure put on an equally good show, and I hope your memories of the show last forever and make you happy.
They do! Never seen Bauhaus in person, but have seen NIN and that's always a good time.
If they're coming anywhere near you, it's worth checking for tickets - locking out the resellers makes such a difference in price!
Oh, they sold out in minutes, lol. I wish. But maybe next time!
Keep an eye on the ticketmaster site - i got mine on a resale.