A few photos from last night's Cure concert in Montreal.

The set list

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!