I have just received a message from my gig buddy who attended the Cure's first show for Teenage Cancer Trust the previous evening at the Royal Albert Hall, it read; "get ready for an amazing three hour set” so, I am finishing my ravioli and I'm rushing to the train station to get to the same venue literally, 15 minutes before the show which starts, with the sound of celestial bells accompanied by a flow of lights, it is 7.45PM
I see a guy with shining white hair crossing the stage, his name is Reeves Gabrels an American guitarist who has collaborated with David Bowie as part of Tin Machine and indeed with Robert Smith himself on songs such as 'Wrong Number', 'A Sign from God' and 'Yesterdays Gone' which Smith sings on Gabrel's album 'Ulysses'. I then see Robert, Simon Gallup, Roger O’Donnell , Jason Cooper arriving on stage and my heart is about to explode from joy…The Cure!
After an amazing introduction of lights “Plainsong” starts and I realise that I have the most amazing band (for me) of the last 3 decades in front of me. The venue is packed by fans from different age group which tells a lot about how eternal The Cure s sound is.. I try to not to get too excited since there are still many songs to go!
The main set of 29 songs (approx. 1.35minutes) includes ‘2 Late' the B side to 1989 single 'Love Song' followed by Jupiter Crash another song often forgotten at live shows alongside with ‘Mint Car".
It is hard to stay seated with the sound of 'The Walk', 'One Hundred Years' and 'Disintegration' which completes the first set.
Robert seems to be in a great mood but he does not really make much of an effort with his dancing while Roger O’ can’t stop giggling while playing with a paper aeroplane found on the floor by his keyboard.
First Encore of eight songs starts with `'If Only tonight we could sleep' to then moves to a powerful "Shake Dog Shake" , Robert starts playing with his vocals in a very original "shaky way" , by the time last song of the first encore started , "A Forest", there was not a single person left seated!
Encore two follows this time a set of Seven songs and a good mix of ballads such 'Lovecats', 'Lets go to bed' and 'Why can’t I be you' ?"
Nearly 11PM and Robert and friends come back on stage once again for the very last set... Yes its encore three, the grand-finale with 'Killing an Arab' always a controversial song for those not too sure of the lyrical content.
11.10 PM and the show has ended, I hear someone around me complaining about the fact that the show ended ten minutes earlier then the night before!
I would have just been glad to be able to afford two tickets and manage to attend both amazing shows but in response to that comment I could have probably mentioned that I was disappointed that the band did not play 'Charlotte Sometimes' which, takes me back to the old days when at the age of 17 and managed to jump on stage during a show climbing over huge speakers to then hug Robert Smith and kiss him on the cheek. Oh well!
Carla
@QuaglinoMngmnt
