The Cult

[Bansidhe]

The Cult confirmed for this summer's Download Festival at Donington.

http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/news/20-names-confirmed-for-download/

I didn't want to go as the lineup looked shite and I'm already going to Sonisphere for the 2nd year in a row but if I can then I might go down to Donington for the day to see The Cult too.

[Falcon]

Going to see the lads in Glasgow on Saturday night. Seems like they're really mixing the set up which is fantastic.
Also I got the last 2 standing tickets

CFFC

Very cool, looking forward to your review

[Falcon]

Looks as though the boys will be doing the Euro festivals this summer:

Jun 10 or 11 or 12/2011 - Isle Of Wight, England, Isle Of Wight Festival
Jun 10 or 11 or 12/2011 - Donington Park, England, Download Festival
Jun 23 or 24 or 25/2011 - Vitoria, Spain, Azkena Rock Festival

More to follow.

Canada in May as well

[mrlee]

gonna try meet Ian n Billy later before they play there gig.

I hope they are the friendly type that will at least say hi if they dont wanna sign my sonic temple album lol!

Any tips Falcon?

[Alan]

saw them last night in rock city. i can honestly say i have never seen that building so full.

not sure on the set or order. and if they encored after love removal machine then i missed that due to security having to remove some huge guy unfortunatley i was between him and the exit so i got completely flattened by him.

they seemed to enjoy themselves, and mentioned having a big history with the venue, not sure what that is because they didn't expand on it.

they were also selling meet and greets, with a limited edition vinyl at ?250 you got 2 passes with it, limited to 4 people per show.

think there were only 100 pressings of the vinyl too, can't remember the price for just that.

[Falcon]

A new Duffy interview promoting tonights Wolverhampton show can be heard here:

Some funny/informative shit..

http://audioboo.fm/boos/262888-beacon-billy-duffy-interview

[Falcon]

gonna try meet Ian n Billy later before they play there gig.

I hope they are the friendly type that will at least say hi if they dont wanna sign my sonic temple album lol!

Any tips Falcon?

Get to the venue early for starters, maybe 3/4 hours before the gig

Billy is much more approachable than Ian, especially pre show.

If an opportunity arises with Ian, engage him by talking about his projects outside of the Cult like "Hey, love your work with Boris" or "Will you work with UNKLE again?"

Billy's easy, just be yourself.

Chris, Mike and John are great - always down to hang especially after a show - offer to buy them a pint and they're good to go.

As for the show itself, they are LOUD so be prepared.

Excited to hear you review, enjoy the show!

[mrlee]

wow.

I was hoping to come back here and describe to you the awesomeness of meeting a band whos music was a huge inspiration.

Unfortunately this is my story

I still like the bands music, but call me a fan? And ill say no from now on.

I missed Ian, he ran in with a towel covering his head. There were 4 of us there so it wasnt like he was being mobbed.

Anyway. A kid went up to billy as he was walking, he gested to perhaps talk to Billy, and asked if he could take the time to sign his Cult album Booklet. Billy looked at him like he was a piece of shit and said "why would i wanna do that" and left.

The bassist came past and i said "excuse me, are you with The Cult?" hoping to strike up conversation, he said "yes" and just walked past me and went straight into the door.

The support band, Masters of Reality. I had heard then name but not heard the music. Ive played the venue before myself, i was going to take the opportunity to make a run through the door when it was left unlocked in the hope of saying hi, and mayne the chance of getting a photo or my Sonic Temple album signed. However a guy from Masters of Reality came to me as i was about to do it (he was a BIG guy) and said "i wouldnt do that if i were you, thats not a legal entrance"...i dont argue with big guys. Despite the fact this asshole had stopped probably my only chance of meeting the guys. I decided to take the time to talk to him and ask him about his band. I wanted to know how long they had been going, and what style of music they played. However i got given an ego trip attitude and spoken to like a piece of shit. I would of checked his band out if he hadnt of been an asshole. Eventually i asked the guy if he could take my Cult CD n ask Billy and Ian to sign it for me. He said "i cant do that, i mean, theyd be like who the fuck is it for anyway". After that i felt my temper rising so i shook his hand and left.

I began to walk back to the front of the place to leave. To walk back you have to walk past the tour bus, which ive done a million times before with many other bands without hassle. The Cults Roadie or Manager walked past me and my friends (there were 3 of us). He was an American guy. And i tell you, he treated us like dirt. "hey, get the hell out of here. You cant walk through here!" ... it was actually a public footpath..so legally...we could. I said to him "we are just trying to leave and this is the path to the exit over there" "no, GO AROUND, GO AROUND THE BUS!!!" shouting at us etc. My girlfriend lost her temper and told him "We will. But how about you try to not talk to us like we a pieces of shit?" His face was priceless, he looked put in his place. Then i shouted in his face saying "Yknow, you treat us like shit. Yet we are the people that give The Cult the money they need to pay you your wages. Fuck you , you fucking prick".

And that was that, we had to leave because i was so angry i wanted to fuck up their  tour bus.

Ive never been treated like that before by any band. Every band has took the time of day to at least say hi. I cant believe Billy treated a kid that had been waiting for them for 7 hours like that. And i just cant believe how the whole attitude of the bands, the crew stunk. They are full of shit and i am truly gutted to be writing this.

[Falcon]

Ouch, that sucks.  Sounds like you caught them on an bad night unfortunately.

The "big guy" from Masters is none other than Chris Goss.  Dude's the Godfather of stoner/desert rock (google him) and one of the most respected producers in the world.
Not surprised asking him to get autographs got the reaction it did, sounds like a disappointing experience in general...

Beyond that, how was the show?

[mrlee]

Its not showtime for a few more hours here yet so i cant report

[Axlfanatic]

wow.

I was hoping to come back here and describe to you the awesomeness of meeting a band whos music was a huge inspiration.

Unfortunately this is my story

I still like the bands music, but call me a fan? And ill say no from now on.

I missed Ian, he ran in with a towel covering his head. There were 4 of us there so it wasnt like he was being mobbed.

Anyway. A kid went up to billy as he was walking, he gested to perhaps talk to Billy, and asked if he could take the time to sign his Cult album Booklet. Billy looked at him like he was a piece of shit and said "why would i wanna do that" and left.

The bassist came past and i said "excuse me, are you with The Cult?" hoping to strike up conversation, he said "yes" and just walked past me and went straight into the door.

The support band, Masters of Reality. I had heard then name but not heard the music. Ive played the venue before myself, i was going to take the opportunity to make a run through the door when it was left unlocked in the hope of saying hi, and mayne the chance of getting a photo or my Sonic Temple album signed. However a guy from Masters of Reality came to me as i was about to do it (he was a BIG guy) and said "i wouldnt do that if i were you, thats not a legal entrance"...i dont argue with big guys. Despite the fact this asshole had stopped probably my only chance of meeting the guys. I decided to take the time to talk to him and ask him about his band. I wanted to know how long they had been going, and what style of music they played. However i got given an ego trip attitude and spoken to like a piece of shit. I would of checked his band out if he hadnt of been an asshole. Eventually i asked the guy if he could take my Cult CD n ask Billy and Ian to sign it for me. He said "i cant do that, i mean, theyd be like who the fuck is it for anyway". After that i felt my temper rising so i shook his hand and left.

I began to walk back to the front of the place to leave. To walk back you have to walk past the tour bus, which ive done a million times before with many other bands without hassle. The Cults Roadie or Manager walked past me and my friends (there were 3 of us). He was an American guy. And i tell you, he treated us like dirt. "hey, get the hell out of here. You cant walk through here!" ... it was actually a public footpath..so legally...we could. I said to him "we are just trying to leave and this is the path to the exit over there" "no, GO AROUND, GO AROUND THE BUS!!!" shouting at us etc. My girlfriend lost her temper and told him "We will. But how about you try to not talk to us like we a pieces of shit?" His face was priceless, he looked put in his place. Then i shouted in his face saying "Yknow, you treat us like shit. Yet we are the people that give The Cult the money they need to pay you your wages. Fuck you , you fucking prick".

And that was that, we had to leave because i was so angry i wanted to fuck up their  tour bus.

Ive never been treated like that before by any band. Every band has took the time of day to at least say hi. I cant believe Billy treated a kid that had been waiting for them for 7 hours like that. And i just cant believe how the whole attitude of the bands, the crew stunk. They are full of shit and i am truly gutted to be writing this.

Yep- sounds about right- cant speak for the crew but Ian & especially Billy have been snobby assholes in my experiences with the band- they dont even interact on stage or even look at eachother. Billy is simply pissed off all the time- saw them couple mos ago & they didnt even get off the tour bus for sound check- also I was told they were impossible to be delt with by the staff at the venue they were performing, acting like spoiled ass rock stars- they even wanted a trained puppy or they wouldnt perform! Also Billy was hell bent on breaking something that belonged to the club, which he did- the Mic stand after kicking it several times & screaming at the sound guy- Show was awesome tho!

[Falcon]

Its not showtime for a few more hours here yet so i cant report

Give it another shot post show, hopefully you'll get better results.

Speaking from personal experience, Billy has been more than cool with me - always willing to shoot the shit and as personable as can be.  Same with everyone in each incarnation of the band over the years (Sorum especially), crew included.

[Falcon]

they dont even interact on stage or even look at eachother. Billy is simply pissed off all the time

That's part of the allure of the band to me, still punks at heart and always pissy about something. 

Some of my most memorable live Cult moments have been Billy's evil looks and verbal assaults on crew and band members alike.

I thought he was going to beat John Tempesta senseless at the Tulsa show in 2006 when Johnny blew the intro to "Spiritwalker".  Directly after the incident, Billy walked to the front of the stage, looked straight at me and mouthed "mo-ther-fucker" while shaking his head - classic Duffy.

I talked to Johnny after the gig and remarked how I thought he was gonna get fired 3 songs in
and he laughed and said something to the effect of "No worries, he's already forgot - Billy's the coolest".

[FunkyMonkey]

An incredibly insightful, LONG interview with Ian from the end of October 2010 can be read here:

http://rocksalt.mx/?p=7

I finally got through this interview -- you weren't kidding when you said it was LONG.  Here are some things he says that I thought were interesting.


ROCKSALT.MX: 2007 saw the release of what may become known as ?the last proper Cult album?.... did you achieve everything you set out to or were there setback/compromises?

Ian Astbury: So in many ways, Born Into This was not a fully realized vision. There was a pressure on us from RoadRunner to? there were time constraints. There was a whole pressure cooker around that record ? it wasn?t fully realized. But you?re in a situation and you signed a contract so you have to get it out. So it?s? it?s not like you have? when you take a record company?s money, then you have a responsibility to fulfill a contractual obligation. So that can create?. Perhaps not the best environment for creative exploration. And if there?s anything that Billy and I needed right now was a respite from that.

ROCKSALT.MX: You were rather infamously quoted as saying, ?The album format is dead.?

?I don?t want to speak too harshly about it for the band, but certainly for me when I made that comment. I was looking at it and I thought that we just basically just hit end times for what the album was. The traditional album.....You put it on. You hear it as a body of work. As it was intended by the artist. To me that?s an album, that?s what an album was. That?s done. Now it?s just cannibalized. It?s almost like cheating....For us, we?re learning what that means. So we have to redefine what an album means for us.?

ROCKSALT.MX: Are you pretentious?

?I had hip surgery a year ago. And I?ve put on 40 pounds. And I haven?t been able to drop the weight, it?s been very difficult. I was told I could never run again, I was told I could never do martial arts again, I was told I could never play soccer again and I was told I was going to be debilitated for a huge part of my life. And those things were always a big part of my life as just an outlet for me. And I was told I could never do those things again ? to the fullest extent as I had known? I threw the towel in. I was ready to check out. I was thinking about? but I?ve got so much to live for. But psychologically, getting through that, it was crushing to me. Absolutely crushing. And I definitely went into a free-fall. And I had to dig deep within myself to get through that.

[Axlfanatic]

they dont even interact on stage or even look at eachother. Billy is simply pissed off all the time

That's part of the allure of the band to me, still punks at heart and always pissy about something. 

Some of my most memorable live Cult moments have been Billy's evil looks and verbal assaults on crew and band members alike.

I thought he was going to beat John Tempesta senseless at the Tulsa show in 2006 when Johnny blew the intro to "Spiritwalker".  Directly after the incident, Billy walked to the front of the stage, looked straight at me and mouthed "mo-ther-fucker" while shaking his head - classic Duffy.

I talked to Johnny after the gig and remarked how I thought he was gonna get fired 3 songs in
and he laughed and said something to the effect of "No worries, he's already forgot - Billy's the coolest".



lol- classic Duffy 4 sure!totally agree tho -they def. put the aggression into their performance which makes it more intense!

[Falcon]

An interesting audio interview done last month with IA precluding the Euro tour can be heard here:

http://www.rockradio.co.uk/manchester/rock-jocks-shows/rock-shows-v6bz/paul-anthony-py4r/rock-interview-the-cult/t13if4gg/

Touches on the new Capsules, Le Zep, Slash collaboration, playing live with Duff recently -good stuff..

[gnr2k6]

iv met duffy a few times, even went to eat with him after a velvet revolver gig. nice guy, asked all about me and what i was gettin upto in l.a, my folks and what they did for a living. we spoke for ages about football and just shot the shit. I can honestly say he was probably having a really shit day....still no need to speak like that to the kiddy if he did.

as for shouting at his techs and crew , thats probably because they wernt doing their job-a job which is high paid....Im a tech so i know that when im getting shouted at by the band then im not doing something...trust me i know haha.

if people do go running backstage or anywhere they shouldnt be then anyone would tell you to "get da fuck outta here" (or please leave) thats why backstage passes were made, so the people that need to be backstage are there!
just remember people in bands are normal people too, if you ask someone if their in a band and they just are a normal,human person who might be shy and quiet then maybe the answer "yes" is enough. i would get freaked out if loads of people mugged me haha.

just a few things to consider there peeps, oh and if anyone wants me to sign autographs i will, 30 quid a time  (i gotta eat haha)

[FunkyMonkey]

An interesting audio interview done last month with IA precluding the Euro tour can be heard here:

http://www.rockradio.co.uk/manchester/rock-jocks-shows/rock-shows-v6bz/paul-anthony-py4r/rock-interview-the-cult/t13if4gg/

Touches on the new Capsules, Le Zep, Slash collaboration, playing live with Duff recently -good stuff..

It's a good interview, thanks for posting.  I missed the Ian Duff thing in Florida.

[Falcon]

A shockingly positive review of The Cult in Manchester:

http://louderthanwar.com/blogs/the-cult-live-in-manchester-review-by-john-robb

3 / 2 / 11 : The Cult live in Manchester- review by John Robb Share62If you like this please Tweet it, Facebook it or leave a comment

The Cult are on a world tour. John Robb caught up with them in Manchester.

Carpet on the stage for the singer, lots of amps, big full colour films backdrop, an air of expectation- this is very much a rock show. The Cult are back in Manchester for guitarist Billy Duffy?s homecoming and as he peals the chords out of his iconic Gretsh White Falcon for new Cult song ?Every Man And Woman Is A Star? (title from Aleister Crowley?s ?Book Of The Law?) he is every inch the guitar hero and when Ian Astbury unleashes his still potent voice the Cult hit first gear, the circuit rock band that is still fully capable.


Except it?s not quite as simple as that.
Watching the Cult live is a fascinating experience. The eternal yin and yan of rock n roll is played out right in front of view.
The battle between depth and primal riffing, between revolution and rock star, between spirituality and abandon, between pretension and escape is on stage.

Between AC/DC three chord genius, the idealism of Crass and the dark throne of Joy Division- every facet and argument in rock n roll?s dream is on stage fighting for space. It?s the weird balance between Ian Astbury?s esoteric, revolutionary interests and Billy Duffy?s Mancunian, no bullshit, guitar crunch that keeps the Cult fascinating and vital.

Astbury seems to be upping the ante at the moment and there?s a brilliant series of films on the screen behind the band- from Tibetan monks getting battered by Chinese security during ?Saints Are Down? to native Americans standing up for their rights during an emotive ?Horse Nation?.

The films impact is impossible to tell and they are left hanging loose- a spillage of ideas, powerful imagery in the thick night air- part inspiration, part backdrop.

There?s even a really off the wall part in the middle of the set after they play ?Ghosts? when the band go off stage and a ten minute interlude is filled with an avant-garde film about a South Dakota reservation.

It?s certainly not your average rock n roll show and causes a minor confusion which is probably the intention. Ian Astbury harangues the audience into taking notice of the film to understand what the band is about. Everyone cheers and is none the wiser and that?s the beauty of this whole situation, ostensibly you have a band out touring the world playing its hits like all bands do after a few decades of hard graft at the rock n roll coal face but Ian Astbury still has other ideas and it?s these other ideas that still making the Cult, musically a great rock band, fascinating.

What Billy Duffy makes of all this is hard to fathom,  a great guitar player he looks like Gordon Ramsey if Gordon Ramsey was a cool rock n roll star and not a bloke who cooks potatoes. Duffy is happy as the band?s engine room, the powerhouse that drives the Cult. His guitar playing is perfect and he?s honed down the guttural grind that makes great rock n roll. He  can also go all eastern and mystical or dark in a catchall of stylish playing that retains it?s punk rock edge.

Duffy grew up here in Manchester and the shout out to Wythenshawe goes done predictably well. In his youth he played on the fringes of the local punk scene- for a brief time with the pre-Smiths Morrissey depending which urban myth you believe before going to London for Theatre of Hate. Before he went he taught Johnny Marr a few chords and the pair of them hustled themselves into key roles at the opposite ends of the eighties spectrum- from indie jangle to post goth guitar gunslinger.

Duffy and Astbury were the dream team, the had been the frontman of the Southern Death Cult- a skinny, idealistic youth with sex and idealism on his side, his band were briefly the key band on the post punk scene, taking over from Adam and The Ants who had found the key to the pop machine. Southern Death Cult?s dark, tribal sound was perfect for the time and the album they left behind is a key and brilliant document of it?s period and one of the best post punk records [that's real post punk and not the modern edited version of the form that has removed all the bands that dressed up but still made ground breaking music].

When Astbury and. Duffy met there were sparks and their journey from Goth standard bearers to Rick Rubin produced stadium rock gods to legends on the live circuit has been one fraught with tension and creativity. When they meet, though, like on the timeless classic ?She Sells Sanctuary? it?s sublime and the mosh pit erupts. It?s a terrace anthem that seeks spirituality and mysticism- not many people pull that one off- a song that has the freak twist and thermal rock grunt melded and mashed together in one of the perfect eighties rock n roll moments.

There are flashes of a band still striving on the new songs which sound dark and doleful in the best possible way, they are like laments to lost culture and ancient ideas and ideals. It?s that sense of tribal community and escape from the modern machine that the Cult hint at and defiantly underline with those imposing backdrop of films.

Astbury, who still retains that great voice, does his mojo dance looking like the shamanic late period Jim Morrisson with Lakota hair and a warrior combativeness. He harangues the audience and still believes in rock n roll as a platform for something, anything, and gives off an aura of haughty madness like the canyon of great old school rock stars used to do.

They end the set with that celebratory ?She Sells Sanctuary? and a tough and pungent workout of ?Love Removal Machine? before returning to encore with an enthralling ?Spiritwalker? which transports the whole room back to those cider and black days of goth clubs before finally ending with a brisk yet thrilling version of the Doors ?Break On Through? which is both a celebration of the spirit of Jim Morrisson and V sign to the critics of Astbury filling in for the late Mr Mojo Rising on the reconfigured Doors tours.

The Cult may not sell millions of records any more they but they are still striving and still have that scent of danger about.

The bottom line is a great rock n roll show with the band wondering whether they are a call to arms or just a great band. Does rock n roll even represent revolution any more? Does it it mean anything? Are the band calling for revolution or are they in love with the scent of danger and the life affirming rush of the human spirit. Maybe rock n roll in the hands of the Cult is still the most primal of all musics- with it?s whiff of sex, danger, death and madness it?s an instinctive fry for freedom that hits raw nerve worldwide.

[Bansidhe]

Very cool, looking forward to your review

Not my own but a great review in the entertainment section of the News Of The World.

News Of The World review of The Cult at Glasgow o2 Academy Saturday 29th January 2011