The Cult

[Falcon]

A new interview from Ian at the Huffington Post, no incoherent rambling here:

Ian Astbury: The Cult's "Smash-and-Grab Buddhist"

Ian Astbury doesn't need to look very far for a reminder of his Buddhist beliefs. Tattooed to his wrist is the final line from the Tibetan Heart Sutra: "Gone, gone, gone beyond, gone altogether beyond. O what an awakening, all hail!" Yet the 49-year-old singer of veteran English rock band The Cult -- and collaborator with members of The Doors, Black Sabbath, Guns N' Roses and other rock titans -- has also traveled far afield in search of spiritual and cultural insights, from Dharamsala to Kathmandu to Puna.

In turn, he has become an eloquent, impassioned defender of Eastern traditions, once suggesting, in an essay in the pages of Spin Magazine, that the Tibetan flag be adopted as "the international banner of free speech, free thought, religious and racial tolerance for all." Tibet, he suggested, "is symbolic of our spiritual crisis [in the West], a need to turn inwards for a solution."

A restless autodidact who routinely references Joseph Campbell, Terence McKenna, Pema Ch?dr?n, Ch?gyam Trungpa Rinpoche and other teachers, Astbury leads what he calls "a very nomadic existence." In the last few years, he's relocated from New York City to Los Angeles, and performed in locales as far flung as Belgium, Abu Dhabi, Buenos Aires, and Austin, Texas, where The Cult recently debuted material from their first new album in five years, the richly textured and lyrically compelling Choice of Weapon.

"This record is about going through a dark, self-destructive period of my life, where I definitely lost my way," Astbury noted in a recent interview. "I lost the vision of where I was going, and I had no idea where I was anymore. It's about coming out of that." It might be argued that the visceral whack of The Cult's brand of heavy, dharma-conscious rock is just the kind of Zen stick a sleepy pop culture needs administered to its backside.

What was it about Tibet that impacted you so strongly?

You get the sense with Tibetans that they've given human life and human experience great consideration, and maybe that's partly due to how the dharma teachings came up from India. But there's also something about the terrain of Tibet, which can be quite unforgiving. Things are enhanced -- it's a kind of super-nature. It's almost like it amplifies the dharma. My sense of Tibet is that they're putting the brakes on this constant need we seem to have to build more, move further ahead in science, continually define ourselves by conjuring up the new fad, entertain, escape from the finite. The Tibetans seem to understand that we need to get in front of this stampeding herd. I felt that the people I met there were so connected to being alive, to the Great Mystery, and even to death.

There was a life force in their eyes that I just don't experience in the West, apart from very young people, who are still very full of vigor. With the Hunger Games coming out this week, there are a lot of teenagers out there with sparkle in their eyes. What is it they're looking for in these films? What are they looking for in Twilight or Harry Potter? What is it in these myths that resonate with these young spirits? The big existential questions are at least being acknowledged, if not answered, on some level, by these films.

In Tibet, that magic is everywhere; in fact, they live in that modality. Those questions are not separate. You wonder what might happen if only we were to apply that to the Western way of doing things. With Tibetans, you get the feeling that they already know all this about the West. They see how the West is in this neurotic, fucked-up state, and they don't think they're missing out on anything.

In Tibet you meet these former monks who become guides, and while most of them are quite wary of the Chinese regime, I met this one former monk who was just completely outspoken about the Chinese, even a bit of a loose cannon, and quite a colorful guy, in his mid-30s. One night he said to me, "You are the incarnation of a protector deity." I said, "So, not an enlightened lama or monk?" And he said, "No, no; just a protector deity. You have to guard the Dharma, to hold the space." I'm thinking, "Oh, shit, more of a Bodhisattva gig. You mean I have to give up my seat on the bus?" Yep. [Laughs.] That was such a drag to find that out! But it was also a reminder that there's work to be done, and not to get caught up in the ego of it. Okay, so I'm being of service.

Do you follow a particular Buddhist way, perhaps the Tibetan school or the Zen approach?

I'm a smash-and-grab Buddhist, I guess. I do what I can when I can, and I use what I can when I can. I try to be mindful as much as possible. I certainly lapse into states of complete unconsciousness. I'm living a human life. I'm not trying to "perfect" myself. I try to be of service when I can, and be mindful. Whatever's going on, the dharma tells us that it's all just business as usual. It reminds us to confirm yourself not by what's going on externally, but to accept where you're at, wherever that is, and simply to sit and expand your awareness.

On Choice of Weapon, you sing about being "consumed by the trials." Your early life was pretty challenging, too, wasn't it?

I watched my mother die of cancer, a very slow, painful death, and I watched my family just disintegrate. [Astbury's mother, Marion Lindsay, died in Glasgow, Scotland on May 14. 1979, Astbury's 17th birthday.] When my mother died, there was no obituary on the newswire; society didn't stop and mourn my mother passing. It was just a simple death. We didn't have much. We had lost everything we had, and were pretty much living in squalor. My father was working two jobs.

It's very archetypal, the struggling artist coming out of this kind of background, but it was my reality. Some people talk about coming out of the ghetto like it's a badge of honor, but for us it wasn't. I never even considered coming out and saying I'd come from a broken home. I only say it now because maybe it gives context to my art, and dispels some preconceived myths of who I am, that just because I was an MTV star back in the '80s, I come from some sort of privileged position.

I've struggled for everything I have materially in my life, and everything in terms of awareness, too; none of it came easy. It all had to be experienced first-hand, and even with that, the application of those awarenesses hasn't been easy either. There have been a lot of moments where I felt like throwing in the towel. But I'm compelled to keep going. In fact, the real teaching moments for me have been in times of personal crisis, times when the rudder has come right off the ship, and I've had no idea where I'm going.

Being in the music business, being an entertainer or an artist, you can be raised up or you can be completely forgotten. When that door closes, all of a sudden you're in a world of hurt. And where do you turn? You can turn to the path of self-destruction, or turn inwards. Luckily, in the '80s, I came across Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism by Ch?gyam Trungpa Rinpoche. That was like dynamite in my hands, the idea that the dharma is fresh and it's happening in this instant. It's accessible, right now. Wow.

My ex-wife said to me, "You definitely take the hard lessons in life." There are many ways to be hit with the stick before you get the message. It's as though you're a kid and you keep sticking your finger in the flame, and then you ask, "What's this 'getting burnt'"? There's a message every time you get burnt, but we don't always retain it. We forget, and we do it again. But hopefully, there's a hunger in the spirit to really understand the lesson. In the incarnation of this life I'm going through, I think my ultimate intention is to find out, "What is the lesson in this?" And the message is, "Pay attention. Pay attention. Pay attention."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-rotondi/ian-astbury_b_1417969.html

[Falcon]

This is absolutley cool as shit, Duffy doing a 'RockItSessions" package.

The running commentary is fucking priceless, what a great experience for this fan.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVjdHzXdLg0

[Falcon]

And a new press release for those in the UK:

Having previously announced details of their brand new album ?Choice of Weapon? THE CULT have confirmed ?For The Animals? will be the first single released from the record, out now. There will also be a very limited picture 7? available for Record Store Day on 21st April (http://www.recordstoreday.co.uk). The band have also confirmed five UK shows for September 2012 which will see them play to in excess of 40,000 fans.

Purchase ?For The Animals? - http://http://smarturl.it/fortheanimals

The band just headlined the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas where actor Matthew McConaughey joined them on stage on congas, they have also announced dates with Guns ?N Roses and Ozzy and Friends as well as festival and headline shows for over the summer in the US and Europe. The UK tour will see them play with The Mission and Killing Joke. The band have enthused "This is a fantastic bill and these will be magical shows, a unique occasion that we look forward to with great anticipation. The band is killing it right now and we are excited to get back to the business of playing live."

?Choice of Weapon?, their first studio album in over five years is released on Cooking Vinyl on 21st May and sees the band re-united with producer Bob Rock and also working with Chris Goss (Queens of the Stone Age, U.N.K.L.E., Masters of Reality). The record was written by Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy, recorded in New York City, Los Angeles, the California high desert, and the band?s Witch Mountain studios in the Hollywood Hills between July and December 2011. The new release features founding members Astbury on vocals and Duffy on guitars, with drummer John Tempesta and bassist Chris Wyse.

Choice of Weapon is available for pre-order at at the below links.

iTunes - http://bit.ly/cultitunes

Amazon - http://bit.ly/cultamazon

UK ARENA DATES

11th Sept. NEWCASTLE, Metro Radio Arena

12th Sept. SHEFFIELD, Motorpoint Arena

14th Sept. MANCHESTER, Arena

15th Sept. BIRMINGHAM, LG Arena

16th Sept. LONDON, Wembley Arena

Tickets are on sale now priced at ?35.00 / ?37.50 London (subject to booking fee) and are available from http://www.livenation.co.uk

Follow The Cult:

 Facebook ? http://www.facebook.com/officialcult

Twitter ? http://twitter.com/officialcult

Website - http://www.thecult.us

[Falcon]

Billy Duffy and Zakk Wylde as they prepare to present at the Golden God Awards:

[BurningHills]

Billy Duffy and Zakk Wylde as they prepare to present at the Golden God Awards:

Nice! 

[Falcon]

A new vid interview from Billy from Noise11.com, insightful as always

http://www.noise11.com/vinterviews/the-cult-billy-duffy

[Falcon]

Vid of Billy and Zakk Wylde presenting at the Golden Gods, gotta love the "manscara" blast from Duffy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RmjIsGuZyc

[Falcon]

Ian will be featured soon in Spin Magazine's "Words Of Wisdom" feature column, sounds like the interviewer (Kenny Herzog) enjoyed the assignment:

"When you have conversations like the one I just did with Ian Astbury of The Cult for @SPINMagazine, & it's your job, it's an amazing thing."

[BurningHills]

Got my tickets for Philly! 

[Falcon]

Got my tickets for Philly! 

Cool.

Your ears are going to ring for days, in a good way.

[BurningHills]

Got my tickets for Philly! 

Cool.

Your ears are going to ring for days, in a good way.

Sounds like I may need to pick up some earplugs beforehand!

[Falcon]

A Duffy interview from Backstage Axxess at the Golden Gods last week.

http://www.backstageaxxess.com/backstage/Interview.php/Billy-Duffy-2012

[Falcon]

And another from the San Francisco Examiner with possible LA tour date info:

http://www.examiner.com/music-in-los-angeles/billy-duffy-and-aj-celi-video-1

[Falcon]

And more BD from the Golden Gods..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq58aR_BBKY

[Falcon]

And another from BD from The AU at SXSW - very informative.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGgihp-U7sc&feature=related

[Falcon]

This sounds intriguing, from @officialcult

+++ WE AREN'T FINISHED, FOLKS. something is coming up for you. it's in the works. and it's going to kill +++ #collectible

[Falcon]

A new Duffy interview from Loudwire:


http://loudwire.com/the-cult-guitarist-billy-duffy-discusses-new-album-touring/?utm_medium=twitter

The Cult Guitarist Billy Duffy Discusses New Album, Touring + More

The Cult are set to release a new album ?Choice of Weapon? on May 22. The disc will be their ninth studio effort, and first since 2007?s ?Born Into This.? When we got the chance to talk to guitarist Billy Duffy at the recent Revolver Golden Gods Awards, he spoke enthusiastically about the new album, hitting the road and the energy of The Cult as a whole.
 
The Cult are gearing up to release a new album ?Choice of Weapon.?
 
Yeah and we?re gonna go out on tour and promote it, everybody?s excited. Ian [Astbury] always gets very energized when there?s a new album. When the lead singer of the band is positive, it really affects the morality of the band.
 
How would you describe the band?s chemistry on this disc?
 
Well the fact is we?ve had the same lineup for a while so it?s actually good for us to have some cohesion. We?ve had the same lineup since 2006 and I think you can tell on the album there?s a kind of a flow. We did a record in 2007 when we just got back together. It was kind of quickly done we just grabbed what songs we had and put it out. With this one we took a little more time and I think we just slightly had a better handle on the end result. It?s really good, it?s a great rockin? record. It?s the kind of a record if you?re a Cult fan you would really hope that we made. Sometimes you make records and they don?t turn out like I thought and I wrote half of them and I?m like ?How did that happen?? This one?s pretty much a winner from the get go.
 
As a band that?s been together for a while, how do you keep things fresh and new?
 
To me, it?s with me and Ian as the writers, we go back to when we first got together in 1983 ? just try to get back to that energy of two guys and a guitar in an apartment in London and just try and create some magic. From that, it follows but that?s the core of the Cult, is the songwriting partnership ? we?re kind of half of The Cult ? me and Ian are half of the same thing. He says we?re like the head and the heart of the band.
 
Who?s the head and who?s the heart?
 
I think I?ve got to be the head and that?s why he?s the singer and writes the lyrics and I write the music.
 
And the Cult will also be touring extensively this year?
 
Everybody will be sick of the sight of us. We?re going to be around a lot, it?s going to be a busy time for us. I think, unless you live on the moon, we?ll probably be playing close to you.

[Falcon]

This is kinda cool if you're into vinyl, The Cult's contribution to "Record Store Day" across the world:

Pic courtesy of "HollowSanctuary" from cultcentral

[Falcon]

From Classic Rock magazine

Ian Astbury, Billy Duffy: ?Don?t Dis The Cult?

On the eve of the release of The Cult?s brand new album Choice Of Weapon, Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy say it?s about time the band were given the respect they deserve.
 
In an interview in the brand new issue of Classic Rock, Cult guitarist Billy Duffy claims the band have ?had very little recognition?, while frontman Ian Astbury rails about ?some brutal things? that have been said in the past? including uncalled-for jibes against his mother.
 
The British music industry has shunned The Cult throughout the band?s career, Astbury says. ?I think Billy and I have been invited to one music awards event, which was the Kerrang! party about 10 years ago.?
 
Duffy adds: ?Not that I picked up the guitar to win awards, but when you see the amount of shite out there that gets all these things. It?s not been the easiest of rides as The Cult. We?ve really had very little recognition, and I think we?re just destined to be one of those underground bands.?
 
?It doesn?t rankle with me [now],? Astbury says. ?When I was younger I really cared about being accepted and being a part of it. It just didn?t go that way for us. I think we just sort of kept out in the field, so to speak. Maybe that?s just the nature of who I am. Maybe I kept us out there. Sometimes it?s nice to feel a part of what?s going on.
 
The singer continues: ?There?s been some brutal things said about me as an individual and the band as a whole. In one article it said my mother ?must have been sniffing glue when she gave birth? to me. One of the worst things to do is to put down someone?s mother. Especially my mother. I watched my mother die in squalor in a Glasgow tenement. She died of cancer. That was pretty brutal. I was a young musician as well. I was in my early 20s, so getting that kind of stuff thrown at you was pretty heavy.?
 
?Johnny Marr [Smiths guitarist] said to me once that I almost tell it too plain,? Duffy says. ?He said that he?s read interviews where I really tell it like it is, and he doesn?t necessarily know whether: A) anybody wants to hear it like it is or, B) whether that serves me as best as I should. But I don?t really know how to do it any other way.?
 
Astbury concludes: ?It?s weird when you?re being interviewed, because you want to be as honest as you possibly can but even in the depths of yourself you?re going: ?I can?t say that.? There are some things you shouldn?t share. There are some things I share that are dangerous to share.?
 
The Cult?s new album Choice Of Weapon is out on May 21.

[Falcon]

Audio interview with Ian from Rock 102FM

http://www.rock102rocks.com/podcasts/2012-04-23/ian-astbury-cult-calls-seth-04-23-12