The Cult

[Falcon]

4 more from Philly, thanks to Hollow Man and cultcentral:

Horse Nation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rAh7wqU_OA

Nirvana http://youtu.be/S2RzsiYjsFM

The Phoenix http://youtu.be/qXnjSn9HZyM

The Wolf http://youtu.be/0W3u2YXX4hQ

[Falcon]

A good interview from Guitar International Mag with Billy:

http://guitarinternational.com/2012/06/17/billy-duffy/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Classical+Guitar

[Falcon]

Mew Ian from there Arizona Republic:

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/2012/06/13/20120613cult-astbury-evolve.html

The Cult, Astbury evolve
 
by Randy Cordova - Jun. 15, 2012 06:24 PM
The Republic | azcentral.com

Hard-rocking the Cult were MTV favorites in the 1980s, the same decade that saw such strutting tracks as "Fire Woman" and "Love Removal Machine" climb the charts. But front man Ian Astbury resists the notion of being linked with the past. At 50, he's proud to be touring behind a new album called "Choice of Weapon" that is loud, angry and in-your-face, which is what he was going for.
 
Astbury is much more low-key during a recent phone call, though his born-in-Britain-raised-in-Canada-soon-to-be-a-U.S.-citizen accent takes some getting used to.
 
Question: How is the tour going for you?
 
Answer: Gangbusters. It's going great. The shows are strong, and we've got old fans and new fans. We've always had eclectic crowds, so that's pretty much the same. But the audiences are very much engaged.
 
Q: Even during the new songs? That's usually when audiences hit the souvenir stand.
 
A: (Laughing) That's one of the most gratifying things. It's not like there's suddenly a lull when we play the new songs. We put a lot of time and energy into this effort, and it's gratifying to see they get it.
 
Q: But why a new album? You said a few years ago there wouldn't be a new album.
 
A: That was a comment that fit at that particular time. I still believe in the philosophy behind it: The album is almost like a 20th-century thing. People have incredibly distracted lives. The actual time to sit down and listen to music seems to be decreasing, and single tracks seem to be more popular than albums.
 
Q: How do you cope with that?
 
A: There are two ways of looking at it. You can kind of acquiesce and just put out singles. But for us, we have a story to tell. This album is a body of work. And we're actually, truly songwriters. That's what we are when we get out of bed in the morning.
 
Q: But is it hard on the ego when you don't have the kind of audience you did in the '80s?
 
A: (Laughing) We're not trying to squeeze into the 28-inch jeans that we wore when we were 19 years old. The album is truly reflecting where we're at. You can't fight time. Everybody's going to get here. I don't care who you are.
 
Q: The album almost feels like it has a theme.
 
A: There are many different themes, many different layers. There is a redemptive quality, a feeling of coming back off the ropes and getting yourself off the canvas. We're kind of reflecting the dystopian environment, but we're also indicating a place of revitalization. It's not just looking at everything with a negative. It's seeing all the beauty and trying to walk away from the spectacle.
 
Q: What kind of spectacle?
 
A: Every week it's a different thing. I'm not a great TV watcher, but there are certain things I watch. Yesterday Piers Morgan was interviewing the cast of "Dallas" (laughing). Meanwhile, debris is washing up on the coast of the U.S. from Japan. But that's OK.
 
Q: So what do you watch?
 
A: I really like Charlie Rose. I like well-crafted drama. I'm an avid fan of "The Killing." I admit that I fall in and out of love with "Mad Men." Sometimes it's wonderful, sometimes it's too laborious: Here's the Beatles! Here's the Hare Krishnas!
 
Q: You sound like you're in a good place.
 
A: We kind of defy the law of gravity. Most bands at our age are kind of done. They phone it in. They're cynical, they're disengaged. For some reason, this band is rawer, more visceral and deep. We're really pushing ourselves as songwriters. I know what it feels like to turn 40, and you think, "I'm done. I'm going to let it all go." You don't care about how you look or you get stuck in a certain decade. People say the Cult is an '80s band, but we've had so much work in the '90s and 2000s. It's just in the '80s we were all over MTV. But that doesn't define us.
 
Q: Did you ever feel disengaged?
 
A: I got that when I was a kid, probably at 23. I thought, "This is my career? This isn't what it said on the box." There was obstacle after obstacle. There still is an incredible prejudice against the band because we were (big) in the '80s.
 
Q: Still, you sound very energized.
 
A: It's a great time to see this band. It's rough and ready and raw. We don't stroll out there. We pretty much go knife-to-the-throat straightaway, and we don't let up till we're done. (Laughing) We take you hostage. The doors are locked and you can't leave. There's no sneaking off to the merchandise booth, you know?

[Falcon]

IA interview from the Dallas Morning News:

http://www.dallasnews.com/entertainment/columnists/mario-tarradell/20120618-pop-music-the-cults-ian-astbury-trades-self-destruction-for-social-media.ece

Ian Astbury sounds completely genuine when he says, ?In some ways it feels like a brand-new band.? He?s talking about the Cult, the rock outfit he?s fronted since 1983.

But the irony is as thick as mud. Britain?s the Cult is infamous for its revolving, fragmented door of fleeting members. Twenty musicians have come and gone since 1984?s debut disc, Dreamtime. The only constants have been Astbury and lead guitarist Billy Duffy.

In 2006, Astbury and Duffy joined forces with bassist Chris Wyse and drummer John Tempesta. That union seems stable, with two studio albums, 2007?s Born Into This and the new Choice of Weapon the result. Weapon, released stateside in late May, sizzles in a lean, raucous and passionate brand of rock that channels Led Zeppelin and the Stooges, Wyse has said.

?These songs evolved out of real-life experiences,? Astbury, 50, said by phone from a tour stop in Myrtle Beach, S.C. ?I would hope that we have learned something over these years.?

Astbury bandies words such as ?renaissance? and ?template? when discussing not only the new Cult creativity, but also the state of the music industry. He remembers the days when bands wrote for an audience, for radio airplay even, whether they intended to or not. It was automatic.

?Now there are no rules,? he said. ?You can do whatever you want. The more eclectic collaborations seem to be of most interest.?

For Astbury, the elation of the present is always tempered by the turmoil of the past. Today the singer-songwriter finds himself in a good place creatively and personally. The band still tours ? he said there will be about 100 shows to support Choice of Weapon ? but nowhere near as much as during the ?80s and early ?90s salad days.

The Cult?s commercial success, particularly the gold- and platinum-selling triumphs of 1985?s Love, 1987?s Electric and 1989?s Sonic Temple, gave way to alcohol excesses and inner tension. The 1991 album, Ceremony, was plagued by a lawsuit over the image of an American Indian boy on the record?s cover. After 1994?s The Cult, Astbury and his band mates took a four-year hiatus.

?We spent so much time touring and then would turn around and immediately go back in the studio,? he said. ?It was an intense period. An average of 185 shows a year. We did that for 12 years. You never stopped long enough to gasp. You just had to suck it up. When you live on the road and that?s your lifestyle and you have that nomadic existence, the show is the ultimately thing in the day. It?s a very un-nurturing environment. So you kind of make your own reality. It was about party, it was about total escapism, totally self-destructive.?

He?s traded self-destruction for social media. Astbury is involved in social networks, he said. He?s a music blogger, and he remains the band?s mouthpiece. About today?s rock landscape, Astbury has mixed emotions. But he?s optimistic.

?The hours spent on the craft of being a musician seem to be less and less,? he said. ?They are using technology, making music on their laptops. There is definitely craft to that. But it takes a little bit more than strapping on an instrument to learn the craft. There?s now a whole generation of shoe-gazers, very introverted performers. Young men in acoustic guitars singing about the girlfriends that left them. It?s also more about the spectacle; it?s not really about the music. Still, I like the idea of musicians collaborating. I?d love to see more of that in the rock community.?

[Falcon]

Canadian tourdates are starting to trickle in for late August..

Aug 22 - Vancouver, BC -Commodore Ballroom

More to follow..

[Falcon]

New audio interview with Ian from Dallas' KDGE, the "original EDGE" formatted station in North America:

http://www.kdge.com/player/?station=KDGE-FM&program_name=podcast&program_id=oldschool.xml&mid=22189907

[Falcon]

Canadian dates coming in:

Aug 22 - Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC
Aug 24 - Edmonton Event Ctr, Edmonton, AB
Aug 25 - Esplanade, Medicine Hat, AB
Aug 28 - Credit Union Eventplex, Regina, Sask
Aug 31 - The Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON
Sept 1 - Metropolis, Montreal, PQ
Sept 2 - Grand Theatre, Quebec, PQ

[Falcon]

Support for Canadian shows will be Gloryhound and Murder of Crows.

[BurningHills]

Picked up the out of print Cleaveland instant live recording from '06 on eBay for 13 bucks.

I'd say that's a pretty good deal! Some of those go for obscene amounts of money!

[Falcon]

Picked up the out of print Cleaveland instant live recording from '06 on eBay for 13 bucks.

I'd say that's a pretty good deal! Some of those go for obscene amounts of money!

Those Instant Live discs are gold, The Cult was one of the first bands to utilize that method of delivery.

[Falcon]

Full info on additional North American dates, a few US shows added as well:

Aug 19 - Sleep Train Pavillion @ Concord, CA (Bonehead BBQ w/ZZ Top)
Aug 20 - Roseland, Portland, OR
Aug 21 - Neptune, Seattle, WA
Aug 22 - Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC
Aug 24 - Edmonton Event Ctr, Edmonton, AB
Aug 25 - Esplanade, Medicine Hat, AB
Aug 26 - Cowboys, Calgary, AB
Aug 28 - Credit Union Eventplex, Regina, Sask
Aug 31 - The Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON 
Sept 1 - Metropolis, Montreal, PQ
Sept 2 - Grand Theatre, Quebec, PQ

[Falcon]

IA interview with the Dallas Observer:

The Cult's Ian Astbury: "Too Many People Approach The Doors Like It Was Classic Rock. That Is An Awful Term."

By Darryl SmyersWed., Jun. 20 2012 at 12:00 PM

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/dc9/2012/06/ian_astbury_of_the_cult_talks.php

Ian Astbury, leader of The Cult, is quite the Renaissance man. Besides fronting the band, Astbury plays soccer competitively, watches hockey compulsively and is well-versed on just about any topic thrown at him.

Speaking from Los Angeles in anticipation of tonight's show at House of Blues, Astbury talked about The Cult's terrific new album, Choice of Weapon, and how his 50th birthday and first marriage aren't going to settle him down.
 

The reviews for the new album, Choice of Weapon, have been consistently positive. One reviewer wrote that The Cult were once again "militant, urgent and pissed off."
 Who wrote that?

I saw it on Allmusic.com.
 Well, anyone could have written that. Allmusic.com is just a collection of individuals. You could have any person write that, but I do believe the album is militant. We had to be when we recorded it. We had a purpose.

The cover art for the album has a Native American influence. That's a theme that seems to be consistent throughout the band's career.
 You have to look at the picture. There is obviously a very strong Native American influence, but there are other things going on as well. The jacket I am wearing is an homage to punk rock. The shirt is from the film The Gangs of New York. There are a lot of different elements going on. Of course, I've always been interested in Native American culture. [It] offers incredible insight into the human experience.

You recently turned 50 and got married. Does that mean you are settling down?
 I don't know what settling down means. I was born in England, lived in Canada, but consider New York to be my hometown. I don't remember turning 50. I just drove right past it. I didn't even acknowledge my birthday. I was working all day. And the wedding was also low-key. We got married in Las Vegas. The pastor was from a non-denominational church. It wasn't a religious ceremony; it was supposed to be just us and a few friends, but somebody leaked it to the media, to some local gossip columnist.

I know you are a big hockey fan. Seeing that you have lived in New York and L.A., were you routing for the [New Jersey] Devils or the [Los Angeles] Kings in the Stanley Cup Finals?
 When I grew up, I was a big fan of the Chicago Blackhawks. But I also loved the teams from Canada and my heart kind of goes to those teams. But the run that the Kings made, it was incredible. The Kings showed such dedication.

You are known as a good soccer player. Don't you play with Steve Jones from the Sex Pistols?
 I've played with many players. I play on a team in Los Angeles. I am actually the oldest player on the first team. Steve is a great player. We are in a real serious league. It's not just a bunch of celebrities running around.

Was it difficult when you sang with Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger in the Doors of the 21st Century? Are Morrison's shoes just too big to fill?
 I actually played more shows with those guys than Morrison did. It wasn't a short stint. I did over 150 shows. But there's not a single living person who could fill Morrison's shoes. No one is going to channel him. Too many people approach The Doors like it was classic rock. That is an awful term. The nuance and subtext of the music of The Doors is very important. I was very proud to be able to perform Morrison's songs, but people forget that it was Robby Krieger who wrote "Light My Fire" and "Touch Me." Those are classic songs. It's incredible to think about all of the bands that have been influenced by The Doors. Doing those songs is like getting an education at Harvard.

Is it true you had a religious experience listening to "The End"?
 I think anyone who has listened to that song has had a religious experience. I am very careful with my choice of words. To me, religion is kind of a doctrine with guidelines. I don't think that applies to how about I felt about that piece of music. It had a profound effect on me. I can't really explain the feeling. It was a feeling of wild animals. You know the poet Robert Bly? He wrote about man losing touch with humanity when he lost touch with the wild animals.

[BurningHills]

Picked up the out of print Cleaveland instant live recording from '06 on eBay for 13 bucks.

I'd say that's a pretty good deal! Some of those go for obscene amounts of money!

Those Instant Live discs are gold, The Cult was one of the first bands to utilize that method of delivery.

The only ones I'm missing now are #1 (L.A.), the two Canadian shows which weren't numbered to my knowledge, and the compilation that was sold on the Canadian tour.

EDIT: And the NYC show.

[Falcon]

Billy Duffy audio interview at 99X:

http://therockstation99x.com/the-cult-billy-duffy-choice-of-weapon-interview/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

"Honey From A Knife" appears to be the next single (already being added to playlists) and there may be more US dates in October.

Listen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7DWf-biuuk

Watch live here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBUQ8cFDAIw

[Falcon]

Here's the official press release confirming "Honey From A Knife" as the next single:


THE CULT'S "HONEY FROM A KNIFE"
 
DROPS AT RADIO THIS WEEK
 
LOS ANGELES, CA - (Monday, June 25, 2012) -- "Honey From a Knife," the lead- off track from The Cult's critically-acclaimed new studio album Choice of Weapon, hits radio this week.  The song, rooted in the seductiveness of addiction, has been singled out in numerous media reviews for its raw energy, sexual rhythms, Duffy's knife-edge guitars and Astbury's impassioned vocals, all woven around the song's mesmerizing chorus, "We got the drugs, the drugs in here."  Click here to hear the track.
 
As one reviewer put it, "'Honey From a Knife' is pure rock and roll, as catchy as it is shocking."
 
"Honey From a Knife" will also be available as a ringtone via all carriers in the U.S beginning Tuesday, June 26.
 
Choice of Weapon, released May 22, has received stellar press reviews, the consensus being that it is The Cult's best album in years.  The UK's Mojo gave it a Five Star review, Entertainment Weekly tagged it with an A-, Magnet said it was "as epic and compelling as nearly anything in The Cult's catalogue," The UK's Q magazine called it "brilliant," the Phoenix New Times wrote "everything clicks," and MSN stated simply that it was "their best album in 20 years."
 
The Cult's recent live performances also created a stir with the Hollywood Reporter who observed the band live in New York as having "returned with a vengeance," and referring to Astbury as "a menacing tyrant of cool."  The band - Ian Astbury/vocals, Billy Duffy/guitars, Chris Wyse/bass, John Tempesta/drums - completed its initial assault on the U.S.A. at the Los Angeles Palladium this past Saturday with alt/rockers Against Me! in support.  The Cult heads to Europe later this week for a three-week tour of headlining dates and festivals where the band will share stages with Patti Smith, Garbage, Wolf Mother, and Jack White, among others.

[Falcon]

IA interview from MSN:

http://video.ca.msn.com/watch/video/msn-talks-to-the-cult/18ko1kher?src=CPSmall%3ashareBar%3apermalink%3atag_recent&from=cp%5ecustomplayer_en-ca_enterteinment_exclusives

[BurningHills]

Here's the official press release confirming "Honey From A Knife" as the next single:


THE CULT'S "HONEY FROM A KNIFE"
 
DROPS AT RADIO THIS WEEK
 
LOS ANGELES, CA - (Monday, June 25, 2012) -- "Honey From a Knife," the lead- off track from The Cult's critically-acclaimed new studio album Choice of Weapon, hits radio this week.  The song, rooted in the seductiveness of addiction, has been singled out in numerous media reviews for its raw energy, sexual rhythms, Duffy's knife-edge guitars and Astbury's impassioned vocals, all woven around the song's mesmerizing chorus, "We got the drugs, the drugs in here."  Click here to hear the track.
 
As one reviewer put it, "'Honey From a Knife' is pure rock and roll, as catchy as it is shocking."
 
"Honey From a Knife" will also be available as a ringtone via all carriers in the U.S beginning Tuesday, June 26.
 
Choice of Weapon, released May 22, has received stellar press reviews, the consensus being that it is The Cult's best album in years.  The UK's Mojo gave it a Five Star review, Entertainment Weekly tagged it with an A-, Magnet said it was "as epic and compelling as nearly anything in The Cult's catalogue," The UK's Q magazine called it "brilliant," the Phoenix New Times wrote "everything clicks," and MSN stated simply that it was "their best album in 20 years."
 
The Cult's recent live performances also created a stir with the Hollywood Reporter who observed the band live in New York as having "returned with a vengeance," and referring to Astbury as "a menacing tyrant of cool."  The band - Ian Astbury/vocals, Billy Duffy/guitars, Chris Wyse/bass, John Tempesta/drums - completed its initial assault on the U.S.A. at the Los Angeles Palladium this past Saturday with alt/rockers Against Me! in support.  The Cult heads to Europe later this week for a three-week tour of headlining dates and festivals where the band will share stages with Patti Smith, Garbage, Wolf Mother, and Jack White, among others.

Awesome! Looking forward to it!

[Falcon]

A new date in California has been just added:

The Cult @ Ventura Theater in Ventura, CA Saturday, August 18

[Falcon]

Belgrade Festival setlist with Ozzy and Friends:

Lil Devil
Honey From a Knife
Rain
Lucifer
Phoenix
Fire Woman
The Wolf
Wild Flower
Rise
For The Animals
She Sells Sanctuary
Love Removal Machine

[FunkyMonkey]

Belgrade Festival setlist with Ozzy and Friends:

Lil Devil
Honey From a Knife
Rain
Lucifer
Phoenix
Fire Woman
The Wolf
Wild Flower
Rise
For The Animals
She Sells Sanctuary
Love Removal Machine

The Cult - Honey From A Knife - Belgrade @ Usce Park 28/6/2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfCT7OO-EL0

The Cult - Rain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S8XZuD_rS4&feature=plcp

The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjxvl4tiRWs&feature=plcp