The Cult

[BurningHills]

The full film clip of The Cult's "Honey from A Knife" can be viewed here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5clZblHCCk

Love it.

[Falcon]

Duffy throwing shapes last night in Montreal

[Falcon]

Ian is releasing factoids about the "Honey From A Knife" film clip, one a day is the plan:

FACT ONE:
"The Film Was shot in Washington Heights, NYC" - IA

FACT TWO:
"The Director is Rick Rogers, an upcoming film maker who worked on "A Prelude To Ruins" with me ." - IA

FACT THREE:
"The actors where all cast off the street ." - IA

FACT FOUR:
"Although there are obvious visual references to the lyrics , these images evolved out a mixture of dream sequences and real events ." - IA

FACT FIVE:
"It depicts a young man descending into a " dark knight of the soul " akin to Dante's Inferno ...." - IA

FACT SIX:
"The Dark Shaman has been described as having a Native American feel -- which is partially true -- but the character evolved out of several influences; Tibetan Bon and Buddhism , the leather and cut off jacket was influenced by punk rock and street culture and, as well, is an homage to Rick Owens and his brilliant wife Michele Lamy. I wear Rick Owens every day and have done so for several years . " - IA

FACT SEVEN:
"The Shaman's face is veiled -- this was an acknowledgment of images coming from the Arab Spring and Occupy Movements . " - IA

FACT EIGHT:
"Time Magazine featured a cover for their person of the year (http://tinyurl.com/cvytbgc) in 2011 as being the " Protestor ". This actually came out after I had conceived the Shaman." - IA

FACT NINE:
"On the record sleeve, the shirt that the Shaman is wearing is an actual piece of costume form the Martin Sco
rcese film " Gangs Of New York ". It was worn by one of the Dead Rabbits gang. On a side note, while Rick was trying out lenses, Martin Scorcese's Director Of Photography was next door . " - IA

[Falcon]

BD answers readers question at Guitar World:

As the only constant members of the Cult, you and [singer] Ian [Astbury] are the heart and soul of the band. What is that partnership like? How does Ian complement your creativity? ? Kelly Youngblood
 
We?re both the same birth sign, and there are a lot of similarities between us. We provide each other with the creative tension we need to create better art than if we were working independently. We have a special creative nature that was revealed when we first got together in a small apartment in Brixton, London, in 1983.

One example of how our relationship works is illustrated in how the song ?The Wolf? came together. It was a particularly difficult song to bring together. I had the main riff even before the last Cult album, but Ian didn?t want to work on it; he wouldn?t even touch it, so I let it lie. But I brought it back, because I knew it was good.

This time out, Ian and the rest of the guys were really patient with my obsession to work it out, and we were able to. I?m very happy with the results, possibly because of its difficult upbringing.
 
I heard the single ?Lucifer? from Choice of Weapon, and I love it! Judging from the album name and cover art, it seems like you?re exploring some dark subject matter. What can you tell us about the album?s themes? ? Francis Soyer
 
?Lucifer? is certainly about hedonism, but that song isn?t indicative of the whole album. It?s more of a teaser track than a single. But most of our records are kind of dark, and that?s Ian?s deal. If I could sum up Choice of Weapon, I?d say it?s about urban shamanism. The album was written in New York and Los Angeles but also in the California desert. It?s trying to connect the dichotomy of living in urban areas but realizing that outside of those areas is where our food and water comes from.

You can have all the technology you want, but if you don?t have clean air to breathe, it?s game over. That said, I?m a guitar player and not the lyricist, so I?m just talking about what I?m observing coming from the singer of our band. But those have always been reoccurring themes for the Cult: love and appreciation of nature but also appreciation of an urban society?s vibe, violence and sexuality.
 
I love the Gretsch White Falcon. Are you using it or the Les Paul on the new record? And I?m also wondering what?s your trick to prevent the Gretsch from feeding back in live situations? ? Dave Belknap
 
I?ve always used the Les Paul and Gretsch White Falcon, and they?re both heavily featured on the new album. Regarding the second part, that?s a very pragmatic question. One thing I?ve done with the White Falcon is put things in the body ? little bits of T-shirts or whatever ? to help stop some of the feedback.
 
But don?t overfill it or the guitar will sound dead. You also have to be conscious of where you?re playing onstage. We spend a lot of time soundchecking at every Cult gig, trying to remove the frequencies that create that real deep, low-mid feedback. And finally, I?ve always put high-output, hot pickups in my Gretsches. My original pickups in the Seventies were so puny that you?d have to run the amp really loud, and it would create horrible feedback problems. I?ve used Seymour Duncan and TV Jones pickups, and they work really well. They keep the Gretsch tone and chime but prevent feedback from the amp.
 
The transitions in your songs from chorus to verse are so seamless. Do you have to really focus and work these out, or do you simply write in a linear way? ? Arnon Wiggond
 
It used to be very linear, out of necessity. Then Pro Tools came along, and it?s changed how people construct songs. When Bob Rock came in to finish the production on the new album, he helped us with the arrangements. We laid everything down organically, and then changed and moved sections around with Pro Tools. So it can be a really useful tool, if you make sure to keep an organic feel to it.
 
Reality TV shows like Gene Simmons Family Jewels and The Osbournes have been a way for rockers to show another side of themselves. In retrospect, do you think your participation in Married to Rock was a positive thing, or do you wish you had taken a pass? ? Jessie Chadwick
 
I?m happy that I participated in that show. I think I was comfortable with the legitimacy of the other band guys involved: Duff [McKagan] with Guns N? Roses, Perry [Farrell] with Jane?s Addiction and Steve Stevens with Billy Idol. I didn?t hear the sound of a barrel being scraped, if you know what I mean.

The show was about the women, and some of the guys were in it more than others. For me, it was kind of interesting. I never want to be the kind of person that says no to everything. I wanted to participate in a contemporary experience like reality TV and see how it impacted me. It was also good because it got the Cult out there to an audience of millions during a time when the band didn?t have an album out.
 
In interviews over the years, you?ve mentioned you witnessed a lot of special gigs as a teenager in Manchester. Was there one that topped the list for you and made you say, ?I wanna do this for a living?? ? Steve Wood
 
Yeah, there were two gigs: one that made me think, Yes, I wanna do this for a living, and another that made me realize, Yes, it?s possible for me to do this for a living. The former was Queen. They were touring the Sheer Heart Attack album, and I was blown away. I will take to my grave the image of Queen opening before a 2,000-seat hall with ?Now I?m Here.?

It was a black stage, the guitar was chugging a D chord, which I?ve ripped off a million times, and Freddie Mercury appeared in some window with just his face visible. Then, when the song kicked in, every light on the stage lit up. The entire band was dressed in white, and Brian May had a cape.

That experience, which is utterly indelibly printed in my mind, made me realize I wanted to do that for a living. The gig that made me realize it was possible was the Sex Pistols. I saw their second show in Manchester in June 1976. There were, like, 300 people there. It was heavy, violent, and there was a fight, and a lot of people left. It was also the Buzzcocks? debut show. That show blew my mind. At that point, the idea of playing music for a living changed from being a fantasy to a reality.
 
Which of your songs ranks as your defining ?guitar? moment? ? Filipe Dias
 
?She Sells Sanctuary.? There?s a guitar sound on that record [Love] that I?ve heard no one create before or since. It?s a combination of feel and the music itself, which keeps it fresh even to this day. It was just in the Budweiser Super Bowl commercial with the Flo Rida mash-up, and it sounded great. The guitars still jump out of the speakers.
 
I saw a YouTube clip of Matthew McConaughey playing bongos with the Cult during your recent South by Southwest performance. What?s the story behind his guest appearance? ? Russ Ziskey
 
Matthew is a longtime Cult fan. You?re more likely to find him in the pit banging it out with the fans than find him backstage. So we were going to South by Southwest to promote the new record, and Matthew wanted to come to one of the gigs. My manager actually pointed out that Matthew really likes to participate and had the idea of asking him to play congas on a couple songs, including the new one, ?Lucifer,? and an old one, ?Spiritwalker.?

Matthew was into it, so he came out to the big gig and played with us in front of 25,000 people. It was a lot of fun, but it was also about raising awareness for the new record in this media-saturated world. So with Matthew McConaughey and the Cult, it was like ?two plus two equals seven.?

[Falcon]

A lil bit of pre UK tour/single hype from Guitar Planet:

The Cult Announce New Single 'Honey From A Knife' Plus Sept 2012 Tour Dates

http://www.guitarplanet.eu/latest-news/date/2012/09/06/the-cult-announce-new-single-honey-from-a-knife-plus-sept-2012-tour-dates.html

Taken from 'Choice of Weapon' their most successful album in a decade, The Cult release the opening track 'Honey From A Knife' on 17th September 2012. They also land in the UK for some long awaited live dates where fans can get their first chance to hear songs from the new disc alongside classics from the band's stellar back catalogue.
 
The group have spent the summer spinning around the US and Europe on tour (including a near miss bus accident in Croatia) which has seen them win over old fans and new. Playing with acts as diverse as Patti Smith, Guns 'N' Roses, Jack White, Against Me and Garbage to date and have mixed festival's and headline shows. The Hollywood Reporter proclaimed the band had "returned with a vengeance" and described Astbury as "a menacing tyrant of cool". The album received fantastic reviews and went top 20 in the UK.
 
Shot in NYC by Rick Rogers (Prelude To Ruins) in a highly cinematic style, the film for 'Honey From A Knife' reveals a "desperate descent into a fractured psyche " (Ian Astbury), the song title was inspired by the Buddhist precept: "Wealth and beauty, to a man who will not relinquish them, are like a knife covered with honey which, even before he has had the pleasure of eating the honey, cuts the tongue of the child that licks it". The song, rooted in the seductiveness of addiction, has been singled out in numerous reviews for its raw energy and hypnotic chorus.
 
Founder members Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy are joined by drummer John Tempesta and bassist Chris Wyse and the dates kick off on the 10th Manchester, with a show at Glasgow Barrowlands having been added to the schedule recently

[Falcon]

The explicit version for the "Honey From A Knife" film clip has been officially released, a bit more bloody and violent:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeFLbZR7nAY&feature=player_embedded

[Falcon]

An interview with Ian from Toronto radio done a few weeks ago:

http://www.newstalk1010.com/Episodes.aspx?PID=1776

[Falcon]

Newcastle gig review from last night:

REVIEW ? THE CULT AND THE MISSION
 
http://rushonrock.com/2012/09/12/review-the-cult-and-the-mission/

If Ian Astbury was just a little annoyed that this tour was taking in theatres rather than arenas he didn?t let on.
 
And if the charismatic Cult leader was a tad bemused by derogatory comments attributed to the frontman of advertised support Killing Joke ? Jaz Coleman and co. were subsequently kicked off this bill ? then there was little evidence of any lingering bad blood.
 
In fact ? after asking the audience who was in town to see Killing Joke ? Astbury made a point of explaining he had spoken to his crestfallen counterpart to seek clarification. ?We love Killing Joke,? he said, without a hint of irony. ?Jaz said he never wrote any of that stuff (slagging off The Cult and The Mission). He told me he was on holiday.?
 
Whether or not Coleman and co. would have enhanced the evening?s entertainment is anyone?s guess. But in the absence of their 80s buddies, The Cult and The Mission came together to prove there?s still a place for dark and brooding gothic rock.
 
Initially, however, Wayne Hussey appeared indifferent to the whole shindig, failing to induce any kind of reaction from a subdued crowd unimpressed by laborious live versions of songs that deserved so much better. Peppering those tunes with mindless mid-song banter didn?t change the perception that The Mission?s frontman was here to enrage rather than engage: good old fashioned entertainment was at a premium.
 
Yet this was the archetypal show of two halves. With the clock ticking The Mission finally found their missing gear, stepping up the pace, performing with passion and just about turning things around.
 
When Wasteland and Deliverence were pumped through the PA it was finally the cue for fist-pumping adulation. Maybe Hussey misjudged the mood early doors but come the final curtain it was Mission accomplished. And The Cult picked up the baton with a belligerent brilliance.
 
New album Choice Of Weapon has breathed new life into a set that had been lurching towards lazy predictability. If 2007?s Born Into This proved there was life in the old dog yet so many of that album?s better songs proved a poor fit for the ultimate Cult show. The Wolf, by comparison, belongs right at the heart of this band?s bombastic live delivery.
 
Alongside Honey From A Knife and Lucifer, The Wolf has energised Astbury and his ?too cool for school? sidekick Billy Duffy. This time last year the moody Mancunian was Married To Rock (co-starring in a reality TV show scripted to accentuate his grumpier side) but it appears he?s now back in the arms of his beloved guitar. It?s a true marriage made in heaven and many of last night?s soaring solos and crunching riffs belonged in another universe.
 
As a duo Astbury and Duffy have always oozed raw and unadulterated rock n roll: on the one hand there?s the silky smooth singer with the movie star looks and on the other the working class hero with an ever-soaring ego. Few guitarists enjoy a permanent spotlight from start to finish without uttering a word or cracking a smile but Duffy isn?t most guitarists. His music does the talking and last night it screamed talent with every note.
 
Where The Mission started slowly, The Cult stormed out of the blocks with a blistering rendition of Lil? Devil. Maintaining the  momentum with breakneck speed the classics came and went in a rhythmic blur ? Fire Woman and She Sells Sanctuary sounding as fresh and feisty as ever.
 
Astbury ? wearing what looked like the remains of the aforementioned Wolf around his neck ? delivered the perfect lesson in rockstardom. Duffy did his bit and the crowd went home happy. By now nobody could care less about Killing Joke.

[Falcon]

EDIT: Confirmed US dates

10/19/12 - Oklahoma City, OK - Zoo Ampitheatre w/special guests Buckcherry and Hinder

9/20/12 - Buffalo Run Casino, Miami, Oklahoma w/ Hinder, Buckcherry, HELL YEAH, Saving Abel and Lit

10/21/12 San Antonio, TX - Sunken Gardens Ampitheatre

10/23/12 - Pharr, TX - Pharr Events Center

[FunkyMonkey]

How's this for a headline.

Ian Astbury Is The Man I Would Wanna Marry If I Liked Men

SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

The new album by The Cult is good. It?s actually better than good but what do I know, I?ve been listening to this band all my life and I?m one of those few, that think that the goat album of 1994, is one of their best works yet, therefore my actual opinion is rather irrelevant. So I?m only saying this ?Choice Of Weapon? is good to maintain a somewhat level of objectivity. If I had to be a bit more strict with these guys, I would only say that unfortunately there is no song in this album as good as the 4 songs they released in the two ?Capsule? EPs two years ago (?Embers?, ?Until The Light Takes Us?, ?Siberia?, ?Every Man And Every Woman Is A Star?), but alas these 4 incredible songs (the band?s best work in more than 15 years) are inlcuded in the deluxe edition of the album. So there you have it, a new great album plus 4 bonus songs even better than the album itself. And from what I saw last year here in Athens, these old wolves can still put on a great show as well.

Welcome back boys, we missed you. Hope you don?t go breaking up the band for another 3 years again now ok?

Videos:

My personal favorite:
The single with the cool vid:
The single with the not-so-cool vid:
A heavy motherfucker:
And one of the 4 bonus diamonds (notice how this one sounds like the Southern Death Cult days of the long forgotten(?) post-punk/goth past of this band):

Here: http://spyreas.wordpress.com/2012/09/18/ian-astbury-is-the-man-i-would-wanna-marry-if-i-liked-men/

[Falcon]

How's this for a headline.

Ian Astbury Is The Man I Would Wanna Marry If I Liked Men

SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

The new album by The Cult is good. It?s actually better than good but what do I know, I?ve been listening to this band all my life and I?m one of those few, that think that the goat album of 1994, is one of their best works yet, therefore my actual opinion is rather irrelevant. So I?m only saying this ?Choice Of Weapon? is good to maintain a somewhat level of objectivity. If I had to be a bit more strict with these guys, I would only say that unfortunately there is no song in this album as good as the 4 songs they released in the two ?Capsule? EPs two years ago (?Embers?, ?Until The -Light Takes Us?, ?Siberia?, ?Every Man And Every Woman Is A Star?), but alas these 4 incredible songs (the band?s best work in more than 15 years) are inlcuded in the deluxe edition of the album. So there you have it, a new great album plus 4 bonus songs even better than the album itself. And from what I saw last year here in Athens, these old wolves can still put on a great show as well.

Welcome back boys, we missed you. Hope you don?t go breaking up the band for another 3 years again now ok?

Videos:

My personal favorite:
-The single with the cool vid:
The single with the not-so-cool vid:
A heavy motherfucker:
And one of the 4 bonus diamonds (notice how this one sounds like the Southern Death Cult days of the long forgotten(?) post-punk/goth past of this band):

Here: http://spyreas.wordpress.com/2012/09/18/ian-astbury-is-the-man-i-would-wanna-marry-if-i-liked-men/

A perfect example of why "blogging" should be viewed in the same light as;

- Open toed man shoes/man jewelry
- The use of the term "swag"
- Facebook

All played, so played...

[FunkyMonkey]

A perfect example of why "blogging" should be viewed in the same light as;

- Open toed man shoes/man jewelry
- The use of the term "swag"
- Facebook

You've covered a lot of ground there -- you left off flip flops, but maybe they're included with your open toed man shoes.

And said blogger had some nice things to say about the album/band.  See headline.

[Falcon]

And said blogger had some nice things to say about the album/band.  See headline.

I viewed the entire "blog" as complimentary to the album/band, that was beside the point I was trying to make.

It was more in the vein of "OK, another random person with an internet connection and a wordpress account feels the need to pontiifcate, yippee" kinda tone.

[FunkyMonkey]

I viewed the entire "blog" as complimentary to the album/band, that was beside the point I was trying to make.

It was more in the vein of "OK, another random person with an internet connection and a wordpress account feels the need to pontiifcate, yippee" kinda tone.

I just thought the headline was funny.

[Falcon]

I viewed the entire "blog" as complimentary to the album/band, that was beside the point I was trying to make.

It was more in the vein of "OK, another random person with an internet connection and a wordpress account feels the need to pontiifcate, yippee" kinda tone.

I just thought the headline was funny.

It was funny. 

Here's a review of London, from an actual publication by people who get paid for their opinion.

http://thequietus.com/articles/10100-the-cult-the-mission-live-review

[Falcon]

The 3rd single from the Cult's "Choice Of Weapon" will be "The Wolf":

Listen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=328L6_0aHtQ

Live in Toronto here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs9M-VQxryA

Single artwork:

[Falcon]

EDIT: Confirmed US dates

10/19/12 - Oklahoma City, OK - Zoo Ampitheatre w/special guests Buckcherry and Hinder

9/20/12 - Buffalo Run Casino, Miami, Oklahoma w/ Hinder, Buckcherry, HELL YEAH, Saving Abel and Lit

10/21/12 San Antonio, TX - Sunken Gardens Ampitheatre

10/23/12 - Pharr, TX - Pharr Events Center

And another, great venue:

10/24/2012 - Austin,Texas - Stubb's BBQ

Another festival headline date as well:

10/25/12 - Corpus Christi, TX - Concrete Street Amphitheater

[Falcon]

Billy and Slipknot/Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor rockin' The Cult's "Lil Devil" last night in London at Wembley Arena at Marshall Amps "50 Years Of Loud" celebration.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMb6oQYaXUw&feature=youtu.be&a

[metallex78]

Hey Falcon, you're the resident Cult fan here, how would you compare the new album to Beyond Good & Evil?

BG&E is my favourite Cult album, so if the new one is anything like it, I might check it out.

[Falcon]

Hey Falcon, you're the resident Cult fan here, how would you compare the new album to Beyond Good & Evil?

BG&E is my favourite Cult album, so if the new one is anything like it, I might check it out.

"Choice Of Weapon" has some similarities to "BG&E", lotsa heavy guitars for sure.