Back in the dark ages of 1987, a small moment of controversy rippled through the music press. For their third album, The Cult were swapping emotional, reverb-soaked goth anthems for head on rock. What was going on? Would such a risky tactic work?
By Miles Salter
It sure did – The Cult went on to enjoy considerable success with Electric, touring with an up and coming support band called Guns ‘n’ Roses and doing very nicely, thanks.
Tonight in York, on their ‘8424 tour’ (it’s 40 years since their first album, Dreamtime, came out), all flavours of the band are on display. In truth, though, the musical palette is fairly small – the crowd won’t be getting any jazz or dance experiments tonight, just full on rock for 90 minutes, and that’s the way the crowd likes it.
Before the band come on, the intro music is Richard Wagner’s Flight of The Valkyries, the anthem that famously features in the helicopter raid scene in Apocalypse Now. This is oddly appropriate – like Wagner’s tune, The Cult’s set is thunderous, bombastic and exhilarating.
Ian Astbury, the band’s singer, is a charismatic presence, and prowls the stage with a hit of adrenalin-fuelled energy. He whacks a tambourine, chucks it into the crowd, and tosses a microphone stand to one side. Astbury’s vocal style is a little limited – he tends to stay in the same register – but it retains the quality all really good singers need: distinctiveness. It serves the music fine.
His partner, Billy Duffy, is a phenomenal guitar player, moving from riffs to solos, his foot occasionally on the wah-wah pedal. The ghosts of Jimmy Page and of Jimi Hendrix aren’t far away. His series of Gibson Gretsch guitars are lovely things – the white Gretsch Falcon especially delicious, and they have named a model after Duffy. The rhythm section comprises drummer John Tempesta and bass player Charlie Jones, both efficient, clean and tight.
Around half the set is drawn from early albums Love, Electric and 1989’s Sonic Temple, with songs such as Love Removal Machine, Wild Flower and Edie (Ciao Baby) all eliciting positive reactions from the crowd. After a brief encore, they close with She Sells Sanctuary, still their most potent and distinctive track. Astbury thanks the crowd and says in 15 years he’s only had two holidays. Influenced by Native American culture, he kneels to offer a prayer of thanks. The audience are grateful, too.
The Cult may not be the most experimental band in the world, but they do their thing with ferocity. They’re the musical equivalent of a missile – direct, unambiguous, and powerful. Get those helicopters out!
The Cult played at York Barbican on Tuesday 29 October 2024.
