SDSU Open Air Theater, San Diego, California
Opening bands: Bird, Stabbing Westward, Monster Magnet
This show was awesome!! I just got home and my ears are still buzzing! They played
a great set, a nice mixture of everyone's fav's and 4 from the new album. The show
started with a bang, they led off with Rise, and finished their set with
She Sells Sanctuary. The came back for one encore, played about 4 more songs
and ended with Love Removal Machine. This is my second time seeing the CULT
and I am very happy and contented now. If you have the chance, you should most
definitely make to a show. Ian looked good and sounded pretty good, they could
have turned up his mike a bit more and he had constant trouble with the mike cord
getting tangled. Duffy was he usual sonic self, he seemed in a really good mood and
it showed. Matt was really having a great time. Go on, go see them! PEACE!
Gonzo - supergonz@yahoo.com
Just got back from the show here in San Diego. I met Ian, for the first time, very
briefly outside of the venue a half an hour before the show, as he was walking in.
He had a skateboard or sandboard under his arm and was talking on a cel phone. As
he ended the call I leaned over and complimented him on the outstanding new work,
Beyond Good and Evil. He turned to me with a great big smile and responded in kind
with a "Thanks". As he proceded in, he invited me in, but I was waiting for a
friend and I needed to wait. (I have so few brushes with the famous) No one else
noticed him, as he went in to the ampitheatre. I'll let someone else describe the
setlist, the show was incredible. Two tamborines, two waterbottles were tossed
into the crowd by Ian and Billy tossed a handful of picks. A large bra was tossed
onto the stage mid-show, and Ian briefly made a ear muff hat out of them. An hour
and forty-five minutes of sonic power. The entire band was ON. The crowd could not
get enough! A very tight setlist. After seeing the band here in San Diego at
'Fourth and B' and at the 'Coors Ampitheatre' this show clearly is the culmination
of an immense amount of work. The spiritual core of the work and Ians 'glowing'
performance on stage cemented with me, the ability of the Cult to transend raw
rock to a greater nature. Yes, real Rock'N'Roll for the soul and more. It is not
very often that I go to large events and feel as 'family-like', as these shows,
some very cool people are going to these shows. At the begining of Fire
Woman, Ian exclaimed, "If you don't like this one, (meaning the song) you can
go home!" Maybe a reference to comments on the net about Fire Woman in the
setlist. Last comment...compliments to this site, great updates, the best on
the web!!!
Mike Overcast - bajasafarI@webtv.net
Quite possibly the best Cult show overall I've seen, and this was my fourth.
Before the encore Ian said "this has been the best show of the tour so far..."
The band was really on and tight, played pretty much the same set list as I've
heard that they've been playing. Awesome stage show, great lighting. Standouts were
Rise (awesome), The Witch (kick ass), Rain, Love Removal
Machine (kick ass), Wild Flower (though seemed a little slow and
plodding), Nirvana (awesome), Peace Dog (awesome), War
(awesome). In The Clouds sounded a little muddy. The band had great
chemistry, and played well off one another, seemed happy to be there and
rocking out. Monster Mag was ok, they are better on album than live. Their
cock rock stadium moves seemed a bit contrived.
Doug Smith - dougs@hotmail.com
What a show it was. Three other bands opened up before the Cult. I was not
impressed but I give them credit for the effort. First of all I bought fourth
row seats, directly in the center of the stage. I bought six tickets which was
the whole row. My wife, sister in law, best friend, his wife and another friend
of mine attended. The Cult came out and opened up with Rise. I won that
guess with my friend. My friend has been a fan since 1985. I have been a fan since
Sonic Temple. Love is my favorite album. Anyways the concert was incredible. We
were very close. The only time I was closer to the band was in 1994 where I saw
them in Ventura, California. My best friend and I were right against the stage.
Ian at the time brought out his son, Dustin, on the stage. Anyways, everyone was
rocking, jumping up and down, really enjoying themselves. Ian himself said: "Its
nice to see people alive, were not dead yet people." Okay here comes the best
part of the show. I had a pair of sunglasses on me. I told my wife that I would
throw them on stage next to Ian when it got dark. I threw them and they hit the
front feedback speaker by the microphone, directly in front of Ian. He didn't
notice them at that moment. Then my sister in law yelled in my ear that she
wanted me to throw her bra up on stage. I said go for it. She is very well built,
a full D cup. She gave me the bra, when Ian came close to the front with the lights
completely lit up, I aimed for him and tossed the bra right at him. Ian looked over
right as I threw it and CAUGHT THE BRA. Right at the end of the song. Ian then said
in the microphone: " Who was that?" pointing right at us. Our group pointed at my
sister in law. At that moment I reached down to her lower legs and lifted her high
in the air, the whole crowd noticed her. Everyone was cheering. Ian then put the bra
on his head and said "This is a very heavy piece of equipment." He also said "I will
wear this when I go up to Big Bear to keep me warm." We could not believe it. On the
way out of the theatre people kept saying to my sister in law, your the girl with the
bra, she was a star that night. This is the sixth time I have seen the Cult. This
show and the Ventura show in 94 are the best for me so far. I plan to see them in
Los Angeles in August. They are the best. I thank the Cult for giving us a great
experience. Rock N Roll. Later towards the end of the show, Ian picked up my
sunglasses I had thrown and put them on the back of his head. I thought that was
cool, he was interacting with the fans a lot. We had some personal moments last
night with Ian getting our thrown items. Very cool. The Cult looked good, healthy,
a little older but still moving around very well. Better than I could. Ian was
kicking his legs real high and dancing around a lot. The CULT LIVES.
Adam
First let me say that the crowd in San Diego last night was just... ehh. I have seen
The Cult 7 times in 3 different states over the years and I have definately seen
better. I would say less than 10 percent of the crowd knew anything off of the new
album except Rise. Ian made a comment to the effect of "you will get more
familiar with the new material if you listen to it more" Ian also asked who was
going to the weenie roast and recieved almost no response. He seemed to be a little
upset by that. I personally asked a lot of people what they thought of the new
album and only 1 person even said that they had it. One jeer for Billy, I think he
is having trouble with the whole tuning down thing some songs just didn't sound quite
right. The beginning of The Saint sounded an awful lot like Lil' Devil.
Extremely high points were all of the new songs. When Billy brought out his White
Falcon it was nothing short of phenomenal. The three songs from Love that they played
while Billy was using the falcon were worth the price of admission alone. Ian was
his usual showman self, he did a great job despite the fact that he seemed a little
disappointed with the crowd. Matt sounded excellent and honestly seemed to be having
a good time. I had never realized that he was as good a drummer as he is. Billy
Morrison adds a very solid hard edge to the bottom line. Overall it was a great
night. I can't wait for Saturday.... 4 o'clock
Scotty - dedhorse25@usa.net
I agree the white falcon was worth the price of admission! The crowd did not
recognize the new material. Also the set included Breathe and Take The
Power. Overall a spectacular show with an audience of younger "youngsters" who
only new the hits. Ian's mike needed turning up. I last saw them at Ventura last
year, that show was more intense. The open air theatre did not give them enough
justice...although I havn't seen Ian so energetic since a Sonic Temple show I saw
in the 80's. Did anyone see how they brought in 1990? That was a show I will
never forget. See you all at the H.O.B. on August 2. The Cult have saved rock n
roll with this record. Too bad the album is not marketed like the Blink 182s and
311 etc...
Don - dvrodriguez@earthlink.net
Well to be honest I was not a huge Cult fan, but I did like most of their work. This
was the first time I have seen them live, and I was blown away by these guys. They
really rock very hard. I was in the second row, and that made a big difference. I
really felt like there was some positive vibes between the fans that were in my
section and the band. Ian seemed to be in great spirits, except the mic cord kept
getting caught on the speaker. I would say it was the best rock concert I have been
to. It was really magic. I can't wait to see these guys again.
Brad - bmwolfe@yahoo.com
Setlist:
Rise
In The Clouds
Lil' Devil
Peace Dog
Rain
Edie (Ciao Baby)
The Witch
Breathe
The Saint
Fire Woman
Sweet Soul Sister
Wild Flower
She Sells Sanctuary
Encore:
War
Nirvana
Love Removal Machine