DeKalb Atlanta Center, Atlanta, Georgia
Opening Band: Lennon
Saw The Cult last night at Dekalb Centre in Atlanta, a very hot, cramped and
logistically inept venue. They came out at 9:45 and tore the roof off the
place!! I hadn't seen them since '89 and they didn't disappoint at all. The
set was the same as most previous dates on the tour - opened with Rise
and finished with She Sells Sanctuary. An 11pm curfew only allowed time
for 1 song on the encore - Love Removal Machine. Ian's comment was
something to the effect of "your local officials want you to go to bed early -
they have this curfew and if we break it we'll go to jail or have to pay
$50,000 or something so we only have time for one more song". To him, I
would reply perhaps you could have taken the stage earlier in view of the
curfew instead of having us stand around an extra 20 minutes of so.
Nevertheless, it was a great show and Ian made my day by bereting the
"yuppies" standing at he front of the stage for not enjoying themselves.
John Clark
Ian and the guys kicked some serious ass!! It was awsome!!
Jon Johnson - jmjn4@cs.com
My soapbox please...
Curfew? We missed out on two great songs because of a curfew. Lennon,
the talentless teen, played her entire set and then the Cult took their time
about coming on stage. As a result, we didn't get Nirvana or War.
$40 a ticket and we didn't even get a full show (I don't see myself giving
any more money to ticketbastard.)
As for the show...
Those boyz never cease to amaze. This was my 5th Cult show and it will stand
out in my memory as one of the best yet. The last time they were in
Atlanta, they gave a lacklustre performance. Last night, they blew the roof
off the dump (and I do mean 'dump'). Ian is quick to point out a poor
audience but he also rewards the good ones. Two years ago he just pissed
through the set because of the lack of excitement in the crowd. Last
night, he applauded the crowd and gave us his all. Thanks Ian.
Kirk Strange 'BroWolf' - ktstrange@mediaone.net
I had never heard much of the cult's music prior to this concert;therefore, I was
unfortunately not a big fan. However my close friend has been a die hard fan for
several years. We got lucky and recieved backstage passes last night for the Atlanta
show. I was extremely impressed by the band's awesome performance. The band radiates
such a positive energy that I couldn't help but become an instant fan. I will
definitely recommend that everyone who likes great music and a rockin' show needs
to experience the Cult (as I hope to again someday)!
Mellisa Seabolt
Well after reading the previous reviews of this show I see we all experienced the same
thing. Place too small, hard to get a good place to see, impossible to get another eight
dollar double Jim Beam and maybe the best overall performance by the band I've ever seen!
Perfect sound level, lighting, lyrics, tunes & attitudes. This was our 6th show, I feel
very lucky to have gotten to see them play live so many times this year. After all I had
to wait nine years from my first to my second show (90-99) so I can't bitch too much about
the $40 tickets or the curfew. A big thanks to the band for the hard touring & something
new to listen to for a while. We sure hope for new material & over-crowded dumps to see
our band in the future.
jason & susan willoughby - zapcity@bellsouth.net
I saw the cult for the first time after missing many opportunites in the past to see them.
I had purchased two tickets to the show and ended up going alone! I was better fot it
because I saw a very "electric" performance despite the opening act and the fact things
ran a bit late. I was amazed of the energy felt between the cult and the audience, they
both fed off each other for a somewhat religous experience. I was awe strucked to see Ian
& Billy play, although wished Jamie was back. Matt was awesome on the drums and even spoke
with him after the show. He said they talked with Jamie but Jamie has other priorites in
his life right now (family?). Met Ian, he's was pretty down to earth. He signed an old
photo of himself and Billy back in the Death Cult day's and got a signed drum stick from
Matt. In all the whole experience was more than I expected, it was damn worth the time
travelled 6 1/2 hours and the expences paid. Look forward to seeing them again in
Lexington, at Rupp arena on 10 nov 01, although I Despise Aerosmith. By the way the
venue was great despite all the bitching about how small and dingy it was because those
are the best concerts by far. Ciao!
Paul M - pmaestas@hotmail.com
The Cult concert marked the opening of the Dekalb-Atlanta center. It's basically set up
like a (not so) giant cafeteria with no tables or seats. It's standing room only. It's
about 250 degrees and miserable during a sold out show. Some would say it's perfect for
rock and roll.
Lennon:
About an hour and a half after the ticketed start time, Tennessean Lennon Murphy launched
into a set that was equal parts Marilyn Manson and Pat Benatar. Looking like a cross between
Xena: Warrior Princess and Britney Spears, this 19 year old braved the typical cries of "take
it off" and hit the crowd with the female take on '94 grunge. She seemed a bit shy, but
rocked as hard as she could. I couldn't get too far past the dated sound of the music, but
most in attendance appeared to be with her by the end of the set. Lennon has talent and
audacity (who else would be crazy enough to promote themselves with that name). With the
right push from her label, the novelty of a scantily clad metal-goth chick might actually
take off for awhile, but unless she finds a sound of her own, it won't last.
The Cult:
The Cult blasted on stage with the current single Rise. They followed with a set
list that relied heavily on their new record Beyond Good And Evil (although a particularly
raucous Peace Dog was a nice surprise/old favorite). The crowd was hot, sweaty and
uncomfortable, and they took out their aggression with fists flying through the air.
Guitarist Billy Duffy and the rest of the band (which included Matt Sorum returning to the
drum stool after his stint with Guns ‘N Roses) smoked all night, but lead vocalist Ian
Astbury was clearly in a bad mood. He sulked about the stage in a fur hat and red eye makeup
trying hard to conjure the spirit of Jim Morrison but leaving a lot to be desired in his
actual job as vocalist. He often left out entire vocal phrases and generally seemed tired
and a bit disgusted. Even the audience's lighter waving during Edie (Ciao Baby)
didn't seem to lighten him up. No one in the band made eye contact with him or vice versa.
His mood eventually climaxed in an insult veiled as a half-hearted apology. He began by
saying "sorry if your suburban sensibilities are getting fucked up," and then followed it
up with a disjointed speech about who The Cult is and what they do. After out of breath
versions of Fire Woman and Wild Flower, he simply said, "this will be the
finale...let's put an end to this" which led to a half-hearted She Sells Sanctuary.
Before the encore, Astbury once again commenced to rant. This time he was haranguing his
own sound crew for incompetence. He then urged us to write our local congressman and complain
about the 11pm concert curfew. Baiting the crowd with lines like "the local authorities say
it is past your bed time", he made it clear that the band would've played longer, but if
they did they would "go to jail or pay $50,000 dollars or something." By this time, some
of the band seemed a bit embarrassed by what came across as continued animosity toward the
people who bought tickets to this show. Of course, when bitching about the curfew, he
neglected to mention the fact that the show began an hour and a half after it was scheduled
to start. Luckily, the closer Love Removal Machine full-on rocked. Here, as well as
through the rest of the night, guitarist Billy Duffy was the heart and soul of The Cult. His
playing was soulful and never phoned in. He did his job well...and he didn't make excuses by
blaming others. That's something that his partner, Ian, should bear in mind.
Chris McKay (concertshots.com)
Setlist:
Rise
In The Clouds
Lil' Devil
Peace Dog
Take The Power
Rain
Edie (Ciao Baby)
The Witch
Breathe
The Saint
Fire Woman
Sweet Soul Sister
Wild Flower
She Sells Sanctuary
Encore:
Love Removal Machine