Aerial Theatre, Houston, Texas

Opening Band: Flying Tigers

I just got back from the Cult show at the Ariel theatre in Houston Texas July 29th - I took my 17 yr old daughter with me to see her first concert - and I wanted her to see my favorite band - I had great seats - I was in the balcony in the front row only about 40 feet from the stage - the opening band was a new one since Monster Magnet & Stabbing Westward were not in the line up and it was called "The Flying Tigers " - they did a good job - the Cult came on about 9:30 and they had a huge banner with the Beyond Good & Evil symbol on it - then the lights went out and they started showing the symbols from a projection camera on the banner and it looked really cool - then Billy Duffy appeared and you could see him thru the banner while he was playing that killer opening riff to Rise then the banner dropped and they started rocking! Ian had that black fur lined hood on and played about 4 songs with it on and then he wore a blue bandana before he finally took it off - it was the same set-list that everyone else is posting - this was my first time to see my favorite rock band and I was certainly not disapointed - Ian made eye contact with me at least twice and he acknowledged me with his hand (I was pumping my fist in the air like a madman) and so did Billy Duffy - they were full of energy and Ian was bouncing all over the place - so was Billy - he seemed really into it - the only down side - and I really felt bad for the band - was a bad sound mix - and they knew it - BUT - it seemed to make them try even harder - the crowd went especially wild over Rise and Wild Flower, Fire Woman and Sweet Soul Sister and She Sells Sanctuary - they all were pumping their hands in the air!..Ian mentioned that they had played 5 nights straight without a day off and he said that hardly ever happens (you could tell by the end they were tired) but they kicked ass anyway! I took a bunch of pics that I need to get developed - so if you get a chance to see the Cult - don't miss them!!!! oh and ol Matt Scorum the drummer had a gal behind the amps right beside him flirting - hahaha - throwing her hair around - I could see from my angle - great show - LONG LIVE THE CULT!!

Anton Ballard - TheDeepend@aol.com

I didn't think it was possible to top the New Orleans House of Blues show in May, but the Cult managed to do just that this evening at the Aerial Theatre in Houston, TX. The Cult rocked an almost capacity crowd down to their souls.

After a rather brief but for the most part, solid set by The Flying Tigers, the Cult took their time hitting the stage. This was probably the most frustrating part of the evening, waiting for the band to come on stage for about an hour in between sets. But it was truly worth the wait. If it had not been for the hordes of drunken idiots surrounding me, the show would have been perfect. Some people just shouldn't go out to shows. I still don't understand how people feel the need to crowdsurf and mosh during songs like Rain and Edie (Ciao Baby), it just doesn't make any sense. Nonetheless, it was an incredible set by The Cult and I wasn't about to let a beer being spilled on me ruin an amazing show.

Billy Duffy seemed pissed the entire show about his guitar volume not being high enough but to me it sounded absolutely perfect. One major difference in this gig and the New Orleans show in May was the sound mix. The sound man was right on tonight and everything was crystal clear and very distinguishable. It bothered me watching Duffy constantly complain and yell at his guitar tech and the sound man after nearly every song. Ticket prices were rather high ($35 plus service charges) and I don't like paying to see musicians bitch onstage because they have giant egos. But that's just me. Like I said, sound was immaculate at this show.

The setlist was pretty much the same as other gigs with one new addition. They added My Bridges Burn into the setlist from their new record "Beyond Good and Evil" and I thought it was an excellent choice. Ian was in fine form and moving around quite a bit on stage throughout the night. He made his entrance in a cowboy hat looking thing and he was wearing red eyeliner. Once he took the hat off to reveal his now trademarked blue bandana, I noticed how long his hair has gotten. It's nothing like the promo pictures for the new record look and it is much longer than it was in May, so that was a pleasant surprise. Matt Sorum did an excellent job as usual and I am convinced now more than ever that he is truly one of the greatest drummers around right now. Billy Morrison and the new rhythm guitarist held up the rhythm section all night. Everything seemed to run smoothly after the first few songs where Ian had to jump into the crowd to break up a fight. That seemed to disturb him quite a bit, but he quickly got over it and got right back into the music. He threw out two tamborines and two lucky people got great souviners! All in all it was an incredible night of music and I hope that the Cult makes it back through Texas or Louisiana sometime in the near future. I will never miss a Cult show again.

Demon

I saw the Cult last night at the Aerial Theater in Houston. Let me first say that I am a huge Cult fan and have seen them perform live on several occassions. Also, I own all of their full albums, most of their singles, the new remastered cds, a laserdisc, and a couple VHS tapes. Not to mention an autographed guitar, so I am definitely a fan and have the right to criticize. First of all, the opening band, "Flying Tigers", sucked. Their music consist of screaming inaudible lyrics and playing as loud as they could. Those guys should consider a new career or go back to the drawing board and get a real singer and compose some decent lyrics. If they were able to get a record contract, then I guess anybody can.

The opening band started late and were off the stage shortly after 8:00. After subjecting the fans through the suffering of the opening band, the Cult took their sweet time and didn't come on stage until 9:25 or so. I was pissed, as were all the people that came to the show with us. Before the show, I was next door, drinking for much cheaper, enjoying a fine game of pool, but instead had to listen to the "Flying Tigers" and drink $5 beer while waiting for the Cult to finally take the stage. I was a bit worried because I saw that this would be their 5th show in as many nights and my concerns came to fruition. Ian's vocals were awful. He didn't finish the lyrics in any of the old songs and his voice was shot. Ian mentioned that it was their 5th show in a row and vowed to never do it again as they were exhausted. Too bad for us though because now we will have to wait at least a couple of years for them to come back and we were left with a very "average" concert as far as Cult concerts go. I felt bad because I had built them up so much for my friends that came with me as I have seen them "blow the doors off" in the past. Especially, on the Cult Rising tour where I saw them in San Francisco and Houston and they were firing on all cylinders. In all fairness, the rest of the band sounded tight (I could watch Matt and Billy forever and believe that they are always incredible musicians), but Ian's vocals were gone and his mood was a bit sour. He kept getting pissed at somebody in the front and also his microphone and a couple other things. I was thinking to myself, Ian's pissed, he didn't have to listen to the "Flying Tigers", wait for 1 1/2 hours for The Cult to take the stage, and pay $5 apiece for beer in the meantime. Usually, I get a kick out of Ian, but last night he needed to keep his mouth shut and save whatever voice he had left for the music. The crowd was completely into the show from start to finish which is unusual for Houston, so Ian should have been pleased.

Well, I still love the Cult and won't give up on Ian for one subpar show. I just hope they learned a lesson about playing so many shows in a row. I think they feel invincible sometimes, but everybody needs rest and I think their fans deserve better.

The setlist was exactly the same as the previous shows on this tour.

Mark

Murphy's Law in effect at diffi-Cult concert

The second coming of the Cult is a godsend for heavy-metal fans.

Ever since the gearbox rockers debuted new songs four months ago at Austin's South by Southwest music conference, the Houston date has been circled on the calendar.

While the group sneaked into town for a greatest-hits gig two years ago, the Cult hasn't been a fully functional outfit since the mid-'90s. It was anticipation of a fresh start that made Sunday's concert at Aerial Theater such an immense disappointment.

It wasn't entirely the band's fault, but the Cult appeared snakebit for Houston.

A late start, faulty instruments, fan fighting -- both on the floor and in second-deck reserved seating -- and a clearly hoarse Ian Astbury all tarnished this usually glistening metal. What should have been an andro-injection of rock nostalgia had been cursed.

"This is our fifth show in as many nights," said dejected vocalist Astbury toward the end of the set. "We've never done that before. We're exhausted."

Signs of dissymmetry were immediately evident as the Cult stalled for nearly 30 minutes past the scheduled set time (which Astbury presumably spent gargling saltwater). As the house stereo started running through classics by MC5, AC/DC and the Rolling Stones for the second time, agitation from the near sellout crowd of 2,750 started to fester.

By the time a sheet emblazoned with the same blood-red lotus that graces the cover of the Cult's new album Beyond Good and Evil was dropped, tension was a misplaced elbow away from overflowing. The melee toward the stage got so aggressive during the Cult's run through favorite Lil' Devil that the peaceable Astbury walked into the crowd to break it up himself.

"Are we having trouble with our testosterone, gentlemen?" Astbury asked.

It's amazing Astbury even noticed the skirmish beneath him, considering the problems he and his bandmates were having. Opening the 18-song performance with new single Rise, Astbury's mix of swaying and Deion Sanders-style high-step dances was interrupted when his tambourine splintered, sending mini-cymbals rolling around the platform.

A second tambourine exploded a few songs later in the set.

The central problem with the Cult's sound had little to do with faulty instruments, however, and more to do with Astbury's inability to generate sound. With his voice box scratched dry from overuse, the other four members of the Cult were forced to compromise their own booming performance to compensate.

Guitarist Billy Duffy, the wizard responsible for the manual shift of the Cult's electric chords, had to subdue his urge to blow amps so that Astbury could be heard. On In The Clouds, Duffy sounded unplugged as Astbury gasped for breath.

For new song My Bridges Burn, Duffy muted part of his string volume, and drummer Matt Sorum eased up on his semi-circle of cymbals. It sounded sinister, but just a little too mellow for a plugged-in show.

Some singers can get away with a worn pitch; Astbury's offensive belts require full force. The normal bellow of Cult catalog gem Fire Woman was still enjoyable, but a little asthmatic. Just thinking about the high register needed on Sweet Soul Sister and She Sells Sanctuary was cringe-worthy.

Astbury had great difficulty with both, but he should get credit for giving it a shot. The usually pacified singer was noticeably frustrated throughout the performance, venting at roadies on the side stage at one point and shaking his head in frustration toward the soundboard at another.

Even with the trouble, the performance wasn't a total loss. Astbury separated the catalog between "new" and "old school," throughout the night, offering a generous sample of greatest modern rock radio hits and the new Beyond Good and Evil material.

Midrange-slowed dirges like The Witch and War (The Process), led by a fuzzy bass and primal percussion, helped smooth patchwork notes. The inclusion of the nearly forgotten Nirvana from the Cult's 1985 album Love was a delicacy for the diehards.

A few more approachable ballads like Nico or A Flower In The Desert might have helped mask Astbury's calloused throat, but he can hardly be blamed. On this night, the troubles were out of the band's control.

Setlist:

Rise
In The Clouds
Lil' Devil
Peace Dog
My Bridges Burn
Take The Power
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