Checked out the Peoria, IL show on 5/19/01. The show was good but it took the crowd a few songs to get really into things. Ian fed off the crowd after that. The setlist was the same as New Orleans HOB show in slightly different order. Rain and Lil' Devil sounded best to me. The only unusual thing to point out was Matt broke what looked to be his bass drum pedal and gave it to someone in the crowd. There were Matt and Billy sightings at a local tavern in this small town also. Overall the band played with a lot of energy considering the small crowd (probably 500-600). If you are checking out a future date, get there early. I arrived at about 9:15 and the band took the stage around 9:30.
Just got back from the 3 hours trip to Peoria and it was quite worth the drive (the concert not Peoria) The band played their normal set, great setting except the acoustics sucked, I had really hard time understanding Ian. Contrary to earlier published reports Ian seemed quite happy, including joking with roadies, Billy and the crowd. Rise, War and The Saint were really good. According to a show of hands about 75% of the crowd had never been to a Cult show. I am guessing that means Rise and Painted On My Heart got a lot of air time in Peoria or the people in Peoria have nothing to do. I heard a few Police Officers talking and they said they never saw that many Harleys lined up before. My next report will be from my new hometown of Chicago.
Peoria is a third or fourth-tier town, the venue was an old hole, and Lennon as an opener did not warm up the audience much. In spite of these things, the audience was ready to rock and The Cult was more than up to task. There are many similarities to the Cult Rising tour (Star Wars opening music, setlist lacking Ceremony and The Cult, etc.) but there is a sense of the truly new to this show in that they open with Rise and play Breathe, The Saint and War. All four sound excellent and I'm overly ready for Beyond Good And Evil as a result of the show. Ian, decked out in running shoes, his man-skirt, and a "Deer Hunter" bandana (remember the Russian Roulette scenes with Christopher Walken?), is in fine voice, high spirits and good humor. He receives a great deal of energy from a modest-sized crowd. As has been his habit since '99, he exhorts the crowd to rock and dance! After the show, it is said he's not feeling so hot and doesn't come out of the bus to sign or meet the crowd. In spite of that, it appeared he was totally up during the show, smiling and laughing quite a bit. Ditto for Billy Duffy! Like HOB Chicago in '99, I managed to stand front row right in front of Billy and it is a great place to be. He was very up and got higher with our energy. I rocked out to his guitar and sang to every song and he and I exchanged some pointing of the "You the Man" nature. It was quite funny. After the show he came off his bus, along with Matt, and talked with a handful of us who stuck around and signed stuff. He was very accessible and talkative and easy-going and changed my perception of him (distant) greatly. The band sounded pretty tight. Billy Morrison looks and sounds like he belongs in The Cult. Matt broke his bass drum pedal - probably from kicking the shit out of it with his aggressive style! Mike was his usual solid self, and although it will probably never happen, he'd be a good addition as a permanent band member. Hopefully as this group of 5 gels together, the band will expand their repertoire to include material from all albums. Their setlist, in album order, included: Rain, Nirvana, She Sells Sanctuary, Lil' Devil, Wild Flower, Love Removal Machine (CLOSER), Peace Dog, Fire Woman, Sweet Soul Sister, Edie (Ciao Baby), The Witch, In The Clouds, Rise (OPENER), The Saint, Breathe and War. In summary, an awesome little show!
The show at the Madison was fantastic! Nice small venue where you could really see and feel the music being performed. I was lucky enough to obtain a pass and witness the soundcheck. Interesting to see the band in a sort of non "rockstar" mode. True pros working on old songs, Rain, Sweet Soul Sister, and a new one The Saint?, anyway there was a great vibe from the whole entourage, crew on to artists! Lots of friendly people. I did bump into Billy and Matt at Big Al's after the show. Great guys! Talked with Matt for 1/2 hour and he was a great inspiration to me about some personal matters concerning myself. I just think he is a very down to earth, real person. I gotta say this was NOT your stereotypical drunken rock star at the bar. Quite the opposite. So Thanks to the Cult for a great show, and thanks to Matt for the inspiration to improve!
The show was great. Was kind of worried that the band might not be into playing a small-(2000 seat) theatre in the middle of the Midwest. But they were really into it. Opened with the new single and ended with Love Removal Machine. The show was awesome - the only band out there that actually plays rock -n- roll anymore. The best part ---- I met Billy and Matt while we were closing up a bar around 04:30 a.m. Very nice guys - didn't even make it seem like I was bothering them. See ya in Chicago on June 29th!!!
Belated Posting. Peoria show last night was excellent. It was my first time seeing the band. The venue was a very old theatre in downtown Peoria that could use a little refurbishing, but was otherwise a good place. For such on old theatre, the accoustics were not that great. About 300-400 seats with a large area up front for people to stand. No moshing was allowed, and Ian seemed to be getting peeved that people were not jumping up and down much. I tried during a few songs, and almost took out some people behind me during Love Removal Machine (I am a pretty big guy). Some dude next to me, with one of the only really good looking women at the show, took offense and stood next to me so I couldnt' move around. The woman kind of gave a "Sorry, I know" look to me. The crowd was very energetic though, and sang along to most of the hits. It was obvious that very few people were familiar with the new material though. All in all, the place rocked and the band seemed very satisfied about stopping there. The opening act was Lennon, a rock band with a woman singer. Lennon, the woman, is a very attractive and well-built Alanis Morrisette type. I wasn't a huge fan of the tunes; the music and the band seemed tailor-made for 1996. The accoustics might have been a problem too, since the music often sounded like the same crunchy, distorted riffs over and over. Lennon however, seems to have the looks and star quality to make some noise in the business with some better songs. Back the Cult, the set included a great mix of old and new, although nothing from 'Ceremony' or 'the Cult', my favorite. Excellent set and show. My buddy who is not a huge Cult fan thought it was a great time. The drive from Peoria to STL was pretty hellish. Hopefully they can make it to STL next time around