The Cult, Fans, Fast Cars, and yes, Nicholas Cage

Fan n: An ardent devotee, enthusiast.

"Hello campers," Ian greeted the crowd at one point during the show at the Whisky a GoGo. This was in regards to the one hundred plus fans that camped out in the Tower Records parking lot on Sunset to get a free pass to the Whisky show for the release of Beyond Good and Evil. Some camped out for as long as fifteen hours, myself included. The in store signing later that day went quite well. The band appeared to be enjoying the event and as Ian would say later at the show "this is a big day for us, it’s been two years of blood sweat and tears, thank you very much." After the signing, we caught sight of Ian stepping into his purple muscle car, and in a portent of things to come that night, tires screeching, he roared up Sunset to prepare for the nights event. Pure adrenaline, pure Cult.

"This is Cult territory," Ian demanded as they banged out hit after hit. Ian dressed in his gangster monk outfit along with a Tibetan fur lined hat explained, "it’s not the length of the hair it’s the spirit that matters," in an effort to explain to those fans who still wish to see the waist-length locks. He also explained that he had heard quite a lot of complaints, from the message boards no doubt, about the set list they were playing. He assured the crowd that they were working on more songs to add. Ian was in great form, intense, empowered with a sense of purpose, and benevolent as he showered the crowd with the buffet from the dressing room.

Billy was his usual amazing self, looking like a kid playing with his favorite toy all night. Matt worked the drums with all the character that shines through on the new album and Billy Morrison proved once again he is a perfect addition to the line-up. Even Mike Dimkich, who gets special thanks on the album, donned a stocking cap instead of his trademark cowboy hat.

The song highlights were the opener, Rise, with an extended beginning. In The Clouds, Breathe, The Witch, Take The Power, War, The Saint, and the "old-school" stuff like Rain and Nirvana were all an uplifting energizing experience. Maybe it was the close quarters of the Whisky or the fact that the crowd was comprised of some hard-core fans, but we all "crashed right in, lovers and fighters, adrenaline." Did I mention that Nicolas Cage was there perched on the balcony banging his head? Rock is back.

I thought I would share with you what turned out to be quite an interesting and unexpected day yesterday.

It actually started the night before, Monday night. . . I was sitting in the living room of my house in LA listening to the radio on my system, when KROQ played Rise (they have it on heavy rotation, by the way). After the song, the DJ said that the first 200 people to buy a Beyond Good And Evil CD at Tower the following morning would be given free tickets to a private VIP gig at the Whisky A-Go-Go. I called my girlfriend and asked her if we should try for the tix - after all, I intended to rush out and get the CD early anyway. She agreed to try, but warned that most of the free giveaways like this usually create a mob scene, and to not hope to actually get the tickets. I agreed with her but we planned for her to pick me up at 8:30 the next day and give it a shot.

First thing in the morning, I was pleasantly surprised to find the Cult as the special guests on KROQ's morning radio show (a good omen, I thought). They chatted for a while and played two live acoustic songs - Rise (Amazing!) and Edie (Ciao Baby).

When we arrived at Tower in the morning, we were pleased to find no mob scene, no carnage, no folks having spent the entire night camped out to get tickets, but rather a line of about 150 quite orderly folks waiting patiently. We parked and got on line, confident that despite our initial doubts, we might actually still get what we came for. While on line, my girlfriend spotted a penny on the ground, and picked it up for luck. It seemed to do the trick - within 20 minutes we were inside, and I was clutching two copies of Beyond Good And Evil and two armbands and laminants for the Whisky A-Go-Go show!!

Giddy like school kids, we decided to go down the street to Duke's coffee shop for breakfast (Duke's is a famous Rock and Roll hangout on the sunset strip. It's kind of a dump, but the food is ok and the walls are covered with autographed pictures ranging from Guns & Roses to Jim Morrison). As we walked in clutching our Tower Records bags and waited for the host to seat us, I noticed a guy seated with a group of people in the corner who was looking at me. I didn't recognise him at first, but then did a double take - it was Billy Duffy! He pointed at my Tower Records bag and gave me a wink. I pointed to the bag, and gave him the thumbs up - quite a funny silent back and forth! The hostess came and seated us - yup, you got it - she put us right next to Billy and his entorage. He looked at us curiously, and I assured him that we weren't stalking him, but that the hostess had randomly seated us there. Billy laughed, and then recognized my girlfriend as being a friend of a friend of his. They talked about their mutual friend for about 10 minutes, and then we all discussed the evening's show which he said was going to be nuts. After a few more minutes, Billy and his group got up to leave. He said he had to go next door to the Whiskey to start the sound check, but told us it was nice talking to us and would see us at the show. We finished our food and hopped in the car to go about our day. Not a block away from the Whiskey, though, we got nailed by a truck who plowed into the back of us at a red light - thankfully no one was hurt and there was no real damaged to either vehicle, so no harm, no foul - perhaps the penny just brought luck: good and bad?

To make a long story short, we arrived at the Whiskey at about 9:30. It was already very crowded, but we managed to sneak up to the front, standing approximately where we thought Billy would be on stage. I scanned the club, and saw the usual diverse Cult crowd - Rockers, Ravers, Lovers & Sinners aplomb - along with a heavy contingent of industry types ( A&R weasels, execs, et al.) and a sprinkling of celebrities of various magnitudes (the lead singer from Anthrax, the bass player from the Stray Cats, Willem Dafoe, and Nicolas Cage who was standing in the balcony).

About fifteen minutes late, the lights went down and the boys came on stage. Ian was wearing his now familiar black skirt/wrap and black tank top, along with a strange looking black fur hat that he later removed to reveal a black bandanna underneath. His hair seems to be growing back in from the horrible buzz cut he had the last time I saw him at Scream last summer.

Right off the bat, Billy started to crank out the death metal opening of Rise. The crowed burst into cheers - it was great to see people already recognize and appreciate the new material. The band launched into a scathing rendition of the song. Everyone sounded great, especially Ian, whose voice has never been better. It amazes me that a 40 year old guy can still belt out songs like that. They segued right into Lil' Devil next. It was a super high-energy version that really got the place rocking. The rest of the set was a prefect balance of old classics and new material, including Rain, Wild Flower, Nirvana, Sweet Soul Sister, Fire Woman, Peace Dog, She Sells Sanctuary (everyone including me went nuts during the song), Wild Hearted Son, Take The Power, Breathe, War and The Saint. Of course they closed with the traditional rendition of "Lub Removal Macheeeen." Everyone in the crowd and the band seemed to really enjoy the show. At the end, Ian quieted the crowd and thanked us all for remembering. He said they were very proud of the new album, and were very humbled to have such great support from the fans. On that note the proceedings came to an end. An absolutely fantastic conclusion to a strange and unexpected day. I have seen the Cult play live seven times, and this ranked amongst the best due to the small venue, the spirit and enthusiasm of the crowd, and the song selection, musicianship and enthusiasm of the band. Can't wait to see them at the Universal Amphitheater in a couple of months. So long for now & keep up the good work.

Peace,

I went to the show last night at the Whiskey. WOW! Great time. The crowd was somewhat weak, a lot of record company execs too cool to jump around and move. Nicholas Cage was there rocking out, so was Scott Ian from Anthrax. Ian told the crowd that this day was very, very special to the band (releasing a new CULT cd for the first time in 7 years.) They were on KROQ in the morning and played an acoustic version of Rise, sounded really good. I waited in line at Tower to get the new cd and a free ticket in the morning. Not as many people there as I thought, I waited back in line and got another ticket.

The place is small and intimate, heard it only holds 250 people. We were packed in tight, I'd say more than that were there. The came on at 10:45 p.m. with Rise and played until about 12:20 a.m. ending with Love Removal Machine. Ian told the crowd that this (Los Angeles) was Cult territory. For about the first half of the show, not many people were dancing and getting into it. Several times Ian told everyone that this was rock & roll and it was o.k. to jump around and get into it. You could tell he was getting annoyed. Slowly people listened. During Wild Flower everyone in front of the stage was jumping/moshing around, and Ian said "Finally!" They played a string of new material that sounded great, and then got into Fire Woman, Sweet Soul Sister, and She Sells Sanctuary. They extended it out and jammed a little more than normal during She Sells Sanctuary which was nice and different. The strobe lights were going off and the crowd went crazy! They left the stage and came back and played 2 new more songs, then Nirvana and Love Removal Machine. When they came back for the encore, Ian grabbed a platter full of snacks and fruit and threw it into the crowd. He said "A rock concert that also includes a free buffet..." When all was said and done, Ian kept thanking the crowd and said this show was for us, the fans! Other songs included: Edie (Ciao Baby), In The Clouds, The Witch, Peace Dog, Lil' Devil, The Saint, War, Take The Power, and Breathe.

The Whiskey Show June, 05, 2001 It all started with a early morning wait at Tower Records on Sunset in Hollywood. I got there at 5am in the morning worried that I might not be early enough. to get a pass to the show at the Whiskey. As it turned out, I was there plenty early. This was my first time doing something like this so I had no idea what to expect. When I bought the album I got a wristband and a laminate thingy to put around my neck. The wrist band would get me into the concert that night (I had no idea what night it would be on), and the laminate would get me into the line for the signing. I went to work after that and came back to Sunset at about 7:30. The concert at the Whiskey was going to be at 10:30. Tower at Sunset is just down the block from the Whiskey so I thought I'd just hang out on Sunset, not really planning to get anything signed. I've never really cared about autographs, or talking to stars. I have no idea what I'd say. Maybe, "hey Dudes, the new album sounds really RAAAAD, man... And, uh, like, why did you cut your hair, Ian?" Like they haven't heard THAT before. But, when I walked by Tower I saw Darren, a guy who I waited in the morning's line with, and another person from the morning's line, right at the front of the signing line. When I walked towards them they looked at me and quickly said, "where have you been!? You're late! Get over here." I quickly thought, "just go along with it." I said, "yeah... I'm late, sorry," and they pulled me in line with them. But, I didn't feel too bad for the people behind, because by the time I got there the line was pretty short. I really didn't have anything to have The Cult sign so I had them sign my laminate signing pass. I didn't say anything to them, but they looked cool, and seemed really nice about the whole thing. Darren and I went to the Whiskey which started letting people in at 8pm. I couldn't believe how small the place was. I was really stoked to see The Cult in this tiny place. Darren and I talked to some other people that we'd waited with in the line and chatted for a while. They played "Beyond Good and Evil" over and over while people waited. Everyone seemed to be grooving to it. It was great to hear it over a big system like that. Nicolas Cage was standing on the balcony waving to the little people down below. He looked like a Rock and Roll Pope. People would yell, "Nick!" and he'd smile and point at them, and smile. Sometimes he give them the rock and roll "devil hand." We kept watching the time that seemed to drag on forever, and, of course, guys were walking all over the stage checking the equipment to the nth degree. For you equipment junkies, Billy had a Matchless amp over a Marshall cabinet, as I remember. He also had a Roland Jazz Chorus 120, which I've since found out from a magazine (Guitar World, July 2001) he used from '82 - '86. I used to have a the baby brother Jazz Chorus 60. I can say that that amp totally sucked for rock, but had a great chorus sound. I wondered if he'd replaced the original speakers which tended to wash out at high volume. He also had a big white Gretsch guitar, and you all know about that. I'm not sure about Mike Dimkitch's set up. I seem to remember that he had a Marshall cabinet, and maybe a different kind of amp. Very cool. Finally... it got passed 10:30 and we were ready to go. The band walked on stage from up on the balcony to a roaring Cult fan crowd. Unfortunately, I don't have a set list (see my recollections below). I was too busy jumping around to keep track of the songs. But... I think the first song was "War (The Process)" which totally blew me away. They totally pulled off the heaviness. I kind of wondered how they were going to do that. Ian was wearing what appears to be the now obligatory black skirt with this huge "sherpa" hat. It looked like it was leather on top, and had a large amount of fur hanging on the bottom. I've never seen Astbury perform up close, and I have to say the guy looks totally intense; scary even. I was taken a bit aback by that. But damn, they were totally rocking. I would say that they sound about 30% better than when I saw them at the House of Blues in 1999 (I hope I remember that date right). Very tight, and very confident. They played one more song of the album at the beginning, another one of the hard ones. The audience, many still unfamiliar with the new material, seemed interested in studying the band playing these songs. It was interesting how the songs contrasted all there other work. The songs are definitely rock, but modern. While they played the new songs at the beginning I pondered how they fit into the mix of all their previous work. I'm still pondering that. I'll get back to you in a year or so. Nonetheless, the songs were frikin ROCK! Thank God! After the new songs they tore into Lil' Devil and the crowd went the usual Cult nuts. Ian was waving his arms directing the lot. I glanced up at Nicholas Cage wondering how stars react to rock and roll. He was bobbing his head in approval. The new bass player fits into the well tattooed mix really well. I can't quite remember his name. Billy something I believe. He seemed to be enjoying himself and pumped out a monstrous bottom end which matched up with Sorum's playing perfectly. At one point in the show Billy the bassist and Sorum had their eyes locked and were maniacally grinning and staring at each other, seemingly in an attempt to make the rhythm tighter and strong. Rock and roll, man. Billy was in his usual, "I'll be over here playing perfectly, OK?" stance. Staring at the guitar and working it. He did joke a little bit with one of the Sonic Temple songs. He held his hand up in the air in the air... I just realized that maybe he was joking with the pose he had on the cover of Sonic Temple. He put his hand up in the air, and kind of chuckled a bit, then put his hand up in the air again as he was starting the song. He also played the Gretsch for the older songs, and it sounded alarmingly perfect. Here's a bit of free-form on what Astbury did that night. Astbury was the Shaman God of the night. During the first few songs he didn't move all that much seeming either to be working hard to remember the new lyrics, or shaking off a bit of stage fright, or planing how he was going to attack that night... Who knows. He just seemed a little more reserved. After a few songs he started hopping around in some kind of psychedelic rain dance as usual. He broke one tamborine to bits and threw it to a voracious crowd. The hat came off after a few songs to reveal a black bandana. He used his hand in an attempt to describe the lyrics of some of the new songs... "fifty five thousand (holds up hand, five fingers) flowers for the hero (pounds chest), etc. Very animated, frantic, insane, just the usual Astbury stuff. His voice was fantastic. All in all, it was an incredible night. The Cult are much more than "back." I think they very well might be better than ever. I hope the album does fantastic business, and that they're around for years and years. I wish all the Cult fans could have seen this. I noticed a few cameras at the show... I have no idea what the camera's were there for. I hope the videos show up somewhere soon. These are the songs that I'm pretty sure I remember. Not in order (?) There were more. War, Rise, Take The Power, Lil' Devil, In The Clouds, Wild Flower, Rain, Fire Woman, Sweet Soul Sister, Breathe, American Gothic

The Cult Rise From the Past

The Cult, Whisky A Go-Go, Los Angeles, 06.05.01

"Good evening boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen, and everyone in between," singer Ian Astbury bellowed as The Cult made their triumphant return to the rock and roll scene Tuesday night at the world famous Whisky A Go-Go. Celebrating the release of their long-awaited recording, Beyond Good and Evil, the band found themselves in peak condition.

Playing to a packed house that included 250 fans that received tickets as a promotion for buying the new release, as well as record company executives and industry favorites, including Anthrax's Scott Ian and actor Nicolas Cage, The Cult rocked solid for 90 minutes. In front of a sedate Tuesday night audience, Astbury, accompanied by guitarist Billy Duffy and drummer Matt Sorum, eventually worked the Sunset Strip crowd into a frenzy.

"Remember when rock and roll was about fucking anarchy?" Astbury asked. "That's why you love this band," he quickly boasted. Throughout their 17 song set, which included crowd favorites, Lil' Devil, Peace Dog, Edie (Ciao Baby), Rain, Sweet Soul Sister, Fire Woman, Wild Flower, Nirvana and Love Removal Machine, the band sounded as vital as ever. Sure, over the years critics have bashed the band as a novelty act, jumping from one genre to another, but now, some 17 years after their formation, the band is still delivering the goods.

"This isn't any of the rap/rock shite (in full British accent)," the charismatic singer proclaimed as the band tore into She Sells Sanctuary. In the midst of a tour that will last at least until the end of summer, The Cult aren't satisfied with nostalgia, instead they have picked up where they left off and are blazing through a new trail of reckless abandonment. And we wouldn't want it any other way.

The Cult Celebrates New Album With Private L.A. Club Show

When singer Ian Astbury unceremoniously torched all his gold and platinum Cult records in a bonfire in his L.A. backyard a few years ago following the band's breakup, it was assumed by most who knew him that he had laid the group to rest for good.

But the Cult's somewhat unlikely comeback is now in full bloom, and, as evidenced by Tuesday's (June 5) impressive performance at the Whisky on the Sunset Strip in L.A., it may well be one of the more successful reunions of the upcoming summer touring season.

Coinciding with the same-day release of the Cult's new Bob Rock-produced Atlantic album, Beyond Good and Evil, this Whisky show was sponsored by local alt-rock station KROQ, which gave away many of the 600 or so tickets (actually, white decorated wristbands). Another 200 admissions were given to fans who bought the new album at a local Tower Records, with the rest mostly going to fans in the industry and friends of the band (which, along with Astbury, also includes original guitarist Billy Duffy, longtime drummer Matt Sorum, touring guitarist Mike Dimkich, and new bassist Billy Morrison).

A handful of new tracks, like the propulsive current single Rise and the anthemic Take The Power, were included in the 90-minute performance, but the bulk of the set was classic Cult, such as Fire Woman, Peace Dog, Edie (Ciao Baby), Nirvana, Sweet Soul Sister, and Love Removal Machine, which was dedicated to the band's manager. At one point, overly enthusiastic fans could be seen throwing money onto the stage and holding up lighted tambourines.

Astbury (who wore a furry cap on his head for much of the show, despite the wilting temperatures inside the packed club) was an enthused and energized presence throughout; he repeatedly reached out to the fans and genuinely seemed to be enjoying himself, a big improvement over the shadowy frontman character he had become in the '90s.

A contingent of celebrities were on hand, including Nicholas Cage, Paul Stanley, Rachel Hunter, Rosanna Arquette, Taylor Hanson, members of P.O.D., Fawn Hall, Danny Sugerman (former manager of the Doors), and assorted models and rockers.

The Cult will perform Rise on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Friday (June 8) and will begin a U.S. tour in Reno, Nev., on June 14.

Rise
In The Clouds
Lil' Devil
Peace Dog
Rain
Edie (Ciao Baby)
The Witch
War
Breathe
The Saint
Fire Woman
Sweet Soul Sister
Wild Flower
She Sells Sanctuary
Take The Power
Nirvana
Love Removal Machine