OK, so this is how it goes! About a month ago I buy two Aerosmith floor seats off of Ticketmaster for $220 only because The Cult is opening. As far as I am concerned, the last time Aerosmith did anything worthwhile, Jimmy Carter was the President. So a week later a Cult show is announced for Kitchener which is about 45 minutes from Toronto where I live. Perfect, I get to see The Cult two nights in a row! Fast forward to Sunday October 28th, news comes down that the Aerosmith show is postponed. However, The Cult announce that they will play the ElMo the Monday they were to play the Air Canada Centre with Aerosmith. Anxiety sets in, my friends and I need to get tickets for this! This is the place made famous by the Stones and Stevie Ray Vaughn. Monday afternoon comes and I end up waiting four hours for tickets. I get my max of two per person and can't wait for the show.

Since there is about five hours to go before show time, I head home for a while. On my way, who do I see getting off the tour bus, Matt and Billy Morrison. I approach Billy and welcome him to Toronto and tell him how much I enjoy his tour diaries on the cultnet. I let him know how happy we are that the boys will be playing their own show, he seems just as enthusiastic and says, "well mate I guess you get a full set tonight!" Yeah Baby! Oh, by the way, the grand total to see the Cult at the ElMo, $40 for two tickets!

It's 10:00p.m. show time! The guys rip into Rise! From beginning to end the show is amazing. Same set they have been playing lately at their own shows with the exception of White, too bad. Whatever happened in Toledo a few nights before wasn't even present here. The band was in a great mood, they sounded tight, clear and very loud! I've seen the Cult 6 times and this was by far their best show in my opinion. The only thing better than this is if they play in my basement!

It was a cosmic and spiritual night for two reasons. First of all I was in shock the whole night that I was seeing these guys in a place this small, about 450 people. Secondly, as the show ended I grabbed a friend and headed toward the exit were the Cult would leave so we could shake their hands. Matt was first and shook my hand and was very polite, then Ian came next. To my surprise he grabbed me gave me a brotherly hug and said thanks! I hugged him back, told him thanks for making music that has inspired me and got me through a lot of tough times. He hugged me back, said thanks again and was on his way. Now I have been a Cult fan for about 17 years and I have every bit of Cult stuff I can get my hands on, but nothing compares to this. We shock hands with the rest of the band and that was it, the night was over. My ears are still ringing as I write this. This special night just made me love and respect the Cult more than ever. I have always been a loyal fan, but now I am a fan for life! The Cult Rocks!

By the way, I get to see them again tonight in Kitchener! Whoever it was that got sick in Aerosmith, thanks a million you made my night!

I got in line around 6:25 PM and 1.5 hours later I was lucky enough to score a wrist band allowing me into this special gig. About 10-15 later the show was then sold out. Since I had a ticket for the Aerosmith/Cult show that was cancelled I only had to pay $15 instead of the $25 if you didn't present the ticket.

There was an opening act called Fine Cat? They consisted of three sugars and some dude on drums. They were actually pretty good. The sugars weren't too bad on the eyes either.

The Cult hit the stage at 10:05 PM and then proceeded to blow the roof off the dump during the next 94 minutes.

They had another song listed on the set list during the encore but it was crossed off.

The six songs they played from the new disc sounded pretty good live. When they played some of the new stuff back in June at The Warehouse it kind of mellowed out the crowd since they weren't familiar with the new stuff. The crowd seemed more aware of the new songs now.

Ian made a comment about the famous night Margaret Trudeau hung out with The Rolling Stones at the famous El Mocambo gig back in 1977. He said Margaret probably sucked Ron Woods cock in the toilets upstairs and then Pierre Trudeau jerked off all over Mick Jagger.

Duffy stopped the band during the start of Fire Woman because he had the wrong guitar. He thought the were going to play Wild Flower. He actually got on Ian's Mic to explain the mix up.

Matt had some problems with his drums before the start of Wild Flower. He tossed his snare drum and Hi Hat from what I could see and replaced them with different ones.

It was Africa hot in there and Ian made mention of this quite a few times as well. It reminded me of the Marquee 91 gig where he talks about it being very hot before they played Rain.

Anyways it's getting late.

See Ya in Kitchener

The Cult rock legendary T.O. club El Mocambo

"Oh, true believers, you gotta move on with your life," Ian Astbury sang to 600 fans at Toronto's legendary El Mocambo, Monday night (Oct. 29), making The Cult the last international act to perform at the hallowed rock 'n' roll club before the new owner turns it into a dance studio.

Akin to New York's CBGBs, L.A.'s Whiskey A Go Go, and Liverpool's Cavern, the landmark El Mocambo, with its tacky neon palm sign, has, since 1972, hosted such acts as The Rolling Stones, Lou Reed, U2, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Elvis Costello, Patti Smith, and The New York Dolls.

The Stones, April Wine, Costello, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Zoobombs have also put out live releases recorded at the El Mocambo.

Mick Jagger even wrote "Miss You" there in 1977.

"It's been a very special evening," said Astbury toward the end of the hour-plus set, which included Wild Flower, She Sells Sanctuary and Love Removal Machine.

"What's it been? 50 years at the El Mo? Child, boy, man. David Johansen has played on this stage. What about Forgotten Rebels?," he said, referring to the Hamilton, Ontario, punk icons known for the song "Surfin' On Heroin."

Astbury, who once resided in Hamilton, asked on Oct. 27 to play the ElMo, after the Aerosmith concert that The Cult was to open for at the Air Canada Centre (Oct. 29) was cancelled due to illness.

House of Blues Concerts Canada's Elliott Lefko sought out ElMo booker Dan Burke late Saturday night. Burke said the show went off "without a hitch."

Aerosmith ticket holders got in for $15, a 10 dollar discount.

"It was a fuckin' pleasure," Astbury told the stuffed, hot, and rowdy crowd. "We'd have done it for free."

The Save The El Mocambo Committee, comprised of staff, musicians, regulars and industry folk, have diligently tried to save the historic venue since its fate was announced in September.

Petitions, a media blitz, city council meetings, calls to the new owner's real estate agent, Heritage Toronto, and other tactics were unsuccessful, and the El Mo must be vacated this Sunday (Nov. 4) to make way for the renovators. The final show at the club will be by local legends Mainline.

Heritage Toronto said it can only declare buildings historic, and have no authority over the operation for which it is used.

Meanwhile, booker Burke confirmed rumours that he would be moving the El Mo -- in name and sign, if not history -- around the corner to the old Ted's Wrecking Yard, which closed last week.

According to Burke, "our five-year lease begins on Nov. 1. We have the keys to the building. We now have to begin the process of obtaining our own liquor license for the address. We hope to open by mid-December".

As with the El Mo, staff claim the new place is also haunted.

Rise
Lil' Devil
Peace Dog
Rain
American Gothic
Take The Power
Edie (Ciao Baby)
The Witch
Sweet Soul Sister
Ashes and Ghosts
True Believers
Fire Woman
Wild Flower
She Sells Sanctuary
War
Sun King
Love Removal Machine