The show was, well, OUTSTANDING, in every respect: performance, vibe from the band members, venue, acoustics, and-most significantly-choice of songs. I haven’t yet had enough rest to remember the entire setlist or the order, but they started with Rain, Lil' Devil and proceeded to sample from their diverse but impressive discography, including Moya, Horse Nation, White, Spiritwalker, Gone, Star, Love, Wild Flower, Love Removal Machine, Fire Woman, The Witch, She Sells Sanctuary, Sweet Soul Sister, The Phoenix, Ashes And Ghosts, American Gothic, Rise and acoustic versions of Edie (Ciao Baby) and Revolution.
Those who have long pined for a shaken-not-stirred setlist were presented with a thoughtful mix of some remarkable lyrics and music. Astbury was completely ON, staying true to the lyrics and melody. Outwardly, he was his usual sardonic self, but pleasantly positive, and he generally appeared to be relaxed and in good humor. He advertised that they usually "never" break down and play acoustic tunes. Edie (Ciao Baby) was just Ian and Billy; Revolution was the entire gang. Astbury seemed to take delight in the Fillmore folks collectively (and joyfully!) crapping their pants when they played White a few nights before in San Francisco. Duffy predominately stayed with the White Falcon, and he even smiled onstage several of times between numerous windmills and sawmills. It was refreshing to see Dimkitch routinely wandering up to front-stage for most of the show and providing solid harmonic foundation for Duffy’s lead. Garrett gave an excellent effort, as did Adams, in keeping fine rhythm on tunes that spanned from SDC all the way to the up-paced/down-tuned “Beyond Good & Evil.”
The Joint is a fantastic venue: great sound, great view from anywhere on any section of the floor, and great bartenders. It has a very high ceiling, with nice lighting (mood and stage), and is completely open from the bars in the back all the way to the stage. The speaker towers on each side of the stage were superior, and they duly conveyed the crispness of Duffy's riffs, the thunder of the drums, and Astbury's vocals at impressive clarity and volume. (if someone booted the show, it should sound very, very good) There is a VIP balcony section upstairs, also, but the entire floor is terraced and consistently angled toward the stage, providing a much better view and “experience.”
The crowd was noticeably under-capacity (about 2/3), but I think it grew as the show progressed. Many people recognized and applauded the rarely played stuff, which seemed appreciated by the band. Nevertheless, the newer, faster-paced stuff seemed to get everyone in the "joint" dancing. But, we all know this band: by the end of the show the emotion and energy of the performance was infectious. The only “discrepancy” consisted of one jackass who threw a drink at Ian during She Sells Sanctuary, which prompted the "Astbury stare" and an anxious pause where it appeared that he would either (1) come off his rocker with piss and vinegar and blow the Focker out, or (2) not oblige in the asinine antic and keep on singing like nothing happened (which is what he did, even with half a drink and ice cubes running down his left shoulder). I think others in the crowd gave the jerk his due “reward.”
All in all, my most notable recollections were Astbury's technical and emotional performance, which was genuinely solid (letter/note perfect), and just how good the newly rotated songs sound live. Duffy's 12-string acoustic on "Revolution" and the turbo wah on "Star" were quite moving, though in their own special ways. Whether it was because they played songs that were truly more lyrically meaningful to Ian, or because the guys are relatively "fresh," it was a 2-hour treat that was different in many respects (all good, however) from the three shows (one festival, one medium venue, one small theater) I saw in Atlanta last year.
The nine hours of flying separated only by two hours of The Cult playing and interacting at their finest was (is!) physically painful, but it was worth the memory and the chance to witness the comprehensive respect they so deserve for their substantial catalogue and their evolution.
What an amazing couple of days. My wife and I left SLC early Wed. morning and arrived in Vegas about 3:00. We checked into our room at the NY,NY and headed off to the Hard Rock to see what we could see. We decided to try our luck on the craps tables, and while heading down the hallway from the restrooms passed Scott Garrett walking alone. It didn't register who it was until he had passed, and in a moment of desperation turned around and said, "Hey, man!". He turned around, staring at me for a moment, trying to figure out if he knew me or not. I couldn't think of anything else to say but, "have a good show". He said thanks and went on his way.
After getting our asses handed to us on the tables, we went to see if we could get into The Joint to check out the venue. We tried the front entrance and the doors were open, so we went in. We were the only ones in the place other than the crew who was sound checking the instruments and synching up the sound board. "Holy @#%$, there's the White Falcon!", was the kind of thing going on at this point. We laid low in the corner, hoping for a soundcheck from the band, when after about a half hour the front doors opened and Ian and his girlfriend came walking right down the center aisle. I had my self titled cd insert (which shows up later in the post) and pen ready in case I had an autograph opportunity, but in a moment I may regret someday, decided not to bother them. They were screwing around having a good time, and I just didn't feel comfortable bugging them...damn. We hung around a little while longer and decided to bail after they went back to checking the drum kit again.
On to the show. We got in line after meeting some very cool people from the various Cult boards including Chuck, Brewgod, and others (you know who you are ) Also got a chance to talk to dfwsunking for a moment on the phone (sorry for yelling in your ear, dude). Anyway, we got a nice little place by the rail between Ian and Billy and were ready to rock. We thought the opening band was good, although it seemed that we were in the minority. The singer looks like Perry Ferrell and sounds like Bono, not a bad combination if you want to be a rock star. We later ran into these guys in the lobby and thanked them for a good show, which they seemed to really appreciate. Finally, The Cult took the stage, and from the opening kickdrum beat of Rain, just blew me away with the setlist. It was not much different from the many "dream setlists" that I've made up over the years on these boards. I won't go into a lot of details about each song, in the interest of time, but there were a couple of moments that stood out for me personally. Gone was just incredible. At some point during the song, I grabbed my self titled cd cover and held it up in the air. Billy noticed it right away and gave me a smile and nod of appreciation. After the song, I continued to hold it in the air and Ian said something like, "yes, that's the album the song's from". Not a big deal, but it was cool being recognized by those guys, even on this level. Then, during the encore, Ian announced that the next song may only appeal to the older fans, and continued to explain the meaning of the opening lyric, "the kids of a Coca-cola nation are too doped up to realize..." meant the destruction/erosion of the western world, etc. I was like, "are you @#%$'n kidding me!? They're not really going to play Moya, are they!?". In a moment I'll never forget, Billy caught me singing along word for word, and gave me this look, like "Wow, you really know the words", but also a look of agreeance that this was indeed a rare occasion. It was almost like he couldn't believe they were playing it either, in a good way. It's hard to explain. Just amazing, the whole thing. The acoustic songs were incredible, something I've never seen The Cult do. When the show was over, Billy threw a bunch of picks into the crowd, and I was lucky enough to nab one.
Just an incredible experience all the way around. Joe, wish you could've made it man, but I understand completely (I'll shoot you an email later). It was cool meeting fellow "boardies". Hopefully a boot of this show surfaces at some point.
Peace and Love (obviously)
Just got off the plane and I’m beat. CULT KICKED MAJOR ASS!!! AWESOME MIX OF SONGS. I was three people back at center stage and I don’t know what was going on behind me but everyone up front was going insane! When they played Love Removal Machine and She Sells Sanctuary the crowd lost their minds!
Only a few ass holes up front causing shit. I threatened them with bodily harm and since I’m nearly 6’ 5” they listened. I only wish I would have been closer to the ass hole that tossed the cup at Ian. Kevin I think you were right by that guy, what happened to him? I hope all your pictures turned out great! I loved Gone and Star, no Real Grrrl or Saints Are Down though. : ( Rise kicked ass, great, great guitar sound. Ian got a little winded a few times, he was really singing from his soul. Not only did Cult kick ass but both bars were open and you can’t complain about that!
The Cult attracts cult following
I usually dislike going to concerts—the stumbling drunks, the sweaty crowds, the disinterested
tourists. But it was well worth overcoming these hindrances to see the Cult live at the Joint.
The lights went down, launching a haunting choral prelude as the guys walked onstage. All
afflictions were forgotten and in that rapt moment, it was only the music that mattered.
After a seven-year hiatus, the Cult's tour schedule has been light even with the release of
last year's "Beyond Good and Evil." Still producing a tight sound after 20 years—taking into
account numerous lineup changes—the tour reunites the Cult of 1994: singer Ian Astbury,
guitarist Billy Duffy, guitarist Craig Adams, rhythm guitarist Mike Dimkich and drummer
Scott Garrett. According to Duffy during a previous interview, this limited-engagement tour,
which he described as "giving it another go around," was sparked by an invitation for the
Cult to appear at the re-opening of the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles. The Las Vegas
appearance was, so far, the band's only show outside of California.
Peppered with short commentaries by Astbury, the two-hour-and-15-minute rockfest ironically began with what the desert needs most: Rain. Astbury's distinct vocals resonated over the guitar-driven music that is classic Cult. Throughout the show, he created a strong rapport with the mostly 30-something audience and tossed out a few of his signature tambourines into the crowd. About an hour into the performance, Duffy and Astbury pulled up a couple of stools to play a few acoustic ballads, including Edie (Ciao Baby) and Revolution.
The obscure set list reflected a full evolution of the band's music, from the early years as Southern Death Cult to a few songs from "Beyond Good and Evil." Although Duffy seemed to have some technical difficulty toward the end of the show, the band exploded with energy that mirrored the crowd's enthusiasm.
As all good things must come to an end, the Cult returned to the stage with a three-song encore. And at last, Astbury stated, "This song is what started it all: She Sells Sanctuary." The crowd erupted with applause and screams, showing their undying support like true hard-core fans.