San Francisco, California, The Fillmore
Saw the show last night at the Fillmore. This was my 6th or 7th time seeing them. The place was
sold out and really packed. They came on about 9:10 and started the show with War from
"Beyond Good and Evil". There was some major sound problems on the first two songs with Ian's
mic. He actually threw the mic down really hard at the end of War. The mic actually went
completely out during New York City and he had to use the bass players mic to finish the
song. After that the sound problems cleared up and they got warmed up and sounded really good
the rest of the show. The highlights for me were Gone, Peace Dog and Rain.
For some reason the crowd did not seem that into the show. Maybe we are all getting older (I'm
34)!. Billy was the most animated that I have ever seen, he was talking and joking with the
audience all night long. He really seemed to be having a good time. They closed it out with there
second encore with Wildflower and Love Removal Machine. The crowd finally got going.
I picked up the instant live for $25 and was really surprised how good the sound quality was.
All in all another great Cult show.
Victor Szabo
I was the wednesday, March 1 show. It was a great time for all who attended. The band had minor
PA equipment problems (mikes, guitar, PA noises)... but for the first show of the tour, it was
still a excellent show. The band members looked and sounded great. although Ian needed help with
the lyrics - he forgot some of them and required written notes - he sounded like Ian in
top form.
The list didn't include: Sun King, Go West, or Resurrection Joe, but overall
there was a great variety of tunes from all dics. i didn't really care for the acoustic version
on Edie (Ciao Baby) but i don't really care for that song anyway. It was great to see the
band again, and i look forward to many, many, many more cult show and music.
Andres O
They were SPEC-f-ing-TACULAR! But, then again, what do you expect a RABID FAN to say?
One thing I noticed, very specifically, was that Ian and Billy seemed to be GENUINELY enjoying
being with EACH OTHER on stage. Billy was sexy, charmingly playful and SOOOOO BILLY. Ian was
sexy and intense, yet fun and relaxed...and STILL TOTALLY IAN! (Did I mention they were SEXY?!?!?
Is it HOT IN HERE or IS IT JUST ME?!?!) Sorry, Jon. You asked for contributions.
The entire band was SIGNATURE in the way I WAS CRAVING but, there seemed to be a new progression
that just FIT. The new guys were PHENOMENAL TOO! But, then again, I can only concentrate on SO
MUCH.
Perhaps a "review" from someone who ADORES these guys (and after over 20 years of concert-going
has never purchased a single ticket to a show OTHER THAN THE CULT) isn't very impartial
but...TOO BAD!
THANK YOU CULT! Your sound, the sensation, your eloquence and the taste are something I am honored
to have experienced.
Lindsey
This was a perfect venue to kick off the long-awated tour. I had just seen Ian there with Riders
On The Storm but it was much more pleasurable to see him this time around in his proper place,
fronting The Cult! There were some technical difficulties but it hardly seemed to bother the guys.
They looked happy to be there playing the music we love. Tempesta and Wyse are a perfect addition
to the lineup. John can hit the skins as hard as anyone out there and it was good to hear Chris
play the bass lines we know and love from BGAE.
The biggest surprises of the set list had to be Wonderland, and Gone. After the show,
during the meet and greet, Billy asked what we thought of Wonderland. I think we all agreed
it was very much a pleasant surprise. The song rocks live! While backstage, James Hetfield and
Lars Ulrich happened to walk by and I asked James what he thought of the show. He replied, "man,
it rocked!" Ian and Billy were very nice as usual. They are really happy to be playing again. We
asked Billy about the set list and he said that they have about 20 songs that they can play at the
moment and will work on more. He asked what we might like to hear. One suggestion was Brother
Wolf, Sister Moon. Little did we know it would be played in San Diego! Star was another
song they might rotate into the set, there was even mention of Naturally High and Coming
Down. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens the rest of the tour. I have to say
that for only rehearsing six times, the band sounded fantastic!
Adam Garcia-McCarthy
I was so excited to hear that The Cult was touring again and bummed to hear they
would be in LA while I was traveling in Europe- so My best friend and I hopped on
a plane to SF to see them for the night. I have seen the cult many times before-as
well as the Doors, usually big venues, so to see them in such an intimate setting
was orgasmic. Beyond the technical difficulties at first, the set was Blistering
HOT! The heat and energy was intense, though the crowd was pretty subdued, but not
me and my friend Sarah. We slid into a near front row space from the side stage
and we were so close we could feel the music. My ears rang for 2 days. It was a
special night as we were celebrating my birthday and they played my favorite
song, The Phoenix!!!! Billy's Guitars were screaming and Ian was
perfection!!!! And after all these years they still look really HOT!!!
Paula@bohemianblues
The legendary Fillmore in San Francisco was packed to the gills on Wednesday night, just like it
has been for so many other nights in its long history, as The Cult returned from a three-and-a-half
year layoff to kick off its 2006 tour.
Lead singer Ian Astbury and the boys returned as conquering heroes, and despite some early sound
problems and working in a whole new rhythm section (again?), the verdict at the end of the set was
positive.
Before the show, in anticipation of a live set by one of my favorite bands, the conversation in the
room touched on many topics-what mood would Astbury be in? Could the new rhythm section pull it off?
And is the band still relavent in 2006? The answers to those questions were good for the most part,
yes and yes.
Astbury, who has spent the last three years playing Jim Morrison in the Riders on the Storm project,
is starting to look and feel like Ian Astbury again. Despite coming out dressed like a homeless person,
Astbury quickly reverted back to his old punk-like self, and destroyed two mikes before the band had
started its second tune. He sounded great, though, and looked happy to be back with the group that
he helped create back in the early 80’s. He’s a great singer and frontman, and its no doubt that’s why
the surviving Doors picked him to step in for a legend. A strong, unique voice that can be molded to
fit the song and a commanding stage presence make Astbury a true rock god.
Guitarist Billy Duffy’s a rock god as well, but in a different way. Duffy’s all about the riff.
He’s written and played many great ones, and even though some of his best are simple three-chord
runs, most of his best are easily memorable. Wild Flower isn’t that hard of a riff to play, but
neither is “Highway to Hell” for that matter. Both get the job done, if you know what I mean.
New bassist Chris Wyse (he played on “Beyond Good and Evil”) and drummer John Tempesta (formerly of
White Zombie and Testament, among others) got the job done as well, but so have so many before them.
The Cult go through bassists and drummers the way the local football squad goes through quarterbacks
and just about every one that has passed before them has been an adequate musician. Much like those
former band members, these guys do their best to hammer home the songs without getting in Astbury
and Duffys’ way. I though Tempesta was particularly impressive, slamming home the beats, all the
while being careful to replicate all of the famous fills made famous before him.
The group played a 110-minute set of blazing rock that at times simmered nicely and at others had
the place in frenzy. But it was the songs with the big riffs and choruses, classic numbers like
Fire Woman, Wild Flower, Love Removal Machine and She Sells Sanctuary,
that had the place in an uproar. Those are four of the band’s best songs and four of the best live
rock songs out there. You simply had to be there to experience the sound, the volume, the crowd
singing every word and the power of Billy Duffy’s guitar to understand just how brutal these songs
are live.
At once thought to be a platform for some new material to be worked out, it ended up being one of
those rare shows that wasn’t put on to support a particular record or cause. It looked like the
Cult’s main mission on this night was to get back in front of its dedicated crowd, have fun and
rip your head off, and in the end it succeeded.
ClassicRockRevisited
Setlist
War
New York City
Lil' Devil
Spiritwalker
Gone
In The Clouds
Rain
The Witch
Edie (Ciao Baby)
Revolution
Peace Dog
Fire Woman
Wonderland
Sweet Soul Sister
Rise
Encore 1:
The Phoenix
She Sells Sanctuary
Encore 2:
Wild Flower
Love Removal Machine