NEC Arena, Birmingham, England

Opening Band: Claytown Troupe

Double fun for me at the front of stage new when to stand and go to front as I recognised the opening to a Claytown Troupe song who were supporting. When the Cult came on it was chaos chairs were being thrown everywhere as everybody was standing and having a right old head bang. The best moment was American Horse the atmosphere was electric the best gig to date.

Wayne Graham - wayne@wgraham37.fsnet.co.uk

Well this was the moment the Troupe had been waiting for. The chance to play in front of a very sizeable amount of people at long last, at the sort of venues you go to only in your wildest dreams.....until now. This is the BIG ONE.

Entering the N.E.C. for the first time was a quite unnerving experience for starters, just walking around the huge arena brings you out in a cold sweat, trying to imagine the place being full up in a few hours time and having to play in front of 10,000 screaming Cult fans. God only knows what was going through the bands minds.

I decided to keep well away for a while, to let the band take it all in and gather their thoughts....well they probably spent the first hour on the toilet anyway! Well after a while the nerves start to die down and it's time for work.

The Cult finish their soundcheck at 6.50pm, just 10 minutes before the doors are due to open, so a mad rush follows, resulting in a two minute soundcheck for the Troupe. As I watched the adrenalin starts to flow again, suddenly realising what we've let ourselves in for. Well this was it, this was where it started to get really exciting (time for a change of underwear, ED.)

A few minutes before the Claytown Troupe were due to hit the stage, Ian Astbury calmly strides into the Troupe's dressing room for the formal introductions and wishes the band well, which puts the band at ease....a very nice gesture on his behalf, (perhaps remembering the times he was in the same situation not so long ago).

Well the time had arrived for the Troupe to take the stage, hurling themselves straight into Bury My Heart, Tell Me and Prayer. After this, all the initial first night nerves seemed to disappear completely as the band really opened up during the mid-set numbers Wonder, Hate To Hate, The Veil and Hey Lord. By this time the crowd were nicely warmed-up for the end of set brainstormers Real Life, Freedom and Alabama.

They left the stage to a huge cheer. From the obviously enthusiastic crowd. Well...it wasn't so bad after all!....After The Cults' set it was back to the hotel to a well earned drink or three.

This was where we were to find that The Cult were in fact very down to earth chaps and genuinly friendly people, contrary to what the press seem to have portrayed them as. It also became obvious that they were 'up for having a good time' which was good news for the Claytown boys!