House Of Blues, Los Angeles, California
Opening band: Local H
After waiting an hour for them to come on they started up with Duel of the
Fates from Star Wars and blasted into the long set. The show was amazing!!!
The LA crowd was crazy. We ended up in the after show party room upstairs
hanging out with the band, mostly talking to Mike Dimkich, the other guitar
player. We made it into the inner sanctum of the dressing room where Ian
and Billy and Matt are hanging out talking. I make my way to the bathroom
and I am confronted by Matthew Mcaughnehey(sp) who is singing The Witch and
slurring every word. We ended up talking and hanging out with everybody and
having a good time until the HOB people asked everyone to leave. I had a
conversation with Ian about martial arts and he said he wished he could
settle somewhere to concentrate on his Tae Kwan Do, he is a blue belt.
Anyway, we made our way to the bus and watched everyone pull everything off
and Ian pack it all into his car and take off as did Matt, Duffy took off
earlier. Mike gave me a ride home and took off. Another great and
interesting night. I can't wait for the rest of the shows.
Adam Garcia - Latinochrome@hotmail.com
Just a few months after their improvised show on LA’s Viper Room stage, THE CULT were
back together for good on the opening night of seven sold-out shows at The House Of
Blues on the Sunset Strip.
Unfortunately what was going to be a long-awaited celebration could not have started
out worse. I am, of course, talking about the opening act LOCAL H, where the H stands
probably for Hemmoroids, considering the extreme pain in the ass they were able to
provide us in the audience. With their heavy riffs and pseudo punk looks they were
good enough to scare K-Mart cashiers (and rock the couple of Beavis & Butthead
headbangers in the audience) but bad enough to give blues to The House. While the
punky-style bassist spent most of the gig waving his arms (he wasn't that busy
playing), the guitarist tried to overpower Jean-Claude Van Damme doing the splits.
As for the songs, you couldn't help but be stunned by their originality, since they
were able to make more than three songs with the same stolen riff from some classic
metal song (Iggy Pop, THE CULT,..). Even if they were trying hard to be AC/DC, there
was an acute power shortage.
Finally THE CULT arrived with 3 original members plus a guitarist and a former
Porno For Pyros bassist Martyn LeNoble. Most obvious was that they were having
fun. The audience too. The band delivered its standards one after the other with
their trademark electric touch. By opening with Lil' Devil and closing with
Love Removal Machine, they made it clear that in their soul they are a hard
rock band, even if their albums went from Gothic batcave to Hard Rock, and pop with
an electronic flirt. Beyond labeling them, though, they are above all a Rock Band
injecting a high dose of authentic wild Rock, just like a good old Iggy Pop show. And
while most rock acts are now incarnated by angel baby dudes, THE CULT suddenly appears
to be one of the last pure rock acts able to save an endangered music species. More
than enjoying what they play, Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy believe in their music, a
crucial difference, and add infinitely to our pleasure. No marketing intent or Puff
Daddy opportunism here.
While Astbury was like a snake on stage daunting and poisoning the crowd with his
deep vocals, Duffy was chainsawing with his powerful riffs so that nobody could
remain unmoved from this music. Supported by a big bass and big beats, there was
strength in their sound. The singer was running, jumping, giving everything and so
did the crowd (without mentioning the usual retards there only to annoy the band
followers and mess around). Astbury has charisma and the band connected right away
to the crowd. It didn't look like they had been absent for 5 years.
Contrary to what hard rock fans would choose as favorite moments, they were an
adrenaline charged She Sells Sanctuary, a powerful Wild Flower and a
hypnotic Rain. Most of the show was centered on Sonic Temple and Electric (the
most appealing album to Americans) and their best of High Octane Cult, plus three cuts
from Love, ignoring unfortunately the last two underestimated albums The Cult and
Ceremony as well as their early years when they were known as CULT and DEATH CULT. And
while certain albums might sound old, all of the live versions were saturated
guitar-driven, what created an osmosis between the songs from the different periods and
a constant rage. On slower songs like Revolution the band kept its strength,
where others would have fallen into a cheesy "everyone hold up your lighters" sing a
long. Other tracks included Fire Woman, Edie (Ciao Baby), Sweet Soul
Sister, The Witch, Revolution, Beauty On The Streets, while
songs such as Coming Down, Dreamtime, Spiritwalker and others were
missing. It is unfortunate since they represent another era of the band and that could
have provided a break among the metal songs. And that's the only concern about the show,
the fact that they didn't really cover their wide repertoire, along with Atsbury's claims
to be the best band since THE DOORS. But does it really matter?
The chance to see THE CULT back on stage in such a privileged small venue such as The
House Of Blues was an event you couldn't afford to miss. And for those like me who were
doubting, it gives hope that Rock & Roll might no be dead yet, as long as it remains
authentic and wild.
Fred Thom
The Cult returns with a vengeance
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - What could reasonably be called a new and improved edition
of popular '80s and early '90s hard rockers the Cult opened an unprecedented
seven-night sold-out run at the Sunset Strip's House of Blues on Monday, and it was
almost as if they had never gone away.
The sound at the packed club was fattened by the recent addition of second
guitarist Mike Dimkich, who added heft to the familiar riffs and solos of
original six-stringer Billy Duffy.
Long-haired front man Ian Astbury easily reclaimed the role of rock star, barking
at fans with insults that were intended, no doubt, to incite the crowd members to
mosh faster and cheer louder.
Ninety-minute show was a virtual greatest-hits run-through, including such enduring
radio station fodder as Fire Woman, Sweet Soul Sister (the band's
catchiest), Lil' Devil and a smoking take on She Sells Sanctuary.
Following a quick break, Astbury and the band (which recently inked a new deal with
Atlantic Records) returned to the stage, where the singer -- who looks and sings quite
like Jim Morrison -- quipped, "Perhaps you're witnessing the most misunderstood band
since the Doors."
The group -- which wraps a 31-show North American tour with these seven HOB bookings
-- then launched into the surprise track of the night, a trippy rendition of their
semi-obscure 1985 gem The Phoenix (which Astbury introduced as "Kitty Litter
Disco"), followed by the adrenaline-pumping closer Love Removal Machine.
Presented inhouse. Band: Ian Astbury, Billy Duffy, Matt Sorum, Martyne LeNoble, Mike
Dimkich. Opened and reviewed Aug. 16, 1999, continues Aug. 19-23, closes Aug. 25.
Troy J. Augusto
Have to tell you how much I am enjoying this web site!!! This was my first and only
show so far...looking forward to a show 8/15 Irvine, CA. I am a newly converted fan,
had no idea what I've been missing all these years! A friend of a friend invited me
to the show and even provided the ticket, I admit I had no idea what the band would
be like, something made me think it was like death metal or something like that.
Needless to say I ended up having the best time and was so so amazed at what I was
hearing! I recognized Fire Woman which I love and became aware of all the
other songs. She Sells Sanctuary rocked. I had no idea how much fun would be
in store for me that night. Now I am so psyched to have a band that really interests
me, since Jerry Garcia died I have lacked a musical outlet that really interested me.
Ian is amazing!!!! He really pulled me in. I have to say he reminded me of a Jim
Morrison type and I love Jim, don't know if it's a bad thing to make that connection,
but reading about the performance at the Wiskey this past June, I could kick myself
for not knowing about it. I've been looking for an excuse to go there and I couldn't
imagine a better time to of been there. I must say that this site is awesome!
Everything is so accessable and I loved the video of She Sells Sanctuary and
the new Zen Mafia song with Ian. Very informative, thank you so much!!! I am probably
the newest fan, but you have to start sometime! Better late than never. By the way the
friend that took me to the show came all the way from Colorado to LA just for the show,
he was so psyched. Just to think I told him if he wanted to take someone else who was
a fan to go ahead and do so, luckily it turned out to be me!!! I totally love the vibe
I get from lyrics, I really feel a connection. Thanks again, and keep up the good work.
Renee - sugar_magnolia09@yahoo.com