House Of Blues, Los Angeles, California

Opening band: New American Shame

The last day of the House of The Cult began with the sound check. I sat with a fellow Cult fan and had some dinner and got ready to listen to the boys check everything out. First Martyn fooled around on his bass and then Matt on his drums, Mike on his guitar and finally Billy on his instrument. Billy played part of Edie (Ciao Baby) and then we were treated to Lil' Devil and an unbelievable American Horse. Billy took off and the rest of the guys played part of The Witch and finished the sound check.

So after meeting up with the (old) Texas chix we made our way to the last show. The guys started later than usual and the sound at the beginning wasn't as good as previous shows but the LA crowd was wired and alive with energy. The set was great but not as tight as the past few. There were more people trying to get on stage tonight than Monday as well, one young lady took the microphone right out of Ian's hand in the middle of She Sells Sanctuary. There also was not as much violence in the pit, which was a relief. The guys had the crowd rocking and at one point a blow up sex doll was launched onto the stage and Ian grabbed it and danced with it a bit before throwing it back.

So I ended this set of shows as I began them, upstairs in the foundation room aftershow party. Thanks to some friends and a pass from the super fabulous Texas chix, we all made our way upstairs to the party and we hung out and took pictures. Ian was the only one who didn't come out of the dressing room to mingle. Some notable faces at the party were Mick Fleetwood and Steve Jones. It was a fine ending to a wonderful stand here at the House of The Cult.

Adam Garcia - Latinochrome@hotmail.com

The Cult Close Tour On Spiritual Note

U.S. trek was band's first in four years; album and world tour to follow.

LOS ANGELES - As reunited rockers the Cult closed their U.S. tour Wednesday night, singer Ian Astbury paid tribute to the power of his band's music.

"You know, as adults we think too much," Astbury proclaimed from the stage of the House of Blues, halfway through the Cult's set. "This is not entertainment, this is not nostalgia, this is your wakeup call to being alive!"

With that announcement, Astbury and the band - original Cult guitarist Billy Duffy, ex-Porno for Pyros bassist Martyn LeNoble, ex-Guns n' Roses and former Cult drummer Matt Sorum, and rhythm guitarist Mike Bimkich - launched into a powerful rendition of Wild Flower, from the Cult's Electric (1985).

The show, the last of a seven-night string of sold-out dates at the Sunset Strip venue, served as the finale for the band's first tour in more than four years.

"I was so excited that this was even happening," said former Guns n' Roses guitarist Slash (born Saul Hudson), whose latest band, Slash's Snakepit, has a record due in fall 2000.

"When Matt [Sorum] told me, I was so excited. It's like the old guard is coming back to be the new guard," said Slash, who recalled opening for the Cult during Guns n' Roses' early days. Slash and Sorum later became bandmates when Sorum replaced original GNR drummer Steve Adler in 1990. Slash flashed a big smile as he said, "The Cult is the new arsenal."

Since the Cult broke up in early 1995, Astbury formed the band Holy Barbarians and recorded a solo record, while Duffy played with Miles Hunt's Vent 414 and worked on a solo record. But those ventures were not fulfilling enough for the two.

"I began to see this gaping hole, which wasn't being fulfilled by doing a solo record, and I just really missed working with Billy and playing with Billy and being a part of the Cult and playing those songs," Astbury said prior to the tour's launch.

Opening Wednesday's show without saying a word to the jam-packed house, the band immediately kicked into Lil' Devil, from Love (1985). Banging a tambourine, shaking his head and wearing a sheer black sweater, Astbury looked as if he'd never left the stage. Duffy shined on such faves as Rain, The Phoenix and Fire Woman, the Cult's 1989 breakthrough hit off Sonic Temple.

Even the jaded Los Angeles crowd couldn't help but feel the band's enthusiasm. "I think the Cult is going to make the biggest comeback of any band in history!" proclaimed Jay Davis, manager of the popular local hangout the Whisky Bar. "Real rock is back, and I like rock 'n' roll!"

"I'm having a spiritual epiphany," claimed another show-goer, Andy Wilson, answering Astbury's question to the audience, "Are you getting spiritual?" during Sweet Soul Sister.

The Cult, known for combining spiritual and mystic lyrics with hard rock, focused mainly on early material. They surprised the crowd with such old favorites as Revolution, She Sells Sanctuary and the show-closing Love Removal Machine.

The hits kept coming with an emotional rendition of Edie (Ciao Baby), their 1989 hit about the late Andy Warhol protégé Edie Sedgewick, and a hard-rocking version of Ceremony, off the 1991 album of the same name. Completing the set were Sun King, New York City and Peace Dog.

Although the band did not debut any new material, Astbury has said that after this tour the Cult will record another album and embark on a world tour. The frontman said the new Cult sound will be "a lot of riff-driven, high-energy rock 'n' roll."

Carrie Tucker

I recently moved to Los Angeles from Seattle where I saw The Cult on July 17th. New American Shame put in a good show of solid rock and roll. The Cult were again, amazing. After what I feel was too long of a wait between bands (the audience began booing near the end of the wait), The Cult came out and once again showed the audience what Rock and Roll is all about. The set was similar to the set that was played in Seattle. I didn't write down the songs but I'll try to recall them from memory, not in order. Lil' Devil, Fire Woman, In The Clouds, Edie (Ciao Baby), Rain, Sweet Soul Sister, She Sells Sanctuary, The Witch, Revolution, Sun King, and the last song was a wild version of Love Removal Machine. Astbury, with the tight backing of The Cult took control of the situation. Someone I was with leaned over and yelled, "he reminds me of Jim Morrison." My thought was that I wasn't sure that Morrison rocked quite like this, but nonetheless, Astbury put huge effort into his singing, and dancing. Basically, he's a cool rock star, as are all the guys in the band. It was great to see a great ROCK band. Sometime during the third song a fight broke out on the floor which seemed to upset Astbury who grabbed a bottle of Gatorade and tried to pour it over whoever's head that he percieved as causing the problem. Astbury said, "a fight always breaks out on the third song." One thing I noticed as a guitarist was the sweet sounding amps that Billy Duffy was using. Two Matchless amps. I'm going to starts saving for a couple of those. At one point during the show someone threw a blow up plastic sex doll down onto the floor from the balcony. The doll then made it's way up to the stage and Astbury picked it up and danced with it. Damned if I can't remember which song it was when this was happening, but I remember it as being coincidentally appropriate. The Cult came, they saw, they rocked. I'll be buying everyone of their future albums, and going to every show I possibly can. They are simply a great band.

Ken Creten - kcreten@hotmail.com