For this week’s installment of Vintage Video, we revisit The Cure in one of the band’s more transitional periods following the release of the ever-divisive album The Top. Filmed at the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow, Scotland, on Aug. 25, 1984, this hour-long concert was produced by the BBC as “Rock Around the Clock ’84.”
The concert — which finds bandleader Robert Smith joined by Porl Thompson, Lol Tolhurst, Andy Anderson and Phil Thornalley — was broadcast in several different configurations, but never in its entirety. This version features all but the closing number, “Forever,” which was never broadcast.
You can watch the concert, uploaded by YouTube user hachidaidouji, in the player above, or check out the seven individual chapters over at Slicing Up Video. And be sure to stick around to see Smith murder a violin during the performance of concert rarity “The Caterpillar.”
Setlist: The Cure, Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow, Scotland, 8/25/84
1. “Shake Dog Shake”
2. “Primary”
3. “The Walk”
4. “The Hanging Garden”
5. “One Hundred Years”
6. “Give Me It”
7. “A Forest”
8. “Piggy in the Mirror”
9. “Happy the Man”
10. “Play for Today”
11. “The Caterpillar”
12. “10.15 Saturday Night”
13. “Killing an Arab”
14. “Forever” *
*Not broadcast
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Download: The Cure’s Robert Smith covers ‘Small Hours’ by John Martyn for tribute CD
- Stream: The Japanese Popstars featuring The Cure’s Robert Smith, ‘Take Forever’
- Video: The Cure plays 44-song ‘Reflections’ concert with Tolhurst, O’Donnell
- Robert Smith hints The Cure may perform more concerts after ‘Reflections’
- Milestones: The Cure’s ‘Standing on a Beach’ released 25 years ago today
- The Cure playing first 3 albums in Sydney with Lol Tolhurst, Roger O’Donnell
Always brilliant this Mr. Smith.
hahah that kid at 5:50…hilarous
Happy the Man *might* be one of the most unlistenable tracks The Cure ever released. Even for a diehard fan like myself…I just can’t take the wailing. Wow, did I really just type that?
It is okay to write that. The song sucks.
I was there that night .. great band
Wow. I envy you for that. Probably the most exciting period to listen to the Cure live.
I really enjoyed that Barrowlands gig, one of the best ever, great energy, great fun, hi spirited, working well together, and the band too. lol. I always enjoy playing in Glasgow. :-)
Another lucky attendee here. Didn’t have a ticket they were very limited due to the BBC angle, but went down there on spec. Convinced the bouncers that me my mate should get in if two people came out, a long shot I know. Within two minutes 2 lightweights came staggering out and in we went. What a gig
Regrettably the Beeb would shortly have been retransmitting it with Forever if it weren’t that the tape runs out halfway through!