We’ve been marveling at the length of The Cure’s sets on the band’s just-completed Latin American tour, but last night’s concert in Mexico City took the (birthday) cake: Celebrating his 54th birthday, Robert Smith led the band through a 50-song set that lasted 4 hours and 16 minutes — all after a 5.9-magnitude earthquake rattled the Foro Sol stadium.
According to Chain of Flowers, the band played a 25-song main set, then came back for four encores totaling another 25 songs — including variations of the Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me-, Disintegration- and Pornography-themed encores the band has been rotating in and out of its shows, and a 12-song final encore that included a pair of extremely rare Smith solo performances (“Three Imaginary Boys,” “Fire in Cairo”).
Marvel at the epic setlist below — and check out a few video clips from the show.
Setlist: The Cure, Foro Sol, Mexico City, Mexico, 4/21/13
1. “Open”
2. “High”
3. “The End of the World”
4. “Lovesong”
5. “Push”
6. “In Between Days”
7. “Just Like Heaven”
8. “From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea”
9. “Prayers for Rain”
10. “Pictures of You”
11. “Lullaby”
12. “Sleep When I’m Dead”
13. “Play for Today”
14. “A Forest”
15. “Bananafishbones”
16. “The Walk”
17. “Mint Car”
18. “Friday I’m in Love”
19. “Doing the Unstuck”
20. “Trust”
21. “Want”
22. “The Hungry Ghost”
23. “Wrong Number”
24. “One Hundred Years”
25. “End”
Encore:
26. “The Kiss”
27. “If Only Tonight We Could Sleep”
28. “Fight”
Encore 2:
29. “Plainsong”
30. “The Same Deep Water as You”
31. “Disintegration”
Encore 3:
32. “Shake Dog Shake”
33. “Cold”
34. “A Strange Day”
35. “The Hanging Garden”
36. “Fascination Street”
37. “Charlotte Sometimes”
38. “Primary”
Encore 4:
39. “Dressing Up”
40. “The Lovecats”
41. “The Caterpillar”
42. “Close to Me”
43. “Hot Hot Hot!!!”
44. “Let’s Go to Bed”
45. “Why Can’t I Be You?”
46. “Three Imaginary Boys” (Robert Smith solo)
47. “Fire in Cairo” (Robert Smith solo)
48. “Boys Don’t Cry”
49. “10:15 Saturday Night”
50. “Killing an Arab”
The Cure, “A Forest,” Mexico City, 4/21/13
The Cure, “Trust,” Mexico City, 4/21/13
The Cure, “Cold,” Mexico City, 4/21/13
The Cure, “Three Imaginary Boys,” “Fire in Cairo,” “Boys Don’t Cry,” Mexico City, 4/21/13
The Cure, “10.15 Saturday Night,” “Killing an Arab,” Mexico City, 4/21/13
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Gary Biddles, of Cure spin-offs Fools Dance and Presence, dies
- Lol Tolhurst on The Cure’s ‘Faith’: ‘I feel blessed and amazed that it still resonates’
- It’s official: The Cure, New Order, Nine Inch Nails set for Lollapalooza 2013
- The Cure, New Order return to North America this summer for Montreal’s Osheaga Festival
- The Cure’s ‘Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me’ to receive red-vinyl reissue for Record Store Day
- The Cure announces 6-country tour of South America in April — plus Mexico City concert
All I can say is … WOW!
Bravo, Robert!
Has Smith ever heard the terms “less is more..” or “always leave them wanting more…”. 4 hours is crazy, complete and utter self indulgence. Glad i didnt have to stand there with the rest of those zombies.
I believe the audience chose to attend and were free to leave. Relax, Paul. Your Mum will have your breakfast ready, soon.
Yes, Paul, I hear they barred the venue doors so unhappy people like you couldn’t leave until the show was over.
I think you need to check your dictionary for an accurate definition of “zombie”. That was one of the most enthusiastic, animated and passionate crowds ever!!! 4 hours wasn’t enough! And as other posters have pointed out…the audience was not held there against its will. The Cure are AMAZING.
you’re a fucking idiot.
When 50,000 people come to your show, on your birthday, you do what you want.
We are 60,000 ;)and was superb!
happy b’day for u robert smith..GBU
Yet another reason why they’re the best.
Happy Birthday, Robert! Thank you for the Cure :)
Incredibly cool…the concert goes got their money’s worth for sure…
u should add A Reflection before Play for Today in your list
that’s pretty cool
They’re able to hide Jason Coopers backing track/percussion loops sort of well on a lot of tracks.. but holy shit it is beyond obvious on A FOREST. I’d heard he uses em for that song, but have never heard until now.. whoaah
oh yes, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROBERT XOXO
Sounds like torture.
The Cure is the best live band of all time. Period. You WILL get your money’s worth.
Wow. Definitive statement. Case closed. Or not.
I am glad they continue to play material from ‘4:13 Dream’ as well as a nugget or two from ‘Wild Mood Swings’ mixed in with the sometimes overplayed songs. Its really annoying when artists and bands drop all their less popular material and stick with the audience favorites only.
And I can’t believe someone on here complained about the length of the show, when most of the acts these days don’t even stay around for a record or two to play for four hours.
The Cure are unparalleled as a live act, imagine Depeche Mode playing 50 songs? Dave wouldn’t even make it to 25 lol…
Robert has treated his fans like gold over the past several years; the ‘Reflections’ shows, and concerts like this one just show he ‘gets’ the fans.
I was honoured to be there yesterday. Best night ever, thats all I can say, I could have stand there for another 2 or 3 hours more haha.
So lucky to have been there!
Helllooooooooo The Caterpillar!!
That was such a sick show. I have to say the cure isnt even my favorite band, but i had the time of my life last night. The only downside is, from now on, ill want every show i got to, to be 4 hours long! Viva The Cure!!!
What people like Paul up there fail to notice is that The Cure has not played South America in almost a decade. At this rate it may be a long time before they get them back down there again, (if ever), might as well give them their money’s worth. The Latin fan base is rabid and I’m sure they would have stayed as long as Robert and the boys did.
Dear Ivonne, take your head out of your ass please, The Cure was here 5 years ago, and Mexico is not in South America. Instead of attending school you were sucking cock at the parking lot, i bet.
Ivonne, Mexico is part of North America. Paul’s still an idiot, though.
Wow, you people are mindless fools, in case you didnt notice i was attacking the band, not any of you, grow up please.
don’t tell people to grow up for defending a band they love, just shut your negativity instead. no one even took your comment personally. why would we want to know you to take what you post personally?
And as for Depeche Mode playing 50 songs…i wouldnt want to see that, firstly a 1hr 40m concert is enough, secondly Dave Gahan does a hell of a lot more than Fat Blobby Smith on stage and would be near collapse, you plebs never seem to think of that. Depeche Mode are about to launch a major world tour in support of a “brand new” album that has won acclaim and debuted at number 1 in twelve countries and Top 10 in the USA, the Cure’s last album was in 2008 and went nowhere and now they dont even bother releasing anything new and have become a greatest hits touring circus.
Oh and Mary? My “mum” is dead, thanks anyway.
thanks, we’ll be sure to check with you about everything. I’m going to turn my head and cough, is that OK with you? ridiculous. BTW the band’s last album had 4 #1 singles on the alternative charts in Billboard. Just because you don’t like it doesn’t make it worthless. They sell out stadiums all the time, which completely invalidates your opinion. Playing the guitar for four hours is much, much more physical than trying desperately to spin around with a mic stand and failing miserably, and the last time I saw depeche mode were for those singles comps they put out and he couldn’t keep it up then, I doubt he can now. And DM’s new “singles” aren’t even a whisper of their previous greatness but if their fans like it, then so what? Yes, the cure play too many singles, I’d agree. But also, they have SO MANY popular singles that after being around for four decades they barely have a choice, unless they play a four hour show and look at the set list–album tracks in there. I think you lack objectivity.
Don´t fucking listen to them if you hate them so much. Is it that hard?
Wow, 50 songs yet still no sign of Jumping Someone Else’s Train! Don’t they ever play it live or something…?
They played it in 2011 at the Reflections shows (dovetailing into ‘Another Journey By Train like they did in ’80) and at many shows in 2012 including the Bestival concert which is available on to buy CD or download.
Ooop, I mean ‘to buy on CD’. Sorry for the typo.
Whenever I drive past Robert S Smith Drive in Homewood, Alabama (where The Club is) I say out loud “Robert Smith of the Cure Drive”. It makes me laugh.
Good job, Robert.
the best concert in my life, second concert in mexico last 20 years.