Photo by cureluver13 on Instagram
When The Cure announced plans to play a series of Christmas shows at London’s Eventim Apollo, the band promised to deliver “surprises galore” — and that was no idle threat. At tonight’s opening of the three-night stand, The Cure delivered a marathon 40-song set that included a full performance of 1984’s The Top, the live debut of a rare B-side and the reintroduction of songs not played live in decades.
Among the setlist highlights: that full performance of The Top, albeit not in order; the first live performance of The Top’s “Wailing Wall” and “The Empty World” in 30 years; the first-ever performance of Head On the Door-era B-side “A Man Inside My Mouth”; the return of “Piggy in the Mirror” for the first time since 1997; and the first performances of Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me’s “Like Cockatoos” and “Hey You!” in a decade.
The performance of The Top and resurrection of Head on the Door– and Kiss Me-era rarities are certainly in line with Robert Smith’s announcement earlier this year of plans to stage another “Trilogy”-style tour that would find the band performing those three albums. Such a tour, however, has not been announced — nor have any of the other things Smith laid out in that February press release, for that matter.
Below, check out the full setlist from tonight’s show — which, while exceedingly long, still was 10 songs short of the band’s monster 2013 gig in Mexico City — as well as a smattering of video via Chain of Flowers. We’ll continue to add video as it surfaces.
The Cure performs again Monday and Tuesday nights.
Setlist: The Cure, Eventim Apollo, London, UK, 12/21/14
1. “Shake Dog Shake”
2. “Kyoto Song”
3. “A Night Like This”
4. “alt.end”
5. “Wailing Wall” (First time since 1984)
6. “Bananafishbones”
7. “The Caterpillar”
8. “The Walk”
9. “A Man Inside My Mouth” (Live debut)
10. Close to Me”
12. Lullaby”
12. “High”
13. “Birdmad Girl”
14. “Just Like Heaven”
15. “Pictures of You”
16. “Before Three”
17. “Lovesong”
18. “Like Cockatoos” (First time since 2004)
19. “From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea”
20. “Want”
21. “The Hungry Ghost”
22. “One Hundred Years”
23. “Give Me It”
Encore:
24. “The Empty World” (First time since 1984)
25. “Charlotte Sometimes”
26. “Primary”
27. “The Top”
Encore 2:
28. “Dressing Up”
29. “Piggy in the Mirror” (First time since 1997)
30. “Never Enough”
31. “Wrong Number”
Encore 3:
32. “Three Imaginary Boys”
33. “M”
34. “Play for Today”
35. “A Forest”
Encore 4:
36. “The Lovecats”
37. “Let’s Go to Bed”
38. “Why Can’t I Be You?”
39. “Boys Don’t Cry”
40. “Hey You!” (First time since 2004)
The Cure, “A Man Inside My Mouth”
The Cure, “Wailing Wall”
The Cure, “The Empty World”
The Cure, “Hey You!”
The Cure, “The Top”
The Cure, “Charlotte Sometimes”
The Cure, “Like Cockatoos”
The Cure, “A Night Like This”
The Cure, “Lovesong”
The Cure, “Shake Dog Shake”
The Cure, “Birdmad Girl”
The Cure, “Piggy in the Mirror”
The Cure, “Play for Today”
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- The Cure to perform ‘small clutch of happy hits’ at pair of London benefit shows this week
- The Cure promise ‘surprises galore’ at pair of Christmas concerts in London
- Watch: The Cure covers The Beatles’ ‘Hello Goodbye’ for Paul McCartney tribute
- Watch: BottleRock Festival pulls the plug on The Cure during ‘Why Can’t I Be You?’
In all fairness, when they said “surprises galore” i was sure they would at least play something new..? Its been over six years since the Cure released any new material and they are not the band they used to be so oldies like Piggy In The Mirror are not going to sound as great as they did back when they “In Orange”.
..back when they did “In Orange” i meant ;)
agreed nothing new just an old band playing the oldies.
As long as they don’t release another 4:13 I’m okay with your assessment.
On the other hand, they could be Depeche Mode playing new songs no one wants to hear.
And the same greatest hits they play every tour. God forbid DM actually moves ‘Walking in My Shoes’ from the same spot is has basically been in for 20 years, lmao.
Wow, couldn’t disagree more on that one. I listen to Delta Machine and SOTU more these days than any of there older material. And the tours I’ve seen over the last ten years have leaned far heavier on new or more recent material than classic 80’s material. I have a feeling a lot of their fans who are selling out their recent tours feel the same as I do about their newer material otherwise they wouldn’t be attending. The Cure became a nostalgia act because they haven’t released a decent album since 2000, DM have done so in spades in my humble opinion.
I have to agree with the Depeche Mode comment. My boyfriend and I saw them last summer, and they lost me after the concert. I’ve never liked a band LESS after seeing them live. They looked like a bunch of old farts up there, playing the “new record nobody cares about” and suffering through the “oldies”.
The Cure, while no longer the great band of ‘Pornography’ or ‘Wish’ or even ‘Wild Mood Swings’ (yes, I actually love ‘Wild Mood Swings’), are still trying with their setlist, playing entire records or rare or never-played B-sides. The new records don’t have the “bang” anymore but their stellar setlists are well worth my return each time they play near me, and Simon’s wonderful bass. :-)
OMG, I would have killed to have been there!! Literally killed, especially the people talking crap about The Cure, obviously this was a show for true fans, no dipshits like you.
Haha, good one!
Played The Top in full?
But not all in one go, it was spread throughout the set.
This does fuel rumours that they are going to play a new trilogy next year though (The Top, Head On The Door & KMKMKM)
And weren’t they going to release new material this year? Or re-release 4.13 Dream as a double or something?
kiss me kiss me or disintergration played in full would be amazing
Yeah, 4:13 Dream was supposed to have been a double album, but their label convinced them otherwise. The other half is going to be called “4:14 Scream” and it was supposed to have finally come out this year but for some unknown reason it didn’t happen.
Friend spoke to a band member after the show. These 3 shows are ‘working rehearsals’ where they are trying to work out the kinks in songs not played in decades, or ever, as they prepare for a larger Trilogy 3 tour in 2015.
The Top songs are being worked out now, and really there are only a handful of Head and KM songs that need a run through and haven’t been played in a long time..
Six Different Ways
Screw
All I Want
One More Time
Icing Sugar
1000 Hours
Everything else has been played since the respective Head and KM tours, albeit some not in a while.
Top songs were not written by anyone in this lineup except for RS, so that is why the band is playing them. He said the reason they are not in order is because they are saving that for the full album shows later in 2015.
Now he would not identify the band member because the person was drinking and supposibly wasn’t supposed to say anything.
Also said RS wants to play all the bsides from 1983 – 1987 but cannot fit them into one night, so they may be spread out over multiple nights in each city.
Take it for what it’s worth, but until I have a ticket in hand for the next Trilogy I don’t have much ‘faith’ in anything these band members say.
Depeche Mode still make the effort though to create something new every few years, whether people like it or not, a lot of the fans do like the new stuff though. I guess they could do with dropping the likes of WIMS and ETS from the set list but its always a great show regardless.
The Cure seem to be one of those bands that’s reached a point where its not exactly sure what to do with itself anymore, something fresh needs to happen there. They are creative artists, why can’t they create instead of doing these incredibly predictable gigs. I was a major Curehead in my teens and i still have a place in my heart from them but they just seemed so vital back then compared to now. Anyway, its just my two cents, i’m sure most fans that attended the show enjoyed it :)
Their new stuff is incredible, totally agree. Delta Machine has become, after repeated listens, a masterpiece in my opinion.
I truly dig The Cure, but man that is a long show.
I know, my feet hurt just reading the set list!
Can’t say one doesn’t get their money’s worth at a current Cure show.
@Betty Boo
No one here is a dipshit, we all have our opinions, thank you.
Opinions are like @$$holes – everyone’s got them.
Epic show. Cure forever.
I’ve seen the cure at least 15 times since the kiss me kiss me kiss me days. They have always been great live. Robert is a hell of a musician as well as the other band members. Some new stuff I don’t care for. Dm l love them as well only liked maybe 4 songs of last 2 albums. They are amazing live, I just hope before they stop touring the get Alan, back and do a tour, loose the drummer and do a 4 piece again. As for the cure if they tour next year I’ll will definitely spend the money to see them .
@Mike C.
Ha, indeed!
In the olden days, deep fans would parse the subtle differences between Coltrane’s live versions of his cover of “These are a few… things.” Because–they were there. They were at the show. The song was one thing, the performance the best thing,
Now we have a sack of dicks reading a set-list and judging.
Plus, any real Cure fan (+ 50)–had shivers hearing that version of “The Top”
Thanks for the information on the upcoming new ‘Trilogy’ shows. I will be there.
I saw them at the Chicago ‘Riot Fest’, and, being a huge, huge fan of the band, they still have a strong, staunch, loyal audience who were in awe of their entire performace.
They even did a newer, funky version of “Hot, Hot, Hot”, which is really cool since I was becoming tired of the song.
I’ll be there if the new shows come to Chicago.
I’ve often thought that the Cure basically called it quits once they hired Jason Cooper for their drummer. He just doesn’t seem to have a good sense of rhythm or timing being a drummer. Lol Tolhurst despite his low skills is still better.
Despite what Robert Smith stated a long time ago that Jason is the drummer for the Cure. I along with a lot of other people disagree.
When Porl was in the band and Roger came back I thought well maybe Boris will come back too.
I’ve also come to resent his decision to hire Reeves Gabriels as a guitarist too he is a great at his technique but lacks any emotion in his style of play.
This is just the ramblings of a longtime Cure fan who decided to put in his opinion.
Alberta,
Rarely do I lawl, but I laughed out loud upon reading your comment. It was the funniest thing I have read all month and a true Christmas miracle.