The Cure debuts never-played ‘Disintegration’ B-sides, outtakes at opening of Sydney run

The Cure last night opened its five-night run of Disintegration 30th anniversary concerts at the Sydney Opera House, performing not only the classic 1989 album in full for the first time since 2002 but also debuting seven B-sides and outtakes from those recording sessions.

Robert Smith and Co. opened the show with a performance of Disintegration, which included the first performances of the album’s two final tracks — “Homesick” and “Untitled” — in 17 years. That was followed by an eight-song set that only included one song the band had ever performed live before: “Lovesong” B-side “2 Late,” which the band debuted in 2014.

The rest of that second set had never been performed live, including Disintegration-era B-sides “Fear of Ghosts,” “Babble” and “Out of Mind,” plus outtakes “No Heart,” “Esten” and “Delirious Night,” all of which appear in embryonic form on the expanded Disintegration reissue, and a cover of Wendy Waldman’s “Pirate Ships,” which Smith originally recorded as a solo track for Elektra Records’ Rubáiyát compilation.

The Cure will play four more Disintegration shows in Sydney over the coming week, with the fifth, on May 30, set to be livestreamed worldwide.

Below, check out the full playlist — we’ve linked the rarities to some great (but non-embeddable) video on Vimeo. There’s also more video posted below from Instagram and Twitter.

Setlist: The Cure, Vivid Live, Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia, 5/24/19

1. “Plainsong”
2. “Pictures of You”
3. “Closedown”
4. “Lovesong”
5. “Last Dance”
6. “Lullaby”
7. “Fascination Street”
8. “Prayers for Rain”
9. “The Same Deep Water As You”
10. “Disintegration”
11. “Homesick”
12. “Untitled”

13. “No Heart” (Live debut)
14. “Esten” (Live debut)
15. “2 Late”
16. “Babble” (Live debut)
17. “Fear of Ghosts” (Live debut)
18. “Out of Mind” (Live debut)
19. “Delirious Night” (Live debut)
20. “Pirate Ships” (Live debut)

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