If Robert Smith is to be believed — and, as longtime fans know, that can be asking a lot — The Cure will deliver its long-awaited new studio album sometime before October, when the band is scheduled to embark on a lengthy European tour.
Smith took to Twitter on Friday, following the announcement of a third Cure date at London’s Wembley Arena in December, to emphasize, in his usual CAPS LOCK style, that the band “will be performing songs from a new album when we next play… or we won’t be playing at all!”
He continued: “I really want to play… so that means… my desire to release a new album is overwhelming!”
WE WILL BE PERFORMING SONGS FROM A NEW ALBUM WHEN WE NEXT PLAY… OR WE WON’T BE PLAYING AT ALL! AND I REALLY WANT TO PLAY… SO THAT MEANS… X
— ROBERT SMITH (@RobertSmith) February 4, 2022
…IT MEANS MY DESIRE TO RELEASE A NEW ALBUM IS OVERWHELMING! X
— ROBERT SMITH (@RobertSmith) February 4, 2022
The Cure has been working on a new album in recent years, the belated follow-up to 2008’s 4.13 Dream, but no release date has been set. When the band announced the 2022 tour dates in December, Smith told fans that the band will be playing songs from its new album on the tour.
Fans in North America hoping to see the band this year will have to wait until 2023. In December, Smith tweeted that shows in the “rest of the world” are still being finalized. “A lot of them got pushed back — they will be announced in due course — but won’t now happen until spring 2023.”
On Friday, he addressed additional shows as well, saying The Cure “will be playing a lot of other shows in places that are not Europe,” but said details will come when the band announces the actual dates “very soon.”
IN ANSWER: YES, WE WILL BE PLAYING A LOT OF OTHER SHOWS IN PLACES THAT ARE NOT EUROPE… BUT THERE DOESN’T SEEM MUCH POINT ANNOUNCING ANY MORE THAN THAT UNTIL WE ANNOUNCE ACTUAL DATES… WHICH WILL BE VERY SOON X
— ROBERT SMITH (@RobertSmith) February 4, 2022
The 2022 concerts will be the band’s first live performances since before the pandemic, when The Cure followed up its Pasadena Daydream festival in September 2019 with appearances at the Austin City Limits Festival in Austin, Texas, and a one-off stadium concert in Mexico City.
See the band’s current 2022 itinerary below.
The Cure tour dates
Oct. 6: Riga Arena, Riga, Latvia
Oct. 8: Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland
Oct. 10: Avicii Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
Oct. 12: Spektrum, Oslo, Norway
Oct. 13: Scandinavium, Gothenburg, Sweden
Oct. 14: Royal Arena, Copenhagen, Denmark
Oct. 16: Barclays Arena, Hamburg, Germany
Oct. 17: Quarterback Immobilien Arena, Leipzig, Germany
Oct. 18: Mercedes Benz Arena, Berlin, Germany
Oct. 20: Tauron Arena, Krakow, Poland
Oct. 21: Atlas Arena, Lodz, Poland
Oct. 23: Marx Halle, Vienna, Austria
Oct. 24: O2 Arena, Prague, Czech Republic
Oct. 26: Arena, Budapest, Hungary
Oct. 27: Arena, Zagreb, Croatia
Oct. 29: Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany
Oct. 31: Unipol Arena, Bologna, Italy
Nov. 1: Mandela Forum, Firenze, Italy
Nov. 3: Kioene Arena, Padova, Italy
Nov. 4: Forum, Milan, Italy
Nov. 6: Arena, Geneva, Switzerland
Nov. 7: Halle Tony Garnier, Lyon, France
Nov. 8: Sud De France Arena, Montpellier, France
Nov. 10: Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spain
Nov. 11: Wizink Centre, Madrid, Spain
Nov. 13: Zenith, Toulouse, France
Nov. 14: Arkea Arena, Bordeaux, France
Nov. 15: Zenith, Nantes, France
Nov. 17: Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany
Nov. 18: Zenith, Strasbourg, France
Nov. 19: St. Jakobshalle, Basel, Switzerland
Nov. 21: Hanns-martin-schleyer-halle, Stuttgart, Germany
Nov. 22: Lanxess Arena, Koln, Germany
Nov. 23: Sportpaleis, Antwerp, Belgium
Nov. 25: Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Nov. 27: Stade, Lievin, France
Nov. 28: Accor Arena, Paris, France
Dec. 1: 3Arena, Dublin, Ireland
Dec. 2: SSE Arena, Belfast, U.K.
Dec. 4: Ovo Hydro, Glasgow , U.K.
Dec. 6: First Direct Arena, Leeds, U.K.
Dec. 7: Utilita Arena, Birmingham, U.K.
Dec. 8: Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, U.K.
Dec. 11: Wembley SSE Arena, London, U.K.
Dec. 12: Wembley SSE Arena, London, U.K.
Dec. 13: Wembley SSE Arena, London, U.K.
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Is this his way of saying The Cure as an entity has no distribution deal currently in effect?
not really. i’m not sure of their label/distribution status–but the release of a new album has nothing to do with label/distribution–it’s all about robert finishing the lyrics/vocals to a point where they can actually mix/release the album to his/the band’s satisfaction.
So if I understand you correctly the issue may actually be lack of distribution?