Robert Smith and Simon Gallup at Pasadena Daydream in 2019. (Photo courtesy Goldenvoice)
“With a slightly heavy heart,” bassist Simon Gallup announced today he’s no longer a member of The Cure, following two stints with the iconic band that spanned a collective 40 years, according to a public post on his personal Facebook page.
The announcement on the bassist’s Facebook page reads: “With a slightly heavy heart I am no longer a member of the Cure! Good luck to them all…” In response to someone asking if he was OK, Gallup replied that he “just got fed up of betrayal.” (Update: As of Aug. 17, Gallup had deleted his Facebook post)
Neither The Cure nor bandleader Robert Smith has confirmed Gallup’s departure.
The only bandmate to address the matter publicly appears to be keyboard player Roger O’Donnell, who joked about band co-founder Lol Tolhurst, fired decades ago, attempting to get back in, tweeting, “A friend just told me they saw Lol in the Guitar Centre buying a bass???????”
Gallup, 61, has deleted his Twitter account, from which he recently interacted with O’Donnell over the keyboard player’s plans to sell some old Cure T-shirts. Earlier this summer, Gallup wished Cure guitarist Reeves Gabrels a happy birthday on Facebook, writing, “Proud to call you Bandmate and Friend!” (Gabrels replied, “I love you.”)
The bassist joined The Cure in 1979 after playing on Robert Smith’s Cult Hero side project. He played on The Cure’s Seventeen Seconds, Faith and Pornography albums before leaving the band during the latter record’s tour, after reportedly getting in a fight with Smith.
Smith invited Gallup back in 1984, and the bassist has played on every Cure album since The Head on the Door. He’s known for his low-slung bass guitar and signature basslines that define many of the band’s best-known songs, including “A Forest,” “Primary,” “Fascination Street” and “Lullaby,” among many others.
Gallup is the longest-serving member of The Cure next to Smith, and in 2018, the frontman told The Irish Times that if Gallup were to leave the band, “it wouldn’t be called The Cure.” In 2019, Gallup missed two concerts due to what the band called a “serious personal situation.” His son Eden Gallup filled in on bass.
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019, The Cure has been working on a new album in recent years, the belated follow-up to 2008’s 4.13 Dream. Smith also has been collaborating of late, singing on new singles from Gorillaz and Chvrches. He also performed live with Gorillaz twice in the past week.
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that account does not look like the real Simon to me.
I think we should all wait until the band releases a statement confirming this rather than going off of fake FB accounts.
It’s absolutely him.
Wow – totally shocked! The last show the band played Simon did not perform (his son stepped at the last moment).
That second comment seems so permanent.
it isn’t his real account. Has some other lady as his girlfriend.
It is absolutely his Facebook account. Wouldn’t have posted this if that was in question.
Sad to see see him go. Glad that at the last minute I took my son to see them on the 2016 tour. It was a great show. He will be missed. I think the Cure needs to get the records they just finished out. Do a long tour and call it a day.
Gallop & Smith are the Cure. So, that’s that…Old rich white males, boo F’ing hoo!
Boris, Simon, Perry, Pearl and Lol can now make a band :)
Would love to hear the combo Boris/Gallup again! With Jason Cooper the band lost a lot of the past powerful rhythmic section.
Simon did post this on his own FB account on Saturday at 20:40 because his daughter and girlfriend posted comments on it.
If true then sad to hear but one suspects that he’s either yet to completely overcome whatever personal issues he may have (which are his business alone) or the “betrayal” line suggests to me a lack of will on Robert’s part to possibly put some extra studio/live releases (which may well already be in the can) out to the public. Either way, hope Eden is able to continue in his Dad’s place.
As much as I have loved the Cure for many years, Simon’s presence has been a defining part of the cure. But I think if we’re being honest, the Cure hasn’t been “The Cure” for quite some time and it may best to just close the book. He’s teased the end of the band for over 30 years and he’s been saying he’s been close to done with the new album for over two years now. To quote one of Robert’s least favorite contemporaries, “That joke isn’t funny anymore.”
Weird thought. Let’s say Eden doesn’t do the job. How about Joy Division/New Order/The Light bass man Peter Hook?
I’ve read a number of interviews over the years clearly conveying that Hooky is no fan of Gallup, believing that The Cure bassist has ripped off his sound, style and even his physical playing stance (bent over/low-slung guitar).
I can’t recall if those criticisms ever coloured his opinion of the rest of the band or not.
It sounds like a great match; it’s easy to imagine the sonic outcome…just can’t imagine it actually happening.
If Simon Gallup has subsequently deleted his FB post, then, who knows, maybe he and the band have reconciled by sorting out their differences.
It’s curious this happened right after Robert Smith did those two nights with Gorillaz. The word betrayal makes me think maybe the band was set to do something and then Robert canceled it so he could do these shows? Or maybe Simon is sticking up for the fans, and he too has had enough of Robert constantly promising things only to have nothing happen.
Eh I doubt RS and Hook would get along; their personalities would clash quickly I believe.
I wanted Martin McCarrick to join when they took in Reeves (whom I also like now that he’s shown he won’t over play like he did with Bowie so often). Imagine stand up bass for Lovecats…
How about Fletch?
I’ll get my coat…
And in the latest progress report on new albums from The Cure and The La’s, frontmen Robert Smith and Lee Mavers remain tied, standing still.
What next? Tommy Stinson leaving The Replacements?
Don’t know if Simon left the Cure or if the Cure left us. Three studio albums over twenty years when one thinks on it and the last one came out in ’08.
Scott Stalcup, you’re right. They have still toured well enough IMO but their recording output is so low when you put it that way. I was concerned way back when Robert started doing all those collaborations. And the song Burn on Bloodflowers, the lyrics speaking to being burned out with nothing left. To me, that was the beginning of the end.
“burn” was the track recorded 1993 for “the crow” film/soundtrack. the penultimate song on “bloodflowers” was the track you’re talking about, titled “39” referencing robert’s age at the time.
Oh, yeah – you’re right.
still no real updates about simon/the cure–outside of an optimistic tweet from craig/chainofflowers–which seems to be a postive thing as far as bringing simon back into the fold.
i am surprised that no-one has suggested the banshees’ steven severin as someone to possibly assist if simon actually steps away. i know that he had some health issues, but haven’t heard much since. and even if that didn’t happen, it would be interesting at least if smith/severin worked together again. maybe another album by the glove with input from flood producing and/or boris on drums…
The Cure need to finally get that Wish deluxe re-issue out!!
Yes!! With the Lost Wishes tracks.
it’ll come out when Chinese democracy comes out…
oh, damn…. wait…
never mind.
All this talk for years of Robert ending the Cure… And now it seems like it’s about to implode because Simon, the one in the band who had probably the most leverage outside of Robert, may have left again.
If this is it, then it’s a pretty sh*t end for the Cure. At this rate, I don’t even care about the new album, if it’s even remotely close to done. Who cares? The last couple of albums have been rubbish compared to the everything up till Wish. Even WMS sounds inspired compared to the sh*t that was 4:13 Dream.
I used to admire Robert’s spirit and way of doing things, but it’s pretty obvious that without a manager or someone getting on him to get sh*t done he’s lazy AF. We’re tired of uninspired, lazy collaborations with bands we don’t really care about. The only really interesting one he did was with Crystal Castles and it was mainly their work, he just sang on it. Depeche Mode was able to get their reissue campaign done in a f***cking year. All of their albums remastered, an exceptional documentary, and different sound formats and bonus tracks… R.E.M.’s delivering impressive anniversary editions of classic albums… U2 is doing the same (although a lot of it is overkill)… Robert announced their reissue campaign in 2003… They still haven’t even made it to Wish. And we don’t really care about crappy sounding picture discs. We just want him to actually deliver on something. Sure he can do whatever the f*ck he wants, the Cure is his enterprise. But cut the sh*t, man. It’s disrespectful to the fans who wait faithfully and anticipate his output and give him their money AND it’s disrespectful to his bandmates. They have a stake in this too, and they just have to go along with whatever he says is going on. Roger, Reeves, and Jason have other musical avenues and things they can pursue, but Simon doesn’t necessarily and I’m sure they’re all tired of the whole “You know as much as we do, we’re waiting on Robert.” Good lord… Robert’s 30 year old self would loathe what the Cure has become.
Sorry all to be so negative and angry… But after nearly 40 years as a fan, I’m just f*cking over it.
And for f*ck’s sake, man… He needs to do something about the appearance at this rate! Looks like Elizabeth Taylor from out of the grave!!
not that looks matter, but…
Your Liz Taylor comment was pure gold…
And your comments about being lazy,,, they track.
I’m sick of the yearly “we have 32 Lp’s coming out this year, and 57 re-issues, plus 98 video remasters to Blu-Ray” sold off.. it’s just a tease to see how long the fans will wait.
Kind of like James Lavelle and his Psyence Fiction Kickstarter….
so, yeah, 4:13 Scream never came out because Pearl left the band and Robert has said “praphrasal here” something about not wanting to release material from an incarnation that doesn’t;t exist anymore.
so…. the two LPs “in the can”…. cough cough
I’m sire we’ll see the next LP (or LPs) immediately after the Wish deluxe and the DVD/Blu-Ray “in orange” release… cough cough gag