A Review of The Cure From the Agganis Arena in Boston

I thought I would take a time out from politics for a little while, it can be draining sometimes. Anyone who has read me Why Mr Pink Eyes? page knows that I am a huge fan of The Cure and took my alias from a Cure b-side. Well last Monday The Cure were in Boston at the Agganis arena, so it was time for Lauri and I to head into Boston with the boys to see the show. Sorry AA, there was no way I would have been able to have that beer in the time between leaving work and making it to Boston, but I have not forgotten.

 This was my fifth time seeing The Cure, having only missed them in 1996. This is the first time I have seen them in a setting as intimate as the Agganis Arena, which only holds about 7200 people.  This would also be the first time seeing them keyboard-less and I was curious to see how they sounded without the keyboards. I have always loved all the different styles that The Cure play, but how would some of the keyboard heavy music sound, if they even played it at all? That question was answered very early as they opened with Plainsong, the keyboard ladened opening track from Disintegration. It sounded great, the show was off to an impressive start. Porl is the best guitar player that the band has ever had, and it was good to see him back in the band again.

 The setlist was about as good as you could ask for although I still have not seen them play Faith live. They played several Disintegration tracks as well as some early songs that I hadn’t seen them play before.

 The only downsides that I can think of is the fact that Porl had some technical issues with his guitar, it cut out a fer times during the show. andI would have liked to have heard more from the Pornography album other than 100 Years. Not to mention the fact that Robert changed “Killing An Arab” to “Killing Another”, to be politically correct. Real Cure fans understand where the song came from and it’s true meaning, it is not as controversial as it sounds. But is was still good to see that it was back on the playlist after being left off in 2004. “Killing An Arab” to me is one of those songs that sounds much, much better live.

 Between the intimate setting, and the return to the more original sound of the guitar heavy early days I have to say this was one of the best Cure shows I have seen, if not the best.

 Here is the setlist with a few comments by me included, there are a few pictures and videos from the show at the bottom:

 Plainsong

Prayers For Rain (sounded great, Robert can’t quite hold that note as long as he used to)

alt.end

A Night Like This

End of the World

Lovesong

Sleep When I’m Dead ( The first of four new songs, and in my opinion it was the best)

Pictures of You

Lullaby

The Perfect Boy (the second new song)

From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea

Hot Hot Hot

The Only One (the third new song)

The Blood ( I loved hearing this one, one of my favorites, it was a total surprise they payed it!)

Wrong Number

The Walk (surprisingly good considering there were no guitars on the original version, I thought they pulled this one off, Lauri didn’t think so)

Signal To Noise

Push

 Inbetween Days

Just Like Heaven (always a crowd favorite)

Primary (first time I’ve seen  them play this live, brilliant!)

Us or Them ( I thought this one didn’t come off too well, Robert seemed dispassionate during the chorus, perhaps he just can’t belt it out anymore as originally recorded)

Never Enough

One Hundred Years

Freakshow ( the last new song of the night)

Close To Me

Play For Today (another of my favorites)

A Forest

3rd encore:

Boys Don’t Cry

Jumping Someone Else’s Train (this was a surprise, I hadn’t seen this one live either)

Grinding Halt (another surprise, another first for me)

10:15 Saturday Night