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| pic. Mark Cookson 2011 |
It may have been rainy and cold outside but inside the Academy, one of Manchester's busiest live music venues, but the heat coming off of the energetic crowd was sufficient to cause rivulets of sweat to drip down the blackend walls as the mystical shamen himself, Ian Astbury whirled around the stage like a dervish, shaking his tambourine and whipping his ebony mane to and fro. Across to the far right of the stage long-time musical partner Billy Duffy wrung each note out of his guitar as if his very life depended on it. This was The Cult. Live, loud and unapologetic.
The band seem to have reached a stage where they are simply happy to tour and bring their music to the masses without any product to sell, a feat that only a band with their longevity can really pull off. After last year's 'Love' tour celebrating the album of the same name and a summer festival appearance at the Sonisphere festival the cult were back for more. This time their set pulled from every era of the band's career from the post-punk Death Cult through the Goth-Pop of the early 80's and right through the bombast and pomp of the initial phase of the band's life all the way to a brand new piece of film created by the band as a mid-set breather.
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| pic - Mark Cookson 2011 |
Having been lucky enough to catch the band on several tours I can honestly say that musically this was the most beautiful that they have ever been with the addition of second guitarist Mike Dimkick beefing up the sound to allow Duffy to weave his majestic lead parts as only he can.
Astbury however whilst still one of the most engaging frontmen in rock seemed to be struggling to hold the notes for any real duration and seemed to be, as he does from time to time, re-assure the crowd (and seemingly himself) that the band produce "real emotion, visceral and raw". There's no denying that Ian but do you really have to remind us everytime someone asks you to play one of your biggest hits.
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| pic - Mark Cookson 2011 |
As a long-time fan of the band I genuinely loved to hear many album tracks alongside the singles but as a casual fan I may have been disappointed with only a single track from the biggest album of the band's career 'Sonic Temple' but the placement of 'Sweet Soul Sister' early in the set assured the night got off to a great start.
Opening up with 'Every Man and Woman is a Star' the band and especially the sound mix remained strong until the final notes of surprise encore cover of The Doors' 'Break on Through', a song that Ian Astbury has had a lot of practice singing over the last decade.
A personal highlight of the night for me was the myriad tracks from the aforementioned 'Love' album proving once again that Duffy is able to come up with some mind-numbingly hypnotic guitar lines and also the pounding, ritualistic 'Spiritwalker' from the band's debut album 1982's 'Dreamtime'.
The rhythm section of long-time bass player Chris Wyse and John Tempesta were able to keep the bottom end admirably in shape and certainly provided presence to underpin the sonic tapestries woven by Duffy.
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| pic - Mark Cookson 2011 |
The band took a short breather/rest break mid-set and this allowed the short film 'Black Angel' to be shown on the screen at the back of the stage. Again, as a fan of the band you have to allow the band to stretch their oft-forgotten artistic tendencies and put on something a little different, for many though this simply served as a chance to visit the bar.
The movie, a black and white piece,was certainly redolent of Astbury's sometimes introspective lyrics and the cyclical nature of Mother Earth.
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| pic - Mark Cookson 2011 |
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| pic - Mark Cookson 2011 |
As this was Manchester, the birth place and hometown of William Henry Duffy, he took to the mike to thank everyone for coming and so we were safe in the knowledge that despite his many years in LA he still retained his Mancunian accent before lifting his arm and striking the first chord in encore opener 'Rise' from 2001 reunion album 'Beyond Good and Evil'
Never a band to disappoint therefore, The Cult, put on a show that belied both the weather outside and that 'Sunday night feeling' providing an absolutely fantastic musical feast with something for fans of all era's of this British Rock Institution.
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| pic - Mark Cookson 2011 |
I'll see you down the front...
SET LIST :-
Every Man And Woman Is A Star
Rain
Horse Nation
Sweet Soul Sister
Saints Are Down
Dirty Little Rockstar
Nirvana
Ghost Dance
- Black Angel -
Embers
War
Go West
Wildflower
Until The Light Takes Us
She Sells Sanctuary
Love Removal machine
Rise
Spiritwalker
Break On Through
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| pic - Mark Cookson 2011 |
