One Vogue editor and life-long The Cure fan on attending their Vivid concert in Sydney
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27th May 2019
It’s the opening night of Sydney’s Vivid and the Opera House has transformed into a shimmering show of colourful projections creating a magical setting for this year’s most anticipated gig, the world premiere of the 30th anniversary of The Cure’s seminal 1989 album, Disintegration.
A major coup for the Vivid Festival trumping other major cities to host the anniversary gigs, this show was going to be special, but for devoted Cure fans, the lead up to this moment has been intense.
A ballot system randomly selected the few who would land a seat in the intimate concert hall venue. Among the disappointed fans who missed out there were frenzied messages: Who secured tickets? Who had a spare? Was there any other way to get a ticket? There was a glimmer of hope when a fifth gig was announced and then another roller coaster of joy and sorrow as less than 10 per cent of over 100,000 hopefuls were allocated a ticket.
So here we are, the chosen ones, fully hyped and waiting patiently. Through the smoky haze appears the familiar silhouette of Robert Smith, all in black, big teased hair and this supposedly seated gig erupts into a standing ovation before the first note has been played. The audience is committed, devoted and the atmosphere is electric.
Opening with the majestic melancholy of Plainsong, followed by Pictures of You, we are launched into a journey through Disintegration in its entirety, an album that has often been described as The Cure’s masterpiece. Nostalgia takes me back to of a time when we listened to albums from beginning to end, over and over, falling in love with some songs instantly and allowing the growers to gradually embed in our consciousness, often becoming favourites. Today, we are more likely to cherry-pick our top tracks into playlists or lazily leave it to our apps to tell us what we should be listening to. Back then we invested the time to get to know the music and allowed ourselves to be taken on a journey – a wonderfully gloomy journey in the case of Disintegration.
The crowd is standing and swaying as we hear the beautiful simplicity of Lovesong, the churning bass of Fascination Street, the dramatically disturbing Prayers for Rain. Smith’s vocals are powerfully haunting and pitch perfect as if no time has passed.
An encore of rare B-sides heightens the feeling of intimacy, as if the band has invited us back to theirs for a private after-party.
Looking at the joy-filled faces in the crowd bellowing out Smith’s elaborately poetic lyrics, it’s clear that The Cure still mean so much to so many. Their unique brand of gloomy pop is profoundly moving, almost hypnotic. It seeps deep into your heart and bones and tonight’s performance of Disintegration is a triumph.
While the music conjures a slightly confused feeling of being sadly uplifted, one thing is clear – it is a true privilege to be in this room.
The Cure’s final Vivid Live show on 30th May 8pm (AEST) will be streamed live on The Sydney Opera House Facebook page and YouTube channel for fans worldwide.