Review by Richard Henry for MPM
So, I have a confession to make right from the start, I have never listened to these guys a lot, I mean I know Fire Woman, Sweet Soul Sister and tracks like that, but sort of surface tracks and tonight is going to go much deeper, so I am intrigued!
83rd Dream
We kick off with almost like a Blade Runner, Clockwork Orange style synth opening, before the guy’s ramble onto the stage to kick off with this one from 84’s Dreamtime album, it’s like a drunk bassline with this swirly guitar part, it’s the reincarnation of Jim Morrisson up there, that track just reminds me so much of the doors with more modern instrumentation, then it kicks in and the lights flood from under John Tempesta’s kit, I am Alive shouts Ian from the chorus, almost surf guitar part and groove to this one, really cool track!
Christians
From the Death Cult album, driving tom tom drum part to this and propulsion driving bassline, again the guitar is providing textural parts over the top of it all, now before anyone kills me, I had a realization, if you took some of the guitar work of the Smiths, crossed it with the Doors, it’s sort of like some of these songs, the guys around me know all the words to these songs and you what else is awesome, the age range of the crowd, there where people in their 60s right to teens, I love seeing that!
Gods Zoo
100% this song is like the reference I just made, that guitar figure at the start is 100% like Smiths or U2, and as I said I don’t know these songs and there are so upbeat and not what I was expecting, I am pretty sure they are tuned down a bit to the original but Ian’s voice is so solid so far, he’s absolutely in top form, prowling around the stage and just owning it, that middle section is a real side step in key and stuff, the crowd are loving it, such a good response!
Brothers Grim
Billys guitar sound is just class, that Gretsch through about 4 different amps, beautiful, love that little pull off lick at the start of this one before the band kicks in and mention to John on the drums as well, solid, great sound as well, that tom groove where he is bouncing around different drums is so cool, for a first night of a tour this is so tight, few hands in the air for the straight bass drum beat on this, can I just mention Charlie on bass who is playing a lot of stuff on this one, another solid track!
Ghost Dance
Still on the Death Cult album as have the last our songs, again that arpeggiated guitar intro, almost spaghetti western in vibe and then when the band kicks in you are right back in the early 80s in vibe, that is a cool guitar part after the verse, love that hi hat groove in the verse as well, great impassioned vocal performance on this one as well and there are people dancing on the spot around me on this one, these really are in a way three or four minute straight to the point songs with no frills at all, I’m really enjoying all these songs live and I haven’t heard any of them before at this point!
Butterflies
This is pretty f@@king raw; Ian says and then that this is the first proper Death Cult show, starting off with a high hat and then a cool spacey guitar part with Ian’s raw vocals over the top of it, then when it launches into the groove it gets a lot more involved and then out into another guitar line, full of delay and space, it’s all beautifully balanced, there is so much space for all the instruments!
Flower in the Desert
After a bit of an issue with the in-ear monitors that got launched off the stage towards the sound desk, we have a guitar and vocal song, originally played on 12 string guitar, its clean electric tonight and it sounds great, that’s a stunning vocal, up in range and without the in-ears, Ian is really in pitch, his vocals live are so full of anguish and he projects massively, getting the crowd to clap along during this one, lovely track!
Resurrection Joe
Back to 1984 for this single, again just a massive driving bassline on this one, early Cult had a sound that’s slightly different to the stuff I know but I am loving it, sliding guitar line and just that trademark vocal from Ian, it’s such a wall of sound, there are people round me who know every word to these songs, loving the whole vibe of this set, it’s so different!
Horse Nation
A lone solitary guitar intro to this one, before we hit a brick of a riff then the slamming drum groove comes in, you can tell the most of this set is the one album, everything just fits together so well, there is a lot going on there on the drums when you really listen, switching all the time but always driving the band on and on, another stonker of a track!
Go West
Off to the Dreamtime record for this one, the sound though is still there, nice sliding guitar textured intro and then a quite funky bassline, the verse it all comes on like a blanket of sound, much more driving chorus on this one and I suppose this one reminds me more of the Cult stuff that I know, the way the track is more riff based that some of the parts bits on the Death Cult songs which are really cool, just an observation!
Hollow Man
Hitting 85’s Love album for this one, “can you feel it” Ian screams and yes everyone in here clearly can as it’s a sea of smiling faces in the building, again this one feels more like the band I knew before tonight, driving drum part and bass line, there are still guitar parts but less delay and space and more packed in, it’s at this point I think I realized we are11 songs in and it has flew by!
Dreamtime
From the album of the same name, back to 84 again, now I know this one, I love that slidy guitar part at the start, it’s an up-tempo driving rocker of a track this one, really powers through and it has a huge chorus where everyone is singing back at the band, some really cool riffs in the middle of that as well, love that guitar part and then the band stabs in before we hit the last chorus, it’s just straight and to the point and that’s been the thing about all the songs tonight, to the point, great tracks!
Spirit Walker
Same album for this next track, I mean it’s a simple guitar part but when the drums roll in it just grooves so hard, then it picks up and into the verse, there is a lot of tambourine being played tonight and a fair few been given out to various members of the audience as Ian is throwing them out all the time, what a great track and I just love seeing all the people swaying and nodding away and just having a great time with these guys tonight!
Rain
Hitting the Love album again for this one, the start of this reminds me now of some of the Death Cult stuff with that opening guitar part over the driving bass line, it’s all about that solid groove with great guitar parts and the vocal, Ian has an unmistakable vocal, and this song is what it’s all about, its hard hitting and driving especially when you get to that second verse, and that’s it, or is it, well no, when Ian tells us we will be back in a min we are away for a drink and a pee!
Moya
Ian comes out and tells us, who would have thought 40 years and let’s face it folks, not many bands do survive this long and the ones that do all have one thing in common, great songs, and that’s what every single track tonight has demonstrated! Now we are off to “Southern Death Cult”, yeah, we had a few names before we got to just The Cult, this one is just a riff machine of a track, been driven by Billys guitar part, it’s almost a bit punky in a way, maybe just me but that’s the vibe I get from this one?
She Sells Sanctuary
Well, I mean, what else do you close the set with? It’s their most classic well-known song and, everyone knows it, they are all singing along and its party central here and isn’t that how you want to end the show!
I said at the start, I know some of the later 80s and 90s tracks and I didn’t know any of the early stuff so every song that was Death Cult I didn’t know, I loved the whole set, just concise and to the point great track, one after another, really enjoyable and I am 100% off to listen to the Death Cult album, go see then on the rest of the tour dates, the whole of the UK is still to go by the time this review goes up!
Photography by MPM
