The Cult

[beyondthepale99]

Hiya,

Does anybody 'ere like The Cult? They've on ice since 2002, after the release of their last album entitled 'Beyond good and evil'. It seems it didn't do as well as some of their previous works and made poor sales. Nevertheless, it was a good album, in my opinion... However, my favourite The Cult album is 'Sonic temple' (1989).
Ian Astbury is currently singing with the The Doors 21st Century. Billy Duffy has teamed up with Alice in Chains guitarist (Jerry Cantrell) and Mأ¶tley Crأ¼e's John Corabi and has formed a new band named Cardboard Vampyres. We'll see if they can release an album soon...

[HawkLord]

Yeh I've got an album of their's they are pretty good in my opinion.

[Mikey_C]

I bought their first single, when they were 'Southern Death Cult'. God, I'm old!

[Blackbeard]

Yeah, I remember Southern Death Cult, I also bought it, then they transformed into Death Cult and then just the Cult. It's their older Goth material that interests me the most. Anyone here seen that live at the Lyceum video from that era?

[beyondthepale99]

In fact, Southern Death Cult featured only Ian Astbury along with some fellows but it was not a band which Billy Duffy ever played with. Billy Duffy was playing with Theatre of Hate when he met Ian Astbury and both decided to form their own band. Astbury decided to drop the 'Southern' off and they simply became Death Cult -that was 1983-. Obviously, SDC had disbanded a while ago... Astbury and Duffy were joined by Jamie Stewart, who remained in the band until 1990. The Death Cult experience didn't last too long because, on early 1984, they decided to call themselves The Cult.

I watched the 'Live at the Lyceum video' some times and really enjoyed it. They were so young then... It was 1984 and 'Dreamtime' was about to be released. But, I for one, reckon it didn't showcase The Cult's best.

Personally, I think the stuff released under the name 'The Cult' was not ever really gothic. Gothic remnants and influences can be found here and there in the 'Dreamtime' album... Nevertheless, it was a rockier album than their previuos works in any of their previous bands... After that, I think The Cult really turned into a hard-rock/heavy metal act.

[lemec]

The Cult

I have been a fan of The Cult for a long time. I saw them play live three times. I have most of their albums. I think Ian had a band called Holy Barbarians as well. The Cult has two cool dvds out,Pure Cult which is their music videos up to 1994 and the other is Live Cult that has the Beyond Good and Evil 2001 Tour on it.

[PsychicWarVeteran]

Re: The Cult

I have been a fan of The Cult for a long time. I saw them play live three times.

Was the singer so drunk he couldn't remember the words to his own songs? Because that's what it was like when I saw them open for Metallica here in Seattle some years back. Love their music, don't get me wrong, but that live performance was the worst I've ever seen, bar none. Hopefully, he was just having a bad night...

[lemec]

The Cult

Yeah, I am sorry to say he was a little drunk on the 1991 tour for Ceremony. They made a comeback tour without a new album in 1999, that was the best one, Ian sounded good and was not drunk. Then in 2001 The Cult was good there too,but some songs were sung slightly different and some of the song lyrics were a bit off. Ian Astbury was really good singing with the Doors though. He sounded like Jim Morrison on a couple of songs,the rest he sang in his distinct voice. I enjoyed the show, I like the recorded albums alot so I don't mind if the show is not perfect. haha. Vh1 had a Behind the Music on The Cult, it sort of explained that after Sonic Temple, Ian was drunk on stage alot.

[Mikey_C]

Re: The Cult

I have been a fan of The Cult for a long time. I saw them play live three times.

Was the singer so drunk he couldn't remember the words to his own songs?

What better way to enact a homage to Jim Morrison. Has anyone else had the misfortune to hear 'Woke up in the morning and found myself dead'?

[beyondthepale99]

Ian Astbury used to be drunk every night on the 'Sonic Temple Tour'. I often read comments from people who attended some show when they The Cult was supporting Metallica on their 'Damaged Justice Tour' and all of those comments are very negative about Ian's performances. It was a pity, because the band were playing very well whilst Ian would not remember the lyrics to his songs... The Cult supported Metallica for three months on the 'Sonic Temple Tour'.

When 'Ceremony' came out in 1991 -two years after having been the tour support for Metallica- Ian's voice was very cool, he sounded better than on the previous tour and he acknowleged he'd cleaned out and given out drinking so much.

[Pellaz]

Ian Astbury used to be drunk every night on the 'Sonic Temple Tour'. I often read comments from people who attended some show when they The Cult was supporting Metallica on their 'Damaged Justice Tour' and all of those comments are very negative about Ian's performances.

Err, umm..... I'm one of those people, I guess.

I saw The Cult open for 'Tallica way back on the "Justice" tour. They were really sloppy on the tour (at least, during that part of it) and moreover, Ian Astbury wasn't making any friends on the tour:

My friend Michael already knew Metallica at the time, so after the show we were hanging out at the band's hotel (we were also staying there, Greenville SC not being the biggest city around.....) There was an altercation between Michael and Ian A. at the hotel during which Ian smashed my friend's camera. (I still have the pieces of it.)
There was also an ugly incident involving Ian and my other friend Richard, who'd roadtripped with us up to Greenville, SC for the show.

Later we got a formal apology from Billy Duffy, but the damage was done. I think partly for these fauxes-pas and partly for others, The Cult were eventually booted off the tour and replaced with a relatively unknown band called Faith No More.

[fireclown]

Drunk Ian...

Ian and I were BOTH drunk...he kicked ASS and so did The Cult!!!! Who the Hell would beg to differ?

- Fireclown Dammit

Ian Astbury used to be drunk every night on the 'Sonic Temple Tour'. I often read comments from people who attended some show when they The Cult was supporting Metallica on their 'Damaged Justice Tour' and all of those comments are very negative about Ian's performances. It was a pity, because the band were playing very well whilst Ian would not remember the lyrics to his songs... The Cult supported Metallica for three months on the 'Sonic Temple Tour'.

When 'Ceremony' came out in 1991 -two years after having been the tour support for Metallica- Ian's voice was very cool, he sounded better than on the previous tour and he acknowleged he'd cleaned out and given out drinking so much.

[beyondthepale99]

In my opinion, The Cult was an impressive studio act but some times a poor live band. They played very well but Ian some times didn't sing the songs as expected. I've heard many live bootlegs from different Cult tours and I guess the only tour on which Ian sang really cool was 'Ceremonial Stomp'. The Cult is my favourite band but I cannot understand why they neglected to have a permanent line-up. My favourite Cult-line up is, again, the one who perfomed during the 'Ceremonial Stomp' tour. Drummer Michael Lee was the perfect replacement for Matt Sorum and he went on to play with Robert Plant later. Bassist Kinley Wolfe should have remained in The Cult, too. Keyboardist John Sinclair, who used to play with Ozzy and Uriah Heep, was an excellent choice. Nevertheless, a rythm guitarist was missed then...

[lemec]

Hello Everyone,

I was looking up lyrics for The Cult today and was reminded of one of my favourite songs.

This song would go great with a fantasy-adventure novel:

Black Angel

A fugitive has been away so long
A thousand years, and now he thinks of home
The long men are waiting in the wings
To put him in chains upon his return
Emptyness, his bitterness is gone
Journey on to the eternal reward

It's a long way to go
A black angel at your side
It's a long way to go
A black angel at your side

The sirens call a sailor to die
Enchanted by the sound, his desires have been found
In his mind, his life is rushing by
All this while, the storm it rages on
He's turning old, he shall never return
Sail on to the eternal reward

It's a long way to go
A black angel at your side
It's a long way to go
With that angel at your side

It's a long way to go
With the reaper at your side
It's a long way to go
A black angel at your side

The fugitive has been away so long
A thousand years, and now he thinks of home
The long men are waiting in the wings
To put him in chains upon his return
Emptyness, his bitterness is gone
Journey on to the eternal reward

Oh, no, never
Oh, no, never
Oh, no, no

It's a long way to go
A black angel at your side
It's a long way to go
With that angel at your side

It's a long way to go
With the reaper at your side
It's a long way to go
With that angel at your side
At your side

It's a long
It's a long, long, long goodbye
It's a long, long, long goodbye

[beyondthepale99]

Good point, Lemec. I'd never thought about 'Black angel' being the musical companion to a fantasy novel but I can see your point and clearly agree with you.