December 1990 - Cure News #10
 

Cure news 10
December 1990

hello,

thanks for all your letters.

what a summer it was! just as i'd almost given up hope of seeing the band play live again, along came the "pleasure trips" unfortunately i didn't make it to any of the european dates, in fact i only made it to glastonbury! then came the "garden party" - certainly a day never to forget! special thanks to everyone who wrote in about the shows, particularly ruth, porl, claudia, locura and astrid who's reviews i've included with this issue.

so, what happened to "cure fm"??? having spent half the night on 1 september trying to pick up the signal i eventually gave up, only to find that all the technical problems being experienced it was unlikely that anybody received it!! not being too put off i tried again on 6 october to receive "son of cure fm", but still no joy. i decided to drive towards london in the vague hope of picking up something on my car radio...

but still no luck. so please, if you were lucky enough to be able to hear it please share the experience with me, and everybody else. i'll print the best reviews in the next issue.

have a merry christmas and a happy new year.

i'll be back in the spring.

love janie 

curenews 10 questions and answers

(all answers by robert)

what are the exact circumstances surrounding the departure of roger?
very simply - simon and boris didn't really get on with him.... no real reasons, just a simmering unease...so someone had to leave. it ended up being roger.

do you know what roger's doing now?
he is currently recording some very atmospheric instrumental music on his own - but just demos i think...

did you ever consider asking Janet to play keyboards in place of roger?
no! i don't think so. 

will perry become a permanent member of the band?
everyone who plays in the cure is as 'permanent' as you can be... if perry (teddy) writes some stuff and it's good - we'll play it! (he's on next years calendar...) 

who nicknames perry 'teddy' and why?
he hangs his head like one (?) (also, once upon checking into a hotel we found his reservation under the name of edward van menthe instead of perry bamonte. this helped it stick!)

have you still not seen / spoke to lol?
no.

when will the compilation video of all the promos since "staring at the sea" be released?
soon i hope, although each time i think it's ready, we make another film!

who kept the "brits" award you won for "lullaby"?
me!

who is the lady doing sign language in the paddling pool in "the walk" video?
a deaf and dum interpreter. 

are there any album tracks or b sides that you would have liked to have made videos for?
i see visual ideas for everything we do. but actually making videos.. this might spoil things...(and be too much work!) 

who was in the bear suit in the promo for "pictures of you"?
Bruno, our 'assistant'. 

which classical piece was played before some of the "pleasure trips" this summer?
lute music by j s bach. some schubert and schummann too, i think.

how did you feel playing glastonbury? did you enjoy the show? were you concerned about the number of injuries to cure fans?
glastonbury was ok, but it's organisation does leave an awful lot to be desired. there should have been crush barriers in the main field. - the one particular incident down the front with the girl being given the kiss of life shocked us a bit too much to really get into the set.

would you ever play glastonbury again?
no. i don't think so. 

will there be a full-blown tour again?
i don't know! honestly! 

what's the most absurd thing that's ever happened at a concert?
it's all pretty absurd. 

did you personally chose which other bands would appear at the garden party?
yes - apart from 'james' who were really not one of our first 3 choices (but ian mccullough wouldn't paly before 'all about eve'!!!)

 did you enjoy the garden party?
yes, very much (although the 'lake' got in the way - we felt a bit isolated). 

"that" shirt you wore at the garden party - where on earth did you get it from?
i had it made by the same girl that always makes my shirts. Mary brought me the material - summer of love etc. etc!!!

do you have time to go out and have fun when you're on tour, or has your popularity got in the way?
it has become difficult to be a 'tourist' on tour - but i still try sometimes. fans never mean any harm - it's just a bit weird to go out and be stared at in turn... 

are you usually drunk before going on stage?
no. only me!

which member of the band do you consider to be the most talented?
i think everyone in the group most creative.

did you take the picture of Mary on the cover of "pictures of you"? where and when was it taken?
yes - on holiday in Scotland in 1981 i think... 

on "kiss me" which songs did simon and porl write?
the basic 'simon's idea' songs - "perfect girl" and "icing sugar". the basic 'porl's and boris's idea' songs (they write a lot together) - "like cockatoos", "fight" and "snakepit". 

who gave permission for "inbetween days" to be usesd on the "lee cooper" jeans ad?
me. i wear them!

what sort of control do the band have over polydor? who made the decision to offer "entreat" as a free disc with two other purchases? will "entreat" be available generally for the cure fans who have already purchased all your album releases?
we made a mistake with "entreat". polydor do pretty much as we tell them - it was our error of judgement. to extricate ourselves from a bit of a sticky hole, we are putting out "entreat" as a general release, with all money going to various as yet unchosen charities. this seems to be an honourable resolution - and the lesson has been learned... 

will "to the sky" ever be made generally available? when was it written / recorded?
"to the sky" was an unused track from the "kiss me" sessions; i don't particularly like it (that's why it didn't get released!) but when bill asked to use it on his fiction sampler cd i didn't see why not...

will "ariel" ever be released, or is it now lost for ever?
it is part of my mysterious solo project!!!

what are the most likeable things about each member of the band?
all the members of the cure have an excellent sense of humour... and no-one's mouth or head is too big. 

what would you say is the biggest misconception about the band by the fans and by the press?
that we have a plan. we don't.

how many guitars do you own, and which is your favorite?
i think i own about 13 - and i love them all!!! (pushed - i suppose my original 6 string bass is the one i'd save in a fire!) 

are you aware that in america the cure are being tagged "satanic", because of the lyrics to "the blood" and "why can't i be you?" - which you are supposedly singing to the devil??!!
i believe in neither the devil or god. so it's bollocks!

describe each ex-member of the band in one word:
matthieu - unreasonable
michael - fussy
andy - unpredictable
phil - difficult
lol - old
roger - up

will you ever write a follow up to "ten imaginary years"?....
("twenty imaginary years?!!!) i expect so, one day!!

 what did you think of wayne hussey's little "joke", when 'jez' one of his roadies imitated you and performed "inbetween days" when "the mission" played in america earlier in the year?
absurd! he looks nothing looks me! and yet some people believed it! (this could however open the door to the oft suggested 'lookey-likey' tour...!!!)

what did your production with "and also the trees" actually involve? how much of your time did you devote to it?
i spent 12 hours with mark saunders and justin from the trees re-mixing 7" and 12" versions of a forthcoming single, "the pear tree" on reflex records. it is wonderful!!!

if you had to rename the cure, what would you call them?
the curse. 

do you or fiction decide which formats / special limited editions to releases?
it is agreed mutually (i suppose if it was left entirely up to us there wouldn't be any special limited editions etc.) 

do you feel you've achieved everything you set out to achieve when you formed the cure - or is there more to come?
I still have dreams.

have you ever idolized anybody?
rodney marsh, jimi hendrix, spike milligan, and alex harvey. 

what is your personal ambition?
to be content.

if you could go back and repeat something you have done in the past, what would it be?
my first dance with Mary.

 what do you think of the british royal family?
the noting of 'royalty' is totally ridiculous. 

what would be your perfect holiday?
2 wet weeks by ullswater in a tent full of beer! 

would you ever consider staring in a movie?
i don't think so. i always play me... 

are you Eden's god father?
yes! his spiritual future is assured....(?)

 what gift would you most like to receive? what gift would you most like to give, and to who?
eternal youth...and i'd like to give it to everyone else too.. (well, nearly everyone else...) 

what car do you drive? do any of you other have a motorbike?
i drive a big customised 'off road' thing - and yes, boris has got a bike.

do you have any pets?
no. just plants. 

what's the most embarrassing thing you've ever done?
i can't tell you, but it happened very recently!!

are you very religious?
no. 

were you proud of england's performance in the world cup? what were you doing and what was you feeling when they lost to west germany in the semi-finals?
me and simon ran riot in a bar in austria the night germany stole england's win - but apart from that one result i enjoyed the world cup immensely..and yes, gazza made me cry! 

what's the biggest personal disappointment you've ever had to cope with?
finding i have no faith. 

philosophically, who has influenced you the most?
camus, sartre, kafka and my dad. 

what type of cure fan do you like?
all of them.! except the ones who feel they are owed something. 

what season do you prefer, and why?
when it's summer i like summer because i don't have to wear socks and i can cook barbecues and drink cider in the sun and when it's autumn i like autumn because of the smell of smoke and dead leaves and the colour of the sky and when it's winter beacuse i can tuck myself in and scowl or play out and scream and when it's spring i like spring because i think i might this time do something... 

in "rolling stone" you listed paula abdul's "forever your girl" as one of your favorite records of 1989 - was that one of your "jokes" or do you actually appreciate her music (?)
i must admit - i like that record! (it reminded me of a wonderful night in devon - one of the best parties we ever had)> 

do you think civilization is heading for social/economical/enviromental chaos?
watching the news tonight - september 17 - yes. 

have you read "the prophecies of nostradamus" and are you amazed at the accuracy of his predictions?
no - but i remember seeing a programme about him - and i remained very sceptical...!

 what is your opinion of pornography? - do you think it degrades women? (not the album!)
pornography isn't always about the degradation of women...but that is bad.

what do you think the band/Mary would say were your worse habits?
my drinking..and my lateness. (and maybe my screaming fits?)

when was the last time you cried. and why?
i cried 3 days ago when i woke up because i felt very hopeless.

can you draw?
i've just started to paint...but i can't really 'draw'.

 what is your opinion of musicians who support a cause? have you ever considered supporting a cause? if so, what would it be?
if you hate the musician you might end up hating the cause he or she is supporting: this is the danger... 

if you weren't robert smith who would you like to be?
i don't know. 

where is your favourite place in the world?
bed. 

are your old friends amazed at your popularity. how do they feel about you as a celebrity?
i very rarely see them. and when i do they claim never to have heard of us? 

what would you say the advantages and disadvantages of being well known?
advantages - an occasional sense of super reality? strangers smiling?
disadvantages - being stared and shouted at...strangers scowling. 

have you ever experienced any type of supernatural phenomena. if so, what was it like?
only under the influence of mind altering drugs. does this count? i thought not. 

what's you favorite proverb?
he who tries to please all pleases none. 

as you get older, do you view destiny in a more positive or negative light?
negative. my destiny is oblivion. 

what qualities are most important to you in a friend?
loyalty. integrity, humour, understanding, openness. 

have you ever been to the glastonbury festival as a punter?
no, nor will i! (i've never been to any festival as a 'punter' i never wanted to.)

 who many pairs of trainers do you have, and which are your favorite pair?
i have 3 pairs of 'hi-tecs' - 2 black and 1 white.

do you talk in your sleep?
sometimes apparently... 

what's you worst nightmare?
falling.

 is there any one person you rally hate? why?
i hate many people - often irrationally. but i keep their names to myself, usually. 

what's the funniest moment you've ever had?
there have been to many...trying to learn to dance again yesterday? 

if you could have anything in the world, what would it be?
peace, love and understanding. (or no more questions?)

what is your favorite brand of beer?
(that wish didn't work!!!)...at the moment it's rubbles country.

what colour socks do you like the best?
white home-made. 

are you aware of the dc comic "sandman"? the sandman himself bears more than a slight resemblance to you and cure posters have been known to creep into the background of some of the sandman stories. do you feel flattered by this?
yes - it's a brilliant series. 

do you have, or have you ever had, singing lessons? how on earth did you hang on to "that note" in "prayers for rain" at wembley last year?
i've never had lessons, but i once read that singing your heart out is the best therapy there is. that probably explains "prayers for rain" (that and red wine and orange juice!).

who in the band has tattoos? what and where are they (!)?
simon has a heart and dagger on his left arm and porl has a scorpion on his..umm..right?

were you all drunk when you performed "pictures of you" on "top of the pops"?
yes! well spotted!

how do you feel about the censorship of music, and the stickering of certain product with warning labels?
totally ridiculous. and quiet worrying.

do you ever watch cartoons? who is your favorite character?
i like betty boop, captain pugwash, atom ant, secret squirrel, roadrunner, mr magoo, and alice in wonderland.

who's your favorite "viz" character?
postman plod, roger mellie, rude kid, sid the sexist and sheridan poorly.

how many instruments can you play, in your opinion?
a) well b) badly
a) none b) any

 do you still lie in interviews? what's the biggest lie you've ever told in an interview?
yes. unfortunately they are staying lies!

does it do your head in when you have to answer all these stupid questions?
YES YES YES.

Inspirations
Japanese Whispers

(some of these songs are too personal to explain properly, sorry!) 

let's go to bed a nonsense set of words to complement what i then considered to be a hideous piece of 'commercial' pap...but it grew on me...!!
just one kiss the song i felt should've been the 'a' side - about a night i once had...
the walk / the dream babbling in 'electro-pop' - we hired in an oberheim set and ran away with ourselves ... true stories...
the upstairs room /lament  written while i was sleeping on the floor in steve severin's flat ... not so true stories...
lovecats as close as we could get to a perfect pop song...
speak my language more nonsense ... and ...
mr pink eyes us "jamming" late one night - the words are about me ...

The Top
(all these songs on "the top" were written whist taking enormous amounts of drugs. so the sense is somewhat strange...) 

shake dog shake me hating myself ... but a fab open guitar tuning ...
bird mad girl the polar bear was the symbol (zoo-wise) for me insensible savagery caged to be stared at. or something like that...?
wailing wall about my trip to jerusalem with the banshees...
give me it oh dear...i was not very good company around this particular song...
dressing up about performing : i like this song a lot.
the caterpillar hope...
piggy in the mirror me hating myself again - references i recognize to the nic roey film "bad timing" which severin and i watched one night in slow motion ...too many drugs... blah blah blah.
the empty world the flip side of charlotte...
bananafishbones the title, for some no-reason, from "a perfect day for bananafish" - a short story by j d salinger .. again me hating myself...
the top finally coming to my senses - something of a milestone lyric this one - and good fun spending the night getting just the right spinning top sound take!!!
throw your foot magic mushroom tea? and good pop!
happy the man if only... finally...

"the top" album is looking back, about the most difficult to talk / write about - a lot of it is me working things out of myself that were very unpleasant and old... the "modus operandi" would generally be getting up at 6pm, going downstairs to the bar (we stayed in a village pub)!,getting very out of it, going to the studio, getting even more out of it, recording, falling over and crawling back down the hill to sleep about 10am. this, not surprisingly, leaves me with few lucid reasons or explanations about this particular record. but it was a lot of fun! well ... some of it ...

love robert.

(Text & photos from thecure.com)

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