2018.07.07 London, Hyde Park (England) "British Summer Time"

Started by Ulrich, December 12, 2017, 09:44:08

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Ulrich

The holy city breathed like a dying man...


dsanchez

The Cure 40th Anniversary Concert: A fan's review
by dsanchez

When The Cure announced a unique European show last December to celebrate their 40 years (1978-2018) I didn't think it twice and bought right away the tickets for the gig which later I found out was part of an enormous festival called "British Summer Time" sponsored by a known bank. No-one knew what to expect of this 40th Anniversary celebration, and there were speculations of former members joining the event. Sadly, this never happened, and both Andy (whose Tweet I can't find now) and Lol wrote on Twitter:



Those posts seemed to me a bit melancholic. I have the impression they wanted to be part of this celebration.

I arrived to London on Thursday 5th of July and headed to Reading (1h from London) the hometown of my other favorite band: Slowdive. On Friday, I went to the Cure fan meeting at the Hawley Arms in Camden town. We had the place booked for us from 6pm to 9pm and had an excellent time with people from all over the world, this forum included! The place didn't have air conditioned and that weekend proved to be one of London's hottest days in year. Still, we had a blast. During the gathering, the match Brazil - Belgium was screened, and one of the most bizarre moments came when, as the match ended (and so did Brazil in the World Cup), "End" was played in the background. The gathering was followed by a show of The Cureheads, also in Camden, to which some of us attended.

Around 13:00 on Saturday I headed to Hyde Park, a huge park in the center of London, wearing a Peru football t-shirt (is World Cup time and I love that t-shirt anyway!) . There was an airport-like security in the gate and we all were carefully examined before getting in. Just after my entrance, there was a kiosk where I could get the festival program, but to my surprise I had to pay £5 if I wanted to get one (in every other festival I went to this was free). Of course, I was not willing to pay £5 for a festival program!

I rushed to the enormous main stage (the "Great Oak Stage") which was already full of (Cure) fans. It was REALLY hot and we could feel the sun's force, burning our heads. The stage had two big trees which, from far, gave the appearance of holding it but once you got closer, you realized they were just fake plastic trees. I wanted to get right in front of the stage but to my dismay I found out that people who arrived early (i.e. around noon) got wristbands that gave them access to that area, which was surrounded by a fence (by the way, it is the first festival where I see this separation). I paid an extra £10 to have a "primary access" (means you could enter before everyone else) but there was nowhere written that wristbands would be distributed to access the sector right in front of the stage and that without them you could not get in later. This unclear information turned into chaos, and a 100-people queue (who paid the extra £10 to have a "primary access") was formed near the main stage with the hope of getting a wristband to see the bands closer. A friend from Switzerland didn't want to wait and got a ticket upgrade for an appalling £100, just to find out it didn't give her access to the area right in front the stage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSHOA2btv7k

As I was walking, I could hear Slowdive playing the beautiful notes of "Slomo", the opening track of their latest album. It was a bitter start for me at the festival because I could not see them from a close position: instead, I had to see them from behind the fence which was very, very far. In the image below, you can see the "General Admission and Garden View" sector. I was right behind it, and it meant I could only watch Slowdive on the screens.



I got better news as I met Jojo after the excellent Slowdive gig, and he was kind enough to hand me a wristband of a friend of his who didn't need it, so I was lucky enough to get access to the "General Admission and Garden View" at last. Luckily, all the people doing the queue to get wristband got them as well, although they had to wait at least one hour under the sun.

The festival area was huge and I really didn't realize until I was there the gigantic festival I was in. The OFF Festival in Katowice, Poland, with 20 000 or the Pohoda Festival in Slovakia, with 30 000 people capacity, seemed tiny by comparison to this 65 000 people festival.

Around 16:00 we decided (I was with a couple of friends) to get some food and look for a place to take a rest (let me repeat this: this was probably the hottest day of the year in London!). We were surprised that there were not big tents for people to eat (a big tent means you can eat your food in the shadow and not under the direct sun) and instead there were only a few scattered tables in the festival area.

The day went by and it was already 19:00 (yes, I did not see any other band besides Slowdive until then)  ut the sun was still there hitting all of us very strong. I wanted to charge my phone and there was a place to do it, but, oh surprise! I had to pay £5 for it. I remembered that a bank sponsored the whole thing and realized they only care about taking advantage of our passion for their profit.

In another, smaller stage, the Ride show commenced around 19:20. This is a band that I wanted to see for a while and they didn't disappoint. They played tracks from their latest album "Weather Diaries" and classics such as "Vapour Trail" or "Leave Them All Behind". The connection between the band and audience was clear from the start. The people sung almost every song. In front of me was a blond guy in their forties with an old Ride t-shirt and I could imagine him following the band in the 90's. The sound was crystal clear and for a moment I wished The Cure played in this stage and not in the gigantic Oak Stage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siNp_1T48nE

The festival program didn't allow much time to switch between Ride and The Cure. As we rushed to the Oak Stage, we could hear the notes of "Plainsong" opening the show. Robert said previous times he hates sunny places and he was clearly uncomfortable by the sun hitting the stage (and thus his face) directly, despite it was already 20:20. On the stage we could see Reeves in the right side followed by Robert in the center and Simon and Roger more to the left. A little behind was Jason. Simon, the man who does not age, had a pink bass guitar and his 1993 look and I immediately though in the Great X-pectations Festival 1993, the last concert with Boris, with him wearing his black-red shirt and similar look. "Plainsong" was followed by "Pictures Of You" and then "High". Having followed The Cure heavily in the last years I predicted the main set would be like the one the band has been using since 2012. And it was.

As the show continued I was wondering if there would be any surprise at all, and not necessarily in the setlist. Then I remembered Lol's tweet and I realized we wouldn't see any ex-member doing a triumphant entrance (something like Alan Wilder appearing in a Depeche Mode concert). One of my favorites, "Push", was played and I had a flashback, remembering Robert with his short hair in Orange and me watching that video in a VHS player when I was sixteen. Fourty years of The Cure and nearly the half of that time me listening to them. I got a little melancholic for a moment but then somewhat happier as I my attention refocus to The Cure and I hear  Robert singing "like strawberries and cream is the only way to be...". I realize I am a lucky man to have the chance to celebrate this anniversary of the band I love, with the band I love.

I look around in the audience and I see the devotion of the people, people from everywhere. There was someone with an Argentinian flag on my left and someone with a Mexican flag on my right. I hear people speaking different languages: a French girl next to me, a German in front drinking wine, Portuguese, Greeks, Scottish... and not only a mix of nationalities: also, ages. It shows how The Cure's music trascends anything: borders, ages, religions, you name it. You can see only happy faces around. Yes, again, I know this is not the best concert setlist by The Cure, but like I said, it does not matter. When someone invites you to his party you go and enjoy, you're not complaining why they don't serve cocktail instead of beer. Yes, I though it would be more special, setlist-speaking, but it turns out CURAETION-25 was better in that aspect. In retrospective, I think Robert just wanted to throw a party and get there as many people as possible. And I think he got it: sixty-five thousand people prove that.

As with any Cure show in the last years, a mainset that starts with "Plainsong" finishes with "Disintegration" and this is not the exception. Although I miss the dynamics of the "Entreat" version, Robert's voice was great and this classic proved to be, as usual, a must in every show. I still miss more "punch" (I don't know what English word to use. Passion?) in the drumming. Compared to the Slowdive and Ride shows earlier in the day, both with top-notch drummers, there was something missing in this component in The Cure's set.

After a short break, the band returned for a final encore. It's a pop one and starts with "Lullaby" followed by "The Caterpillar". Jojo, in front of me, makes a grin as the notes of "Friday I'm In Love" start. I think hardcore fans must be tired of this one but this is a still a great pop-song and, in a such an event, "Friday" would be probably more missed than "Siamese Twins".

Before the most popular Cure song ever is played, Robert does a short speech (see video below): "Forty years ago on this weekend is the first we played as The Cure in Crawley... and if you asked then what I would be doing in forty years I would have been wrong with my answer (...) Thank you very much" and I realized again how lucky I am to be part of such a special moment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXivYrLNxsM

"Boys Don't Cry" was followed by unexpected additions such as "Jumping Someone Else's Train" and "Grinding Halt". The hardcore fans, those who saw The Cure 25, 50, 100 or who knows how many times, are finally (more) satisfied as this improves the usual 'festival setlist'. We already know what is next. Is nearly 10:15 pm Saturday Night in London and the choice is obvious. The two songs of the first single of The Cure, released in September 1978 are played, and "Killing An Arab" proves to be again the best closer song for any The Cure concert - always. The concert finishes and all the members leave the stage, except Robert who walks from right to left, kind of jumping at times and thanking the audience. He says "see you again very soon". His participation in Meltdown as a curator seem that motivated him to release/create new material, as he stated in recent interviews, but time will tell.

I met with several members of curefans.com after the concert (x-phile, Trust.., helloimageifonly, Susanna...). Some of them arrived to Hyde Park around 10:00am so that they could be in the first row. This means that they endured twelve hours under the sun in London's hottest day of the year. I probably would have fainted if I did the same (yes, even if I come from Peru). There's something in The Cure that makes you do things that you would not normally do for any other band no matter how good it is. From the very first moment you listen to The Cure, some people (like me, or like you) have an instant connection, a connection that becomes stronger during the years. There's just no way to explain why or how that happens. I guess is like being in love, only that "being in love" goes away after 2-4 years, and with The Cure, you can be in love a lifetime.
2023.11.22 Lima
2023.11.27 Montevideo

Ulrich

The holy city breathed like a dying man...

MeltingMan

En cette nation [Russie] qui n'a pas eu de théoriciens et de démagogues,
les pires ferments de destruction ont apparu. (J. Péladan)

dsanchez

Although I had a great time last weekend, I noticed several things in the festival that I did not like. I hope someone at BST will read this and take action. By the way, the below has nothing to do with The Cure or any of the other great bands that played there. My overall impression was that they wanted to charge us for everything and honestly it was an appalling ripoff in some cases. Let's see:

£ 5 for charging your phone battery (no kidding!)

£ 5 for the festival program (which is normally free in any other festival)

£ 3,5 for cash withdrawal (of any amount) in any of the ATMs there

£ 100 to £ 150 for an upgrade to a VIP ticket (which did not include, however, access to the zone right in front of the stage)

Also:

No food tents for people to eat under a roof rather than under the sun. There were only scatered tables in the festival area, but no tent over them. You had to look yourself for some tree or something else if you wanted to eat in the shadow.

Little time to switch between stages: If you wanted to see the full show of Ride (like I did) you had very little time to switch stages and get on time for the next show (The Cure's show!). Either you had to run, or you had to leave before Ride's set ended in order to catch The Cure's full set.

The "Primary Entry" thing was unclear. Several people with this kind of ticket were surprised to arrive to the festival and see others with wristbands. Yes, there was an indication that the area near the stage would be of "limited capacity" but the information about this was overall blurry and prove of that is the hundreds of people queued in the afternoon to get a wristband for the area near the stage (and some of them maybe never got it)
2023.11.22 Lima
2023.11.27 Montevideo

Ulrich

You're right with your criticism of the money-grabbing nature of many festivals these days.  :1f62a:
Which is why I don't go to many of 'em!

Quote from: dsanchez on July 15, 2018, 14:38:41
£ 5 for the festival program (which is normally free in any other festival)

Not true. It is free with some; depending on the festival or program size (sometimes it's more like a "book") it can cost.
(Just like some bands do sell "tour program" books at their shows.)
The holy city breathed like a dying man...

dsanchez

Quote from: Ulrich on July 16, 2018, 11:28:06
Not true. It is free with some; depending on the festival or program size (sometimes it's more like a "book") it can cost.
(Just like some bands do sell "tour program" books at their shows.)

Well, I meant those little programs that fit in your money purse, nothing really fancy. I didn't mean a book program or a program such as the one The Cure was selling in the European 2016 Tour - which I was happy to pay 10 EUR for.
2023.11.22 Lima
2023.11.27 Montevideo

Ulrich

Quote from: dsanchez on July 16, 2018, 15:17:09Well, I meant those little programs that fit in your money purse, nothing really fancy.

Urgh, okay, that is really a rip-off then!  :pouting-face
The holy city breathed like a dying man...

SusannaRS

My first review ever

Never wrote a review of a show before but I try with this one (sorry for my bad English).

When the show was announced I was really excited, even if I am not a fan of festivals. I immediately bought my ticket and planned the journey and arranged meetings with other fans and friends.

I should have arrived in London on Friday around 7pm but my flight delayed more than 3 hours and a half and I was in the hotel around midnight. Thus I couldn't meet the other fans at the Hawley Arms and that's my biggest regret of that weekend.

I started queuing really early in the morning to be in the first row, I was at Hyde Park South Entrance at 5 am and I was already number 15. On my run to the barrier of the Great Oak Stage at 12.30, I didn't pay attention to the kiosks or whatever else around. It was hard but the barrier was mine just in front of Simon (or at least his Reading FC flag)!

The first band was Pale Waves, never heard before, but they were good; then the Slowdive came up on the stage and I was so happy, they are always terrific! The Editors were great as well as the Interpol. In general, all the groups on that stage were amazing but (non-musically speaking) I didn't like the Goldfrapp because they were the only one who didn't thank or mention The Cure and Robert Smith at all. I mean they were at Hyde Park because of The Cure 40th anniversary!! I would have liked to see both The Twilight Sad and Ride also but I couldn't leave the first row.

I danced almost all day, eating just chips, and it was so hot hot hot. When the Interpol finished their performance I was tired and didn't know if I had energy enough to enjoy The Cure show as I used to. But when the intro began and they came on stage I started crying and immediately understand that neither a whole dancing day could stop me!
The setlist was good, on BBC 6 radio Robert said that it would have been a "hands-in-the-sky" show, whilst Meltdown the "gloom-and-doom" one. I didn't expect anything different and it was a surprise when they played "The Rocket pub" songs at the end.

Last shows of the 2016 tour were a pain because Robert had some problems with his throat and voice but at Hyde Park, he was really in a good shape and in "a party mood".

I was happy to meet dsanchez, Trust and all the other Curefans crew after the show even if for a few time.

I am a bit sad now that kind of sadness that I always feel when I don't know when and if I could see them again. It will be better in the next weeks and as soon as they announce some shows in 2019 (fingers crossed!). By the way, I have already started saving money.

In the next days, I will upload some pictures I took during the show ;)
Lets my memory be perverted to the uses    
Of lying and oppression.    
My lovers and their children must not be dispossessed of me;
I would be the untarnished possession forever
Of those for whom I lived.
(Spoon River Anthology, E.L.M.)

Trust...

Review

When I saw the news about the 40 Years anniversary gig, I thought immediately that I couldn't miss this. It was also mine 40th birthday @march 2018.
What I could wish more than this! A lot of females told that these 40th birthday a nightmare or awfull day was for them. And I saw 2018 as a big celebrating year :) With The Cure headlining this.

I booked my hotel and Eurostar, later on I saw the meeting and I thought dammed, I gonna miss it.

I had a nightmare that I didn't met any curefan at all...
People told me to change the train and hotel.
I thought oh it's ok, try not to think about it.

On friday 6th of July @lunchtime my sweet husband confinced me to change everything and drove me to Lille. Ten minutes before the departure I arrived...
And so glad I did this. I had a wonderfull time, met new friends and saw x-phile, dsanchez, jojo, SuzannaRS, helloimageifonly, ....

The concert was a bit weird because I wasn't that close then usual. A bit strange with all the daylight and sun. The setlist wasn't maybe not what we expected, no surprises, but still great powerfull. THE CURE on stage :)
After all it was a celebrating and I must say I was never do such singing, dancing, jumping at a concert than now. They can't give the same as Reflections on a festival.

I was at a concert where I really saw tears on Robert's face, luckely we had a happy Robert enjoying the performance. The most beautiful part was when Robert and Simon where playing together shoulder by shoulder and then the eye-contact and smiles on there faces!

I still live in a little dream :)
Vanilla smile and a gorgeous strawberry kiss x

Lizzlib

Quote from: SusannaRS on July 17, 2018, 17:25:57
I started queuing really early in the morning to be in the first row, I was at Hyde Park South Entrance at 5 am and I was already number 15. O

What do you do people when you must pee??

I never do that because I have a 80 year old lady's bladder!

Lizzlib

As for the topic...

I was expecting more.

For me it was another Cure concert, typical setlist (except for Jumping or Grinding).

The shortest Cure show I have ever attended.

I know everyone thinks it was great, amazing, etc... For me what they did in Meltdown (setlist and playing one song of every album and then same but backwards) was more special.

It's not that I think "Friday I'm in love", "Just like Heaven" etc are not good songs, but they're just good, if you know what I mean. I didn't become a fan of The Cure because of these songs, but because of the whole Disintegration, Pornography, Carnage visors, the B-sides, etc.

I really was expecting to listen to some early stuff, like Cult Hero, I dig you, Listen, Heroin face... something different. Maybe having Siouxsie as a guest, or Lol. No Pornography at all? Would I have sacrificed all the hits to listen One hundred years, Pornography, M, At night? HELL YEAH. It was supposed to be "the fan show", for people who are true fans, to thank them all. Maybe I have the wrong idea of what a fan wants to listen to, and I'm focusing only in what I would have liked. But if it wasn't meant to be that day, then when? Obviously it's never going to happen, and I'm delusional.

To be honest, if I had known I wouldn't have attended this concert, I traveled from Spain, I spent a lot of money, thinking it was going to be a special show and when it ended I was like... ok...

Good to see them again but I have seen so many better Cure shows than this one... I'm sorry

Cheers!

tanyasmith

The first few times I saw The Cure I felt a sadness when the shows were over, but now I know what to expect. I booked my flight from California to London Heathrow in December 2017, arranged for a 12 day stay in London. I traveled with my significant other and we made lots of plans around The Cure show, both before and after the show. We visited Holland Park to see peacocks, walked all through Hyde Park and swam in the Lido, saw Tina the Musical at the Aldwych Theatre, and took a day trip to the White Cliffs of Dover.

On Saturday morning, I got up at 5 AM. I could have gone out and started waiting, but I felt this sense that if I took my time getting ready and headed over there later in the morning all would work out fine. I got to the venue at around 9:30 AM and there were 4 people ahead of me, an Italian fan, a German Interpol fan, and a sweet couple from Israel, there for The Cure. We all had primary/early entry general admission tickets. The guard at our gate was an English Indian man and he promised that he'd let us first 20 early arrivers get in and stake out our places, regardless of which tickets we had. It was funny because that's what was going to happen anyway. He told us he had been Princess Diana's journalist and that he was a secret agent of some sort. He then told us that we must not think he was any different or better than us. LOL!!! Awwww, he was sweet, though.

When our gate opened, the scanners didn't work at first, so we had to wait about two minutes to get in. Still, I ran to the bar and got to stand behind the people who had staked out their place beneath where Robert's mic would be. I didn't leave my spot once, but the people at the bar took turns going to the bathroom and getting food and drinks. A German woman named Sandy showed up about an hour after we had all staked out our places and she wiggled her way in, trying to take my spot. I tried to tell her that it was rude of her to do that, but she told me she didn't understand what I was saying. She grew on me, turned out she had abandoned her family for the weekend to fly to The Cure show. She worked at a home that treated the mentally ill and had three teenage kids at home, so needed this getaway badly. She ended up feeding us all with snacks and coconut water that she brought in her bag. I ended up treasuring that she was there and loved chatting with her throughout the day. Her English was better than she let on in the beginning of our conversation.:winking_tongue
Something strange was that my lower back kept hurting very, very badly. I had to keep massaging it and stretching it. Sandy told me that she had chronic lower back pain from an injury she got on a trampoline more than 20 years ago. Sometimes I can feel others pain. I'm glad because it helps them to feel less of it.

During Goldfrapp's performance, a guy was carried away on a stretcher. Too much to drink? She was actually my favorite act besides The Cure's. She reminds me of Debra Harry. The Pale Waves were pretty cute, too. The lead singer reminds me a lot of Siouxsie. Loved Slowdive. With the others I just put my earplugs in and waited for The Cure. In a way I wonder if Robert Smith only chose people who would make The Cure look really good in comparison? Ha ha. I do think it's wonderful that he gives other bands a chance, though.

To my relief, Robert looked healthier than in 2016. He came out looking really tired though, and I worried he'd not make it through the show, but right after Plainsong, he seemed to recover his vigor. I felt like we really connected after a few songs and I felt that way through the rest of the show. It's so healing to sing the songs with him. I can't seem to take my eyes off of him when he's up there. I go into a trance.

After the show was done, I went out and laid in the grass with my feet in the air for 10 minutes. My significant other came to meet me from the Summer Garden, where he had been. My feet killed for the 20 minute walk back to our hotel. I felt pretty ruined from all the standing, wild dancing and stomping I had done. By the next day I felt mostly recovered, but my feet ached pretty badly if I stood for more than a minute anywhere.

We stayed in Hyde Park until the 12th, exploring and eating at our favorite restaurant, Farmacy. I didn't feel let down or that sad that the show was over, just felt a sense of something to look forward to when they play again.

In case you haven't seen it yet, here's the video I captured. I usually take more at Cure shows, but I spent more time connecting with Robert and dancing this time:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQOM0xNnilI&lc=z22khdewtna4z3omracdp432i5fc2yh3uopqjkiz3x5w03c010c


SusannaRS

Quote from: Lizzlib on July 18, 2018, 00:18:05
Quote from: SusannaRS on July 17, 2018, 17:25:57
I started queuing really early in the morning to be in the first row, I was at Hyde Park South Entrance at 5 am and I was already number 15.

What do you do people when you must pee??

I never do that because I have a 80 year old lady's bladder!

ahahah I went to pee just once between Goldfrapp and Interpol, even if I drank all day, it was so hot that I didn't need to pee at all  ;)


Quote from: Lizzlib on July 18, 2018, 00:34:07
As for the topic...

I was expecting more.

For me it was another Cure concert, typical setlist (except for Jumping or Grinding).

The shortest Cure show I have ever attended.

As I wrote, Robert already said that it would have been a "party" show so I was prepared. It was quite short compared to the other shows I attended during the 2016 Tour or in the past but it was a festival.
Lets my memory be perverted to the uses    
Of lying and oppression.    
My lovers and their children must not be dispossessed of me;
I would be the untarnished possession forever
Of those for whom I lived.
(Spoon River Anthology, E.L.M.)