Festivals

Started by MeltingMan, March 01, 2014, 10:52:44

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MeltingMan

This is an earlier thread,but maybe we can continue this interesting discussion.Apart from this, I
agree with the opinion of Ulrich.For any reasons,it is important for the group playing on festivals and
we have to accept this.It's a balancing act between fans and the so-called mainstream and The Cure
managed it well so far.The community is strong,stronger than antisocial developments.This forum is
or could be an evidence.Of course,on events we all are,more or less, strangers to each other.
En cette nation [Russie] qui n'a pas eu de théoriciens et de démagogues,
les pires ferments de destruction ont apparu. (J. Péladan)

Ulrich

Hm, maybe without the context of the other thread, others will find it difficult to understand what you're on about.
http://curefans.com/curenews/new-album-from-the-cure-(working-title-'414-scream')-to-be-released-this-2014/msg760148/
So just some quotes from there:

Quote-Two years ago I sold my ticket for Hurricane 2012 to my brother.He said:"Don't go,if you only want to see The Cure."

-For me "Southside" (sister festival of Hurricane) would've been close, but I didn't bother. Sure some of the other bands could've been interesting, but facing a whole weekend with thousands of strangers and (almost) nothing but music the whole day long is just too much for me these days...

-Somehow curefans are stranegely antisocial at times... Mind you I'm not offending anyone here... I just had this thought when you mentioned spending the weekend with strangers as not so appealing to you...

- I have no problem being at a gig with hundreds or thousands of people - as long as I know we're all there for basically the same cause (which is not the case at a big festival, where many just go because it's a festival and not for the music...).
What I don't like is a big mass of people, having no room to move etc.

Btw, this here is not about "albums/songs", maybe mods should move it to "cure things"?
The holy city breathed like a dying man...

Ulrich

I agree that it's a good thing for The Cure to be booked for "festivals", as there will be a lot of people who wouldn't go to a Cure show if they played on their own (plus of course many fans come to the festivals too).
I did see the band at various "festivals", starting with "Great Xpectations" in London June 1993, then next came "Rock Am See" June 1995, last one was Hyde Park 2002.
For me it depends on the kind of festival - the line-up of the abovementioned was good (lots of other great bands to see, incl. Mogwai, Cranes, Belly, Heather Nova...) and they weren't too "huge" for my liking. If the weather is nice, you can have a great day, drink beer, hang around etc.

Now let's mention the negative aspects: the band will play more of a "hits set" at festivals, so if you're waiting for more new or rare stuff, you might be disappointed. (However, back in '95 there were three new songs!! This would not happen today with the internet, I guess...)
Then there's the audience, it's good when they all enjoy the band(s), but if there are some people obviously not liking the music (like happened e.g. in 2002 with Cranes) it becomes annoying (especially if they stay around moaning instead of going to get a beer or whatever).  :evil:

Back in 2004, The Cure went on tour with the new album "The Cure", but here in south germany, they "only" were at a festival (I think it was Southside too, like in 2012), so I had my doubts about them playing many of the new songs and did not go.

Will I go to see them at a festival again? Maybe, it depends on the festival itself, ticket price, other bands, my time etc.
The holy city breathed like a dying man...

Ulrich

Quote from: MeltingMan on March 02, 2014, 08:52:28
Well,I thought this topic would be out of place at Cure things,regarding "shoes" and "drinks". :)

It's definitely not about albums or songs, maybe about "concerts", but not about a specific one, thus it would be out of place in "Cure Live" too. As it hasn't been moved, I guess it's okay.  :)

Quote from: MeltingMan on March 02, 2014, 08:52:28
we have to accept this way of the group and record company,in all respect,as "business as usual" for new target groups.

Only that the band didn't have any record company back in 2011/'12...

Robert in a "Q" interview in 1995 about playing festivals:
"I wanted to play with the new line-up... The alternative was to do our own summer tour. We have to set it up ourselves and take our own lights, PA and crew. This way, we arrive, everything's set up, we play, we f**k off. It's much more interesting than doing your own tour, because we get to see other bands like Polly Harvey and Supergrass, whom I wouldn't otherwise have seen, two real highpoints in the last month."

Thus, there are logistic and personal reasons also involved when playing festivals.
The holy city breathed like a dying man...

Ulrich

Quote from: MeltingMan on March 04, 2014, 15:32:05
It's hard to believe,that there was no support from the record label on that special occasions

Well, according to Robert the contract had ended with "4:13 Dream", thus they had no new deal (yet). They would need a label to release albums etc, but playing festivals is possible as long as a band can perform.

Quote from: MeltingMan on March 04, 2014, 15:32:05
last but not least,they played Hurricane and Southside within 24 hours.

Yes, they did but that's "normal", as I said before they are "sister festivals" and the bands play e.g. Friday at Hurricane and then Saturday at Southside (or vice versa)!

Quote from: MeltingMan on March 04, 2014, 15:32:05
Don't you think there's no newer statement from Robert?Does not mean,that he changed his mind... ;)

I can imagine there is, but I can't remember one from the recent interviews and am just lazy to re-read them all.  :oops:
(That one from '95 is one I remembered because I kept the magazine, it was a special interview to me, because I did see the band at a festival that summer.)

Edit: here is one from just after the Hurricane show 2012:
http://youtu.be/CHZct-iVPXQ
(RS mentions it was too short for his liking at "only" 2 hours...)
The holy city breathed like a dying man...

dsanchez

Any fan (of any group) would rather see their favorite band playing an own show than in a Festival. In the other hand, Festivals are a good way for a band to be exposed to new, potential fans.

Talking from a personal experience, I discovered bands such Glasvegas, Mew and Deerhunter in a festival (the OFF Festival in Poland, specifically).

Hopefully, The Cure won't play in festivals any time soon (they already did in 2012 and again in 2013) and instead, with the supposed released of the new album, there will be finally a proper tour (like in 2008).


2023.11.22 Lima
2023.11.27 Montevideo

Ulrich

Quote from: dsanchez on March 05, 2014, 18:31:33
Any fan (of any group) would rather see their favorite band playing an own show than in a Festival. In the other hand, Festivals are a good way for a band to be exposed to new, potential fans.

Yes, but depending on the festival, you can get lucky. The show at Rock Am See '95 was two and a half hours long, just like the Cure show I'd seen in 1992...

Quote from: dsanchez on March 05, 2014, 18:31:33
Hopefully, The Cure won't play in festivals any time soon (they already did in 2012 and again in 2013) and instead, with the supposed released of the new album, there will be finally a proper tour (like in 2008).

I would hope so, but I doubt it (especially with more "Trilogy" kind of shows already hinted at)...

I dug out another interview from the festival season 2012:
http://craigjparker.blogspot.de/2012/07/robert-smith-interview-with-word.html
QuoteYou're contemplating the end of The Cure?
Well, we are a lot closer to the end! We couldn't tour in the same way as we used to. It would be physically impossible for me to tour, because I refuse to not do this (lifts drink). I'm not going to go on and just sing the songs, but I also know I'm heading towards my mid-fifties, so there's no f*cking way I'm going to do a hundred shows in four months and they'll all be great shows.

So the last tour was the last tour?
Yes. I haven't said this for 20 years, but the last tour was the last world tour that I will ever do with The Cure. That tour taxed me so phenomenally. ...
The holy city breathed like a dying man...

dsanchez

Quote from: Ulrich on March 06, 2014, 09:29:09
Yes. I haven't said this for 20 years, but the last tour was the last world tour that I will ever do with The Cure. That tour taxed me so phenomenally

Bob has said so many things in the past that were not true, not sure if I should believe this...
2023.11.22 Lima
2023.11.27 Montevideo

Ulrich

Nothing to do with "true" or not, he has the right to change his mind of course.
But I doubt he will.  :(
The holy city breathed like a dying man...

Ulrich

Quote from: MeltingMan on March 06, 2014, 18:17:21
Maybe it's too long ago and I was not there,but is it true,that in 2004,Germany,Robert was forced to change the playlist ...?

Don't think Robert would let anyone "force" him to do something like that.... (try it if you don't believe me).  ;)
But maybe he realised that a setlist focussed on new stuff is not the right thing for a festival!
(Which, as I mentioned before, was the reason for me not to go...)
The holy city breathed like a dying man...