18 ‘I Must Fight this Sickness… Find a Cure’
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John Robb
Abstract
The Cure are one of the most iconic bands in the history of goth, thanks in large part to the unique style of frontman Robert Smith. This chapter explores their history. Inspired, like many, by the explosion of punk music in the 1970s, the band nonetheless charted a distinctive path, producing albums that were dark, atmospheric and yet often strikingly catchy. Their 1989 album Disintegration sold a million copies, turning them into unlikely stadium rockers. Still active today, they remain one of the key influences on post-punk and goth.
Abstract
The Cure are one of the most iconic bands in the history of goth, thanks in large part to the unique style of frontman Robert Smith. This chapter explores their history. Inspired, like many, by the explosion of punk music in the 1970s, the band nonetheless charted a distinctive path, producing albums that were dark, atmospheric and yet often strikingly catchy. Their 1989 album Disintegration sold a million copies, turning them into unlikely stadium rockers. Still active today, they remain one of the key influences on post-punk and goth.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents vii
- Introduction 1
- 1 Floorshow 3
- 2 The Fall of Rome 13
- 3 Deep in the Forest 16
- 4 ‘Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know’ 20
- 5 Euro Visions 41
- 6 The Devil has the Best Tunes 46
- 7 Paint it, Black 53
- 8 All the Children are Insane, or People are Strange 66
- 9 Wham Bam thank you Glam 77
- 10 Proto Post-Punk 117
- 11 The Punk Wars 124
- 12 ‘What was Once Unhealthily Fresh is Now a Clean Old Hat’ 131
- 13 Spellbound 137
- 14 Feel the Pain 159
- 15 Ridicule is Nothing to be Scared of 175
- 16 New Dawn Fades 194
- 17 ‘The Wreckers of Western Civilisation…’ 213
- 18 ‘I Must Fight this Sickness… Find a Cure’ 234
- 19 The Naughty North and the Sexy South 250
- 20 All We Ever Wanted Was Everything 265
- 21 Lord of Chaos 281
- 22 Release the Bats! 297
- 23 ‘I am not Avant-Garde; I am a Deserter’ 313
- 24 Voodoo Idols 329
- 25 First, Last and Always 345
- 26 Vagabonds - Bradford 372
- 27 Flowers in the Forest 381
- 28 Wanted Dead or Alive 398
- 29 Do You Believe in the Westworld? 409
- 30 A New Form of Beauty - Virgin Prunes, Dublin 419
- 31 ‘Good Poetry Can Still Resonate Louder Than a Thousand Guns’ 428
- 32 At The Gates of Silent Memory 440
- 33 Darklands 447
- 34 ‘We Sing to the Gods to Be Free’ 467
- 35 Trans Europe Express 483
- 36 In the Flat Field, Suburbs & Satellite Towns 490
- 37 Apocalypse Now! Goth’s End Days 499
- Index 513
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents vii
- Introduction 1
- 1 Floorshow 3
- 2 The Fall of Rome 13
- 3 Deep in the Forest 16
- 4 ‘Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know’ 20
- 5 Euro Visions 41
- 6 The Devil has the Best Tunes 46
- 7 Paint it, Black 53
- 8 All the Children are Insane, or People are Strange 66
- 9 Wham Bam thank you Glam 77
- 10 Proto Post-Punk 117
- 11 The Punk Wars 124
- 12 ‘What was Once Unhealthily Fresh is Now a Clean Old Hat’ 131
- 13 Spellbound 137
- 14 Feel the Pain 159
- 15 Ridicule is Nothing to be Scared of 175
- 16 New Dawn Fades 194
- 17 ‘The Wreckers of Western Civilisation…’ 213
- 18 ‘I Must Fight this Sickness… Find a Cure’ 234
- 19 The Naughty North and the Sexy South 250
- 20 All We Ever Wanted Was Everything 265
- 21 Lord of Chaos 281
- 22 Release the Bats! 297
- 23 ‘I am not Avant-Garde; I am a Deserter’ 313
- 24 Voodoo Idols 329
- 25 First, Last and Always 345
- 26 Vagabonds - Bradford 372
- 27 Flowers in the Forest 381
- 28 Wanted Dead or Alive 398
- 29 Do You Believe in the Westworld? 409
- 30 A New Form of Beauty - Virgin Prunes, Dublin 419
- 31 ‘Good Poetry Can Still Resonate Louder Than a Thousand Guns’ 428
- 32 At The Gates of Silent Memory 440
- 33 Darklands 447
- 34 ‘We Sing to the Gods to Be Free’ 467
- 35 Trans Europe Express 483
- 36 In the Flat Field, Suburbs & Satellite Towns 490
- 37 Apocalypse Now! Goth’s End Days 499
- Index 513
