Random Play by Graham Reid

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Random Play: The Cure -- for what ails you

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  • Bob Munro,

    Excellent! There was no need for the disclaimer at the bottom Graham, it was obvious from the opening line what you were up to. When I first read it I thought Michael Field must be just another Gen-X whiner but is he the same Michael Field who was kicked out of Fiji after the latest coup?

    Christchurch • Since Aug 2007 • 418 posts Report Reply

  • dc_red,

    Great work Graham. I got it by the second sentence. The cynical and tired stereotyping of the original really pissed me off. And the obligatory All Blacks simile. And, well ... you get the idea.

    Oil Patch, Alberta • Since Nov 2006 • 706 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Litterick,

    You had me right to the end. I thought something had gone horribly wrong with your writing style.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1000 posts Report Reply

  • Jason Kemp,

    I saw the Cure back in the '80's and felt no need to revisit this time. Some things are best left to memory.

    Scott Kara getting all teared up when they played Charlotte Sometimes was the best bit of his review. The reason-

    I named my dog after that song and, adding to the emotion, was the fact the Cure were the first band I ever really loved.

    It seems like many gig reviews now are even more cliched than they used to be.

    Moving right along now....

    I read your Dylan review in the Herald and the bit about Bob being "emotionally distant" sounded like a clue or tip off to me.

    That sounds like the same old Bob who got blown off the stage by Tom Petty (who only had 1 good album) back in 1985 and may as well have phoned in his whole performance at Mt Smart.

    There is no doubt that on a good day Bob could be great. It's just that those performances from 1966ish on the "No Direction Home" DVD are so good it is hard to even come close.

    And it does seem like living on the road as Bod did for many years has made his a worse performer / not a better one.

    I like the idea Bob playing in the Civic - but only if he is "present" - if it is just another caricature performance then I'd rather save my money for someone who might actually surprise and engage.

    Ryan Adams perhaps at the Bruce Mason sounds like a magic combination.

    Only one problem - no baby sitter - perhaps you could check it out for us and write a real review this time please.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 368 posts Report Reply

  • Julian Melville,

    I would have absolutely loved to see the Cure, a friend in Sydney saw them the other night and is raving and I was their at their previous NZ gig. But 120 bucks a ticket, and yes the babysitter and so on and you're starting to look at a $3-400 night out for two if you have a bite to eat. And there's very few bands I'd do that for, not even the Cure.

    Auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 200 posts Report Reply

  • Heather Gaye,

    Hahahahaha, I was reading and thinking "were we even in the same <i>building</i>???"

    Morningside • Since Nov 2006 • 533 posts Report Reply

  • Sara Jane,

    I had an incredible night at the concert - I'm totally confused by your review! He played In-Between Days, Spiderman and Just Like Heaven in the first third of the show so how can anyone say he left the hits 'til the end?
    I was standing, which meant I was dancing, which meant I had the best 3 hours ever and I didn't want it to finish. I guess at Vector you need to get off your arse and get a GA ticket, the acoustics in the stands must be really awful for you to not have had a good time.

    Since Aug 2007 • 2 posts Report Reply

  • Heather Gaye,

    Sara Jane, read the review linked in the disclaimer.

    Granted, the acoustics at the arena really are pretty bad. Couldn't they at least pad the ceiling a little?

    Morningside • Since Nov 2006 • 533 posts Report Reply

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    The Cure were so so so good last night. I can't even properly compose a sentence to describe what a splendid time I had last night.

    Chur, Fat Bob. Chur.

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    It was the prostate that tipped me off.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • elsketcho,

    one element of truth to the faux review - dickheads with cameraphones! There was a twat behind me that thought my shoulder could be used as a tripod/leaning post for him to film the gig in glorious half megapixel resolution, the only hint he took to remove said implement was when I eventually turned around and physically removed his arm from my presence. Enjoy the gig, buy a dvd of the live bits, don't wave your crap in other peoples space.

    TOP GIG (and my feet still confirm it)!!! Thanks Fat Bob!

    Auckland • Since Aug 2007 • 35 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Heh... Totally punked me, you bastard. But Michael Field's Dylan review was totally bizarre. I'm not the biggest Dylan fan on earth, but when you're reduced to bitching about the vulgar oinks sitting behind you, it's time to just go home. W.H. Auden once said he never reviewed books he didn't like because there's nothing to say unless you have a talent for amusing malice. Michael Field does not.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    Heh. I got about halfway down and thought 'gosh, this is sounding awfully like that Bob Dylan review from a few days ago... ohhhhh.'

    a) I thought Bob was really good, actually. His drummer kicks all kinds of ass. Besides, the voice of Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour is immensely comforting to me. Even when he's singing his own songs!
    b) I wish that either The Cure or my dog registrations had been cheaper. As it was, I couldn't have both. Meh.
    c) I will, however, be saving my pennies for Justin Timberlake. Will I be the oldest person in the crowd? Only time will tell.

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Mark Easterbrook,

    I knew it was all a scam. I looked over and saw him hugging Scott Kara's dog, with a tear in his eye, during Charlotte Sometimes.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 265 posts Report Reply

  • Richie McGrath,

    After seeing Dylan on Saturday I never want to go to Vecta Arena again!
    He wld have been great in a club,and no I can't afford to see him at the Civic.A typical piece of crap- kiwi-design-conception,all I can say is thank god Mallard did'nt get his Waterfront rugger pitch (imagine what a disaster that woulda been!).
    The fiancee was convinced into going to the Cure by our house guest up from Wellywank and was'nt looking forward to it!
    I got 2 texts saying they were gonna leave cause 1/the Cure and the sound was crap 2/there was a fat goth w/ "the smelliest feet I have ever had the misfortune to be near" behind her.
    The guest rated it (out of 10) 7,her freinds rated it 6,8,8,8...I beleive I'm definitely marrying the right woman cause she said 1 maybe 2.

    Since Jul 2007 • 18 posts Report Reply

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    c) I will, however, be saving my pennies for Justin Timberlake. Will I be the oldest person in the crowd? Only time will tell.

    I am wondering the same thing too, and I'm really looking forward to it. OMG!

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report Reply

  • JP Hansen,

    After seeing Dylan on Saturday I never want to go to Vecta Arena again!

    Where were you sitting? I was half way back on the floor, and the show sound absolutely superb. Or is a design and access issue you have rather than a sound quality one?

    If it is the latter, I also went to Supernova there (I got comps, so shuddup!) and was sitting right at the back of the Circle, or whatever it is called. That sounded pretty bad, but it was the first show there, and played to a 1/2 empty arena.

    And where I was standing at U2 at My Smart, the sound was absolute shite, getting reverb off the new stand muddying up the sound such that I could hardly make the vocals out for many of the songs. But my wife moved back about 30 metres and the sound there was perfect from all accounts.

    Alls I'm saying is that most venues have some bad spots acoustically, and I guess they move depending on the sound setup on the night.

    I just hope I'm not in one of those zones for Steely Dan or Crowded House in the next few months...

    Waitakere • Since Nov 2006 • 206 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    __After seeing Dylan on Saturday I never want to go to Vecta Arena again!__

    Where were you sitting? I was half way back on the floor, and the show sound absolutely superb.

    This tends to bear out the comments from the Chili Peppers' sound guy -- until the venue gets some proper acoustic panelling there will be serious holes in the sound in some parts of the room. It's a shame they had to spend all that money and make a half-assed job of making it work as a concert venue.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Heather Gaye,

    I was half way back on the floor, and the show sound absolutely superb

    Very glad to hear that, I'm sitting about there for Crowded House I think. But in that spot for last night's gig it was like every note washed back at me off every inch of the ceiling. Vocals and drums were fine, but the bass & some of the guitar were really difficult to hear at times. The more punchy stuff got lost in its own echo.

    Morningside • Since Nov 2006 • 533 posts Report Reply

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    but the bass & some of the guitar were really difficult to hear at times

    Where I was sitting (front row of the bottom level, around the left-hand side of the stage), there were times where the bass, the low-end was really hard to hear. It seemed awash with treble.

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    I am wondering the same thing too, and I'm really looking forward to it. OMG!

    I am reliably informed that he will be bringing sexy back. Or so my sources tell me.

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Rosie Wilkinson,

    I'm not a major Cure fan, I went along with my boyfriend and found myself impressed and enjoying the show.

    Well I enjoyed the first half at least, the bit before my boyfriend (an experienced and hardy concert-goer) collapsed and lost all vision and I had to assist him out with the help of a kindly stranger. Not drug or alcohol induced at all but most likely due to dehydration, excessive heat and strobe lighting. I was very glad the lovely St Johns people were on hand to assist and weren't dealing with prostate problems.

    It was my first visit to the Vector Arena and I found the sound quality fine but I did wonder about the security measures. We had a security guard telling everyone to sit down on the floor before the concert started. They said it was so they could control the number of people in the arena. I thought that was what tickets were for.

    Looking forward to Ryan Adams tomorrow night.

    Auckland • Since Feb 2007 • 3 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Check out Your Views on the Herald site. It seems very evident that the sound in that venue varies wildly depending on where you happen to be. It shouldn't be a damn lottery.

    I gather it's fixable with acoustic panels. In which case, they should bloody well fix it. We didn't wait forever for an indoor arena to have one that doesn't work properly.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Meech,

    What if Picasso was in the middle of one of his latter periods and decided to use that new style to go back and redo all of his earlier works? That was what the Cure were like last night.

    The Cure's eponymous 2004 album was rocked up by nu-metal producer Ross Robinson and he has a lot to answer for as Robert Smith has gone back and applied a rock sheen to every single song in the back catalogue. There was no nuance at last night's concert. All of the originals' keyboard melodies were turned into gigantic guitar riffs that destroyed the song - where was the keyboardist anyway? It was foot-to-the-floor rock all the way through - except during the best bit of the show, The Three Imaginary Boys encore.

    When an artist massacres their own song-book so thoroughly it's probably time to hang up the guitar.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 5 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark,

    Reading the Dylan review, I was just thinking how spoiled we've become. If it doesn't sound as good as, or better than, a bought one, we have a moan. It was Dylan for godssake. He came here, he's a legend, we're lucky. Time was, he wouldn't have come at all. God, I remember seeing Don McGlashan not that long ago at the St James - the sound right up the front was LOUD, but it didn't matter, it was Don McGlashan. I was happy just to bathe in his loveliness.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

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