List of the Cure band members

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The Cure Live in Singapore 2- 1st August 2007.jpg
The Cure 2013.jpg
Two lineups of The Cure performing in 2007 (top) and 2013 (bottom).

The Cure are an English alternative rock band from Crawley. Formed in May 1978, [1] [2] [3] the group originally consisted of vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist Robert Smith (the only constant member), bassist Michael Dempsey and drummer Lol Tolhurst. The current lineup includes Smith, bassist Simon Gallup (from 1979 to 1982, and since 1984), keyboardist Roger O'Donnell (from 1987 to 1990, 1995 to 2005, and since 2011), guitarist and keyboardist Perry Bamonte (from 1990 to 2005, and since 2022), drummer Jason Cooper (since 1995) and guitarist Reeves Gabrels (since 2012).

Contents

History

The Cure formed in May 1978, evolving from the previous outfits Malice and Easy Cure. [1] The band's original incarnation featured vocalist and guitarist Robert Smith, bassist Michael Dempsey and drummer Lol Tolhurst. [4] After the release and promotion of Three Imaginary Boys , Dempsey was replaced by Simon Gallup in November 1979, when keyboardist Matthieu Hartley also joined the band. [5] Hartley performed on Seventeen Seconds , but by August 1980 had left the band. [6] Keyboards on Faith and Pornography were performed by Smith, Gallup and Tolhurst. [7] [8] Following the end of the Pornography touring cycle in June 1982, Gallup left the Cure and the band was placed on a temporary hiatus. [9] Later in the year, Smith and Tolhurst – now the band's keyboardist – returned with the single "Let's Go to Bed". [10]

After several performances with stand-in musicians, the Cure returned in 1983 with new bassist Phil Thornalley and drummer Andy Anderson. [6] Former Malice and Easy Cure guitarist Porl Thompson performed saxophone on the 1984 album The Top , before returning to the group on a full-time basis on guitar and keyboards. [6] During the Top World Tour, Anderson was fired from the band due to problems stemming from alcohol abuse; he was briefly replaced by Vince Ely and later by Boris Williams, the latter of whom was subsequently offered the position full-time. [6] Thornalley also left the band upon the tour's conclusion, replaced by the returning Gallup. [6] The five-piece lineup of Smith, Thompson, Gallup, Williams and Tolhurst released two studio albums: 1985's The Head on the Door and 1987's Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me . [10]

For the tour in support of Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, the Cure added Roger O'Donnell as a second keyboardist. [11] Tolhurst eventually left the band entirely, after limited contributions to both Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me and its follow-up Disintegration . [12] His departure was announced in April 1989, [13] when Smith claimed that he "wasn't taking it seriously enough". [14] O'Donnell remained only until the following June, when he left due to "personal differences" and was replaced by the band's guitar technician Perry Bamonte. [15] The new lineup released Wish in 1992, before Thompson left in early 1993 and Bamonte took over as main guitarist. [10] The Cure spent much of 1994 on hiatus, as Smith was involved in a legal dispute with former bandmate Tolhurst. [10] By the time they returned to the studio later in the year, Williams had left. [16]

In spring 1995, the Cure commenced recording for their next album with new drummer Jason Cooper and returning keyboardist O'Donnell. [16] This lineup remained active for ten years, releasing three studio albums and one live collection, before Bamonte and O'Donnell were dismissed in May 2005. [17] The keyboardist later claimed that Smith would be reducing the Cure back to a three-piece, with Bamonte and himself the two members culled from the lineup. [18] The remaining trio recorded a cover of John Lennon's "Love" for the Amnesty International album Make Some Noise , [19] before Porl Thompson returned for summer tour dates starting in July. [20]

In May and November 2011, the band performed a series of shows with former members Tolhurst and O'Donnell as special guests, although Thompson was not included. [21] [22] On 1 May 2012, after not performing with the band since 2009, Thompson announced that he was no longer a member of the Cure. [23] He was replaced for subsequent tour dates by Reeves Gabrels, [24] who became an official member after a few shows. [25]

In 2019, Eden Gallup filled in on bass guitar for two shows when his father, Simon Gallup, was prevented from playing, due to personal circumstances. [26] On October 6, 2022, Perry Bamonte returned to the lineup on the first show of the Lost World Tour in Riga, Latvia. [27]

Members

Current

ImageNameYears activeInstrumentsRelease contributions
Robert Smith - The Cure - Roskilde Festival 2012 - Orange Stage.jpg
Robert Smith 1978–present
  • guitars
  • vocals
  • keyboards
  • bass
  • harmonica
all Cure releases to date
Simon Gallup 2012.jpeg
Simon Gallup
  • 1979–1982
  • 1984–present
  • bass
  • keyboards
  • occasional guitars
Roger O'Donnell.jpg
Roger O'Donnell
  • 1987–1990
  • 1995–2005
  • 2011–present
Perry Bamonte
  • 1990–2005
  • 2022–present
  • keyboards
  • guitars
  • bass
all Cure releases from Play Out (1991) to The Cure (2004)
Jason Cooper Live Roma 2008.jpg
Jason Cooper 1995–present
  • drums
  • percussion
  • occasional samples
all Cure releases from Wild Mood Swings (1996) onwards
150-minute almost non-stop show not enough for The Cure at Frequency Festival (7815849490).jpg
Reeves Gabrels 2012–present
  • guitars
  • bass
40 Live (Curætion-25 + Anniversary) (2019); (appeared as a special guest playing guitars on the 1997 single "Wrong Number", 15 years prior to joining the band)

Former

ImageNameYears activeInstrumentsRelease contributions
Lol Tolhurst (cropped).jpg
Lol Tolhurst 1978–1989 (guest in 2011)
  • drums (1978–1982)
  • keyboards, drum machine (1982–1989, 2011)
  • percussion (2011 Reflections shows)
all Cure releases from "Killing an Arab" (1978) to Disintegration (1989)
Michael Dempsey 1978–1979
  • bass
  • backing and occasional lead vocals
Matthieu Hartley 1979–1980keyboardsSeventeen Seconds (1980)
Andy Anderson 1983–1984 (died 2019)
  • drums
  • percussion
Phil Thornalley 1983–1984bass
  • Concert: The Cure Live (1984)
  • Live in Japan (1985)
Porl Thompson di Cure Zugn 2008.jpg
Porl Thompson
  • 1984–1993
  • 2005–2011
(also a member of Easy Cure)
  • guitars
  • keyboards
  • saxophone
Boris Williams 1984–1994 (guest in 2001)
  • drums
  • percussion
  • all Cure releases from The Head on the Door (1985) to Paris (1993)
  • Acoustic Hits (2001)

Substitute performers

ImageNameYears activeInstrumentsDetails
The Venomettes1983stringsSeverin and the Venomettes performed with the band during early 1983 for the BBC Two show Riverside. [6]
Siouxsie-steve-severin-oakland.jpg
Steven Severin bass
Derek Thompson Thompson performed one show with the Cure in April 1983 for the BBC Two show the Oxford Road Show . [6]
Magazine (5900356383).jpg
Norman Fisher 1984Fisher substituted for Phil Thornalley in March 1984 for a second performance on the Oxford Road Show. [6]
Vince ElydrumsAfter Andy Anderson left the band due to issues with alcohol abuse, he was temporarily replaced by Ely. [6]
Roberto Soave1992bassSoave substituted for Simon Gallup, who had contracted pleurisy, for several shows in November 1992. [28]
Eden Gallup2019Simon Gallup's son and bass tech, substituted for his father for a performance at the Fuji Rock Festival in July 2019 and Austin City Limits Festival in October 2019. [29]
Mike Lord2023keyboardsDue to health reasons, keyboard tech Mike Lord stepped in for Roger O'Donnell on the Latin American leg of the 2023 Shows of A Lost World Tour [30]

Timeline

List of the Cure band members

Lineups

PeriodMembersReleases
May 1978 – November 1979
November 1979 – December 1980
December 1980 – June 1982
  • Robert Smith – guitars, vocals, keyboards, harmonica, cello, bass
  • Lol Tolhurst – drums, keyboards, drum machine
  • Simon Gallup – bass, keyboards
June 1982 – June 1983
  • Robert Smith – guitars, vocals, bass, keyboards
  • Lol Tolhurst – keyboards, drum machine
June 1983 – January 1984
  • Robert Smith – guitars, vocals, keyboards
  • Lol Tolhurst – keyboards, drum machine
  • Phil Thornalley – bass
  • Andy Anderson – drums, percussion
January – October 1984
  • Robert Smith – guitars, vocals, keyboards, violin, harmonica, recorder
  • Lol Tolhurst – keyboards, drum machine
  • Phil Thornalley – bass
  • Andy Anderson – drums, percussion
  • Porl Thompson – guitar, keyboards, saxophone
October – November 1984
  • Robert Smith – guitars, vocals, keyboards, violin, harmonica, recorder
  • Lol Tolhurst – keyboards, drum machine
  • Phil Thornalley – bass
  • Porl Thompson – guitars, keyboards, saxophone
  • Vince Ely – drums (touring only)
none
November 1984 – April 1987
  • Robert Smith – guitars, vocals, keyboards
  • Lol Tolhurst – keyboards, drum machine
  • Porl Thompson – guitar, keyboards, saxophone
  • Simon Gallup – bass, keyboards
  • Boris Williams – drums, percussion
April 1987 – April 1989
  • Robert Smith – vocals, guitar, keyboards
  • Lol Tolhurst – keyboards, drum machine
  • Porl Thompson – guitars, keyboards, saxophone
  • Simon Gallup – bass, keyboards
  • Boris Williams – drums, percussion
  • Roger O'Donnell – keyboards
April 1989 – June 1990
  • Robert Smith – guitars, vocals, keyboards, bass
  • Porl Thompson – guitars, keyboards, saxophone
  • Simon Gallup – bass, keyboards
  • Boris Williams – drums, percussion
  • Roger O'Donnell – keyboards
June 1990 – early 1993
  • Robert Smith – guitars, vocals, keyboards, bass
  • Porl Thompson – guitars, keyboards, saxophone
  • Simon Gallup – bass, keyboards
  • Boris Williams – drums, percussion
  • Perry Bamonte – keyboards, guitars, bass
Early 1993 – late 1994
  • Robert Smith – guitars, vocals, keyboards, bass
  • Simon Gallup – bass, keyboards
  • Boris Williams – drums, percussion
  • Perry Bamonte – guitars, keyboards, bass
Spring 1995 – late 2001
  • Robert Smith – guitars, vocals, keyboards, bass
  • Simon Gallup – bass, keyboards
  • Perry Bamonte – guitars, keyboards, bass
  • Roger O'Donnell – keyboards
  • Jason Cooper – drums, percussion
Late 2001
  • Robert Smith – guitars, vocals, keyboards, bass
  • Simon Gallup – bass, keyboards
  • Perry Bamonte – guitars, keyboards, bass
  • Roger O'Donnell – keyboards
  • Jason Cooper – drums, percussion
  • Boris Williams – percussion (guest)
Late 2001 – May 2005
  • Robert Smith – guitars, vocals, keyboards, bass
  • Simon Gallup – bass, keyboards
  • Perry Bamonte – guitars, keyboards, bass
  • Jason Cooper – drums, percussion
  • Roger O'Donnell – keyboards
May – June 2005
  • Robert Smith – guitars, vocals, keyboards, bass
  • Simon Gallup – bass, keyboards
  • Jason Cooper – drums, percussion
June 2005 – May 2011
  • Robert Smith – guitars, vocals, keyboards, bass
  • Simon Gallup – bass, keyboards
  • Jason Cooper – drums, percussion
  • Porl Thompson – guitars
May – June 2011
  • Robert Smith – guitars, vocals, keyboards, bass, harmonica
  • Simon Gallup – bass, keyboards
  • Jason Cooper – drums, percussion
  • Lol Tolhurst – keyboards, percussion (guest)
  • Roger O'Donnell – keyboards, percussion (guest)
none Reflections shows only
June – November 2011
  • Robert Smith – guitars, vocals, keyboards, bass
  • Simon Gallup – bass, keyboards
  • Jason Cooper – drums, percussion
  • Roger O'Donnell – keyboards
November 2011
  • Robert Smith – guitars, vocals, keyboards, bass, harmonica
  • Simon Gallup – bass, keyboards
  • Jason Cooper – drums, percussion
  • Roger O'Donnell – keyboards, percussion
  • Lol Tolhurst – keyboards, percussion (guest)
none – Reflections shows only
December 2011 – May 2012
  • Robert Smith – guitars, vocals, keyboards, bass
  • Simon Gallup – bass, keyboards
  • Jason Cooper – drums, percussion
  • Roger O'Donnell – keyboards, percussion
none
May 2012 – October 2022
  • Robert Smith – guitars, vocals, keyboards, bass, harmonica, recorder, tambourine
  • Simon Gallup – bass, keyboards
  • Jason Cooper – drums, percussion
  • Roger O'Donnell – keyboards, percussion
  • Reeves Gabrels – guitars, bass
  • 40 Live (Curætion-25 + Anniversary) (2019)
October 2022 – present
  • Robert Smith – guitars, vocals, keyboards, bass, percussion, recorder
  • Simon Gallup – bass, keyboards
  • Jason Cooper – drums, percussion
  • Roger O'Donnell – keyboards
  • Reeves Gabrels – guitars, bass
  • Perry Bamonte – keyboards, guitars, bass

none

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