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).
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] In August 2021, Simon Gallup announced that he had quit the band, [27] although he said he was still in the band the following month. [28] On October 6, 2022, Perry Bamonte returned to the lineup on the first show of the Lost World Tour in Riga, Latvia. [29]
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
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Robert Smith | 1978–present |
| all Cure releases to date | |
Simon Gallup |
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Roger O'Donnell |
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Perry Bamonte |
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Jason Cooper | 1995–present |
| all Cure releases from Wild Mood Swings (1996) onwards | |
Reeves Gabrels | 2012–present |
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Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Lol Tolhurst | 1978–1989 (guest in 2011) |
| all Cure releases from "Killing an Arab" (1978) to Disintegration (1989) | |
Michael Dempsey | 1978–1979 |
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Matthieu Hartley | 1979–1980 | keyboards | Seventeen Seconds (1980) | |
Andy Anderson | 1983–1984 (died 2019) |
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Phil Thornalley | 1983–1984 | bass |
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Porl Thompson |
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Boris Williams | 1984–1994 (guest in 2001) |
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Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Details |
---|---|---|---|---|
The Venomettes | 1983 | strings | Severin and the Venomettes performed with the band during early 1983 for the BBC Two show Riverside. [6] | |
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] | |||
Norman Fisher | 1984 | Fisher substituted for Phil Thornalley in March 1984 for a second performance on the Oxford Road Show. [6] | ||
Vince Ely | drums | After Andy Anderson left the band due to issues with alcohol abuse, he was temporarily replaced by Ely. [6] | ||
Roberto Soave | 1992 | bass | Soave substituted for Simon Gallup, who had contracted pleurisy, for several shows in November 1992. [30] | |
Eden Gallup | 2019 | Simon 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. [31] | ||
Mike Lord | 2023 | keyboards | Due 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 [32] |
Period | Members | Releases |
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May 1978 – November 1979 |
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November 1979 – December 1980 |
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December 1980 – June 1982 |
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June 1982 – June 1983 |
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June 1983 – January 1984 |
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January – October 1984 |
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October – November 1984 |
| none |
November 1984 – April 1987 |
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April 1987 – April 1989 |
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April 1989 – June 1990 |
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June 1990 – early 1993 |
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Early 1993 – late 1994 |
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Spring 1995 – late 2001 |
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Late 2001 |
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Late 2001 – May 2005 |
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May – June 2005 |
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June 2005 – May 2011 |
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May – June 2011 |
| none – Reflections shows only |
June – November 2011 |
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November 2011 |
| none – Reflections shows only |
December 2011 – May 2012 |
| none |
May 2012 – October 2022 |
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October 2022 – present |
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The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976 by guitarist, lead vocalist, and main songwriter Robert Smith and drummer Laurence Tolhurst. Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, including stints of guitarist Porl Thompson and drummer Boris Williams, Smith has remained the only constant member, though bassist Simon Gallup has been present for all but about three years of the band's history. The band's current line-up features Smith and Gallup alongside longtime members, Roger O'Donnell (keyboards), Perry Bamonte (guitar), Jason Cooper (drums) and Reeves Gabrels (guitar).
Robert James Smith is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and the co-founder, lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter, and only continuous member of the Cure, a British post punk rock band formed in 1976. His guitar-playing style, singing voice, and fashion sense, often sporting a pale complexion, smeared red lipstick, black eye-liner, unkempt wiry black hair, and all-black clothes, were highly influential on the goth subculture that rose to prominence in the 1980s.
Seventeen Seconds is the second studio album by English rock band the Cure, released on 18 April 1980 by Fiction Records. The album marked the first time frontman Robert Smith co-produced with Mike Hedges. After the departure of original bassist Michael Dempsey, Simon Gallup became an official member along with keyboardist Matthieu Hartley. The single "A Forest" was the band's first entry in the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart.
Disintegration is the eighth studio album by English rock band the Cure, released on 2 May 1989 by Fiction Records. The band recorded the album at Hookend Recording Studios in Checkendon, Oxfordshire, with co-producer David M. Allen from late 1988 to early 1989.
The Top is the fifth studio album by English rock band the Cure, released on 4 May 1984 by Fiction Records. The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number ten on 12 May. Shortly after its release, the Cure embarked on a major tour of the United Kingdom, culminating in a three-night residency at the Hammersmith Odeon in London.
The Head on the Door is the sixth studio album by English rock band the Cure. It was released on 13 August 1985 by Fiction Records. Preceded by the single "In Between Days" which had reached No. 15 on the UK Singles Chart, The Head on the Door was described by Melody Maker as "a collection of pop songs". With its variety of styles, it allowed the group to reach a wider audience in both Europe and North America. In the United Kingdom it became their most successful album to date, entering the albums chart at No. 7 on 7 September.
The Cure in Orange is a concert film by British rock group The Cure. It was shot on 35mm film at the Théâtre antique d'Orange in the French countryside, on 8, 9, and 10 August 1986. Band members Robert Smith, Simon Gallup, Porl Thompson, Boris Williams (Drums), and Lol Tolhurst (Keyboards) make their way through 23 songs, under the direction of Tim Pope.
Roger O'Donnell is an English keyboardist best known as a longtime member of The Cure, which he first joined in 1987 and for which he has served three different tenures. O'Donnell has also performed as a touring and session keyboardist for many artists and maintains an active solo career.
Simon Johnathon Gallup is an English musician who is best known as bassist for The Cure, which he first joined in 1979 and for which he has played through most of the band's history. Gallup is the second-longest-serving member of the band, after leader Robert Smith.
Perry Archangelo Bamonte is an English musician and artist, best known as a guitarist/keyboardist for The Cure from 1990 to 2005, and again since 2022. He is also the bassist of Love Amongst Ruin.
Fools Dance were an English rock band active from 1983 to 1987, primarily known for their connections to The Cure.
Laurence Andrew Tolhurst is an English musician, songwriter, producer, and author. He was a founding member of the Cure, for which he first played drums before switching to keyboards. He left the Cure in 1989 and later formed the bands Presence and Levinhurst. He has also published two books and developed the Curious Creatures podcast. His most recent studio release is the album Los Angeles (2023), in collaboration with Budgie and Jacknife Lee.
"Why Can't I Be You?" is a song by the English rock band the Cure, released as the lead single on the 6 April 1987 from their album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me.
"Catch" is a song by English rock band The Cure released on 22 June 1987 as the second single from their album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me (1987). It was only released as a single in the UK, where it charted at No. 27, and Europe.
"Hot Hot Hot!!!" is a single by British rock band the Cure released on 8 February 1988. It is taken from their 1987 album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. The song reached number 45 in the UK, whereas it was more successful in Ireland where it reached number 18, and in Spain where it reached the Top 10.
"A Letter to Elise" is a song by English rock band the Cure, released as the third and final single from the album Wish on 5 October 1992. In 2010, Pitchfork Media ranked it at number 184 in their list of "The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s".
The Cure: Trilogy is a double live album video by the Cure, released on two double layer DVD-9 discs, and later on a single Blu-ray disc. It documents The Trilogy Concerts, in which the three albums, Pornography (1982), Disintegration (1989) and Bloodflowers (2000) were played live in their entirety one after the other each night, the songs being played in the order in which they appeared on the albums. Trilogy was recorded on two consecutive nights, 11–12 November 2002, at the Tempodrom arena in Berlin. A third, previous Trilogy concert in Brussels on 7 November was not used.
"I'm a Cult Hero" is a single released by an extended lineup of the Cure under the name Cult Hero.
Presence were a British rock band formed in 1990, best known for its associations with the Cure. They released the album Inside in 1992 and split the following year.
The Cure: "Reflections" refers to a set of shows in which The Cure played their first three albums Three Imaginary Boys, Seventeen Seconds and Faith in full at the VividLive festival at the Sydney Opera House on 31 May and 1 June 2011. All three albums were played in their entirety on both nights, along with several other tracks from the same era.