When it came time to announce their slot headlining the U.K.’s Bestival, Britain’s Florence + The Machine opted for an unusual unveiling: The whole band dressed up in animal costumes and rambled their way through a stripped-down take on the Talking Heads hit single ‘Wild, Wild Life.’
The Cure this morning confirmed headlining slots at three European festival performances this summer — Hultsfred Festival in Sweden and Hurricane and Southside festivals, both in Germany over the same weekend — with a promise of ‘lots more to come,’ according to the band’s official site.
The Cure will release a 2CD live recording next month of its full, 32-song set at the U.K.’s Bestival this past September, marking the first official live album from Robert Smith and Co. since 1993′s back-to-back ‘Show’ and ‘Paris’ releases recorded during the ‘Wish’ tour — and the first time ever the band has released a complete concert on disc.
The Cure headlined the U.K.’s Bestival tonight, delivering a 32-song set filled with hits and a few lesser-aired tracks — including the first performance of ‘The Caterpillar’ in 20 years — with a lineup that included the return of keyboardist Roger O’Donnell, who says he’s back in the band for the third time.
Although he’s become an in-demand guest vocalist, Robert Smith says in a new interview that he’s refocusing on The Cure and vows he won’t do another collaboration until he completes the long-promised second half of 2008′s ’4.13 Dream’ — the so-called ‘Dark Album’ that he once suggested could land in spring 2009.
With The Cure’s first performances in more than two years just weeks away, Robert Smith is now hinting there could be more activity from his no-longer-dormant band than just the upcoming full-album shows in Sydney and an appearance at the U.K.’s Bestival this September.
Ousted keyboardist Lol Tolhurst will rejoin The Cure after 22 years to help perform the band’s first three albums — 1979′s ‘Three Imaginary Boys,’ 1980′s ‘Seventeen Seconds’ and 1981′s ‘Faith’ — in their entirety on May 31 and June 1 at the Vivid Live Festival at Australia’s famed Sydney Opera House.
Further evidence that Robert Smith may be revving up for an active 2011: The son of bassist Simon Gallup posted on Facebook that he was in the studio with The Cure last week, news that lit up fan sites and forums over the weekend.
Billed as its ‘only European show of 2011,’ organizers of the U.K.’s Bestival this morning announced The Cure will headline one of the festival’s four nights next September alongside Crystal Castles, the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson, DJ Shadow and Primal Scream performing its 1991 album ‘Screamadelica.’
