SEPTEMBER
07th
Aberdeen, Capitol Theatre
The Cure played an extra long set as Siouxsie and the Banshees couldn't perform
that night (their guitarist and drummer left in the afternoon !). They tried Play For Today again
and a new song called "S" (an early version of In Your House) that
Robert dedicated to Siouxsie that night. The three encores probably included
songs like Jumping Someone Else's Train, Do The Hansa, M (?) and maybe more
new things they didn't rehearse much.
A "good" night then, proving the band's ability to adapt to a crisis
situation. Steve Severin and Siouxsie joined them on stage for the last song,
a 15 minutes version of "The Lord's Prayer". After the show, Robert
offered to play the guitar for the Banshees for the tour to resume as soon
as possible.
09th
Rotterdam, New Pop Festival
A one-off. The band was headlining the festival, playing in front of 10,000
people. No rain this time and it was even recorded for the radio and filmed
for the television as well.
Jumping Someone Else's Train / I'm Cold were recorded some time in September
at Morgan Studios, London. Siouxsie, visiting, sang the backing vocals on I'm Cold.
Originally I'm Cold was a 150bpm song written in 1977. This "second" version was slowed down and psychedelic guitar solos were recorded on top of it. I'm A Cult Hero and I Dig You were also recorded around that time with Simon
Gallup on bass, Michael Dempsey on keyboards, Frank Bell on vocals. This single would be released under the name of "Cult Hero" a bit later in the year.
18th
Leicester, DeMontfort Hall
The Banshees' tour resumed. Robert Smith appeared twice on stage every evening
for the next 17 nights, since the Banshees didn't find a guitarist in the
meantime. The Cure gave tight performances and gained a lot of experience,
despite losing the excitation of playing live together.
OCTOBER
15th
London, Hammersmith Odeon
Last show of the tour and the last concert with Michael Dempsey on bass who's been playing
with Robert Smith since the school days. But as confessed later, the band couldn't continue that way. It's possible the show started with a song from Seventeen Seconds but M was definitely played that night.
23rd
Mike Dempsey "departed" only one week after the tour with the Banshees
was over. Simon Gallup (bass) and Matthieu Hartley (keyboards) joined and
the new line up started to rehearse intensely for the new tour planned on
the following month !
The original titles for the new songs were quite surprising : AM (In Your
House), 44F (Another Journey By Train), Bleak One (A Forest). None of the
songs included their definitive lyrics.
NOVEMBER
2nd
The Jumping Someone Else's Train single was released. Quite a confidential pressing again and few reviews in the press despite the song's qualities.
16th
The new Cure started the Future Pastimes tour (15 dates in the UK and 12 more
in continental Europe). 10.15 Saturday Night's bass solo at the end of the
song was changed, Simon Gallup playing a different one based on the same notes
(he still does nowadays). Keyboards parts were also added to 1979 songs, backing
guitar chords or tunes from guitar riffs (BDC, Jumping...).
The new line-up and new songs brought a certain intensity on the live performances,
Robert Smith developing that "distant" presence. A great merit knowing
that the band slept in their van at stations, refusing to be financially dependant
on the record company for hotel rooms.
DECEMBER
8th
Paris, Theatre de l'Empire,
recording for Chorus TV program
The very first appearence in France... even if it was "invite only"
(TV session). They must have played for at least 30 minutes, including Boys
Don't Cry, Jumping Someone Else's Train, Three Imaginary Boys, A Forest, Killing
An Arab... Only those last three songs would be broadcast.
A Forest was titled 'At Night' on TV, probably one of the working titles for
the track.
17th
Paris, Bataclan
Few hundred people attended the show and this concert was considered by both
the (early) fans and the French press as mythical. Many felt that the group
was bringing something nobody saw before : fragility and strength combined
in music as heard on A Forest (encore version) that night which ended with
discordant guitar chords !
Plastic Passion was rehearsed during the month and the song finally appeared
on their live set. A few months later, the band would play it differently
(no intro).
18th
Orléans, Salle du Baron
After the concert, the band had a long party and had to break in the place
they were staying at. Then, in the morning, they discovered that their van
got towed and were unable to reach Lyon (the next planned show) in time. The
tour finished in Belgium just before Christmas.
GO TO 1980 PART 1
