Odemira, Portugal, 04th August 2002

- After 25 years of making records and playing live, what are the main reasons that make you going on with the Cure ?

Robert : The primary reasons is because I enjoy it. Without doing something, I would probably slow to a stop and just die actually. Unless I'm kind of creating something, I find after a period of time I get very anxious about my own existence. It's a way of forgetting the fact I'm here I think. And the Cure has turned into a very good band actually for the last 2 or 3 years. It's a pleasure to play songs with the others. It's just as simple as that.

When it comes down to it, if I didn't like it I wouldn't still do it. I think when I first started I was more kind of driven to do something because I felt that if I didn't, I would run out of time. I think there's probably a change around about... probably with Bloodflowers actually. I've never thought I'd make an album with the Cure that was as good as Bloodflowers. Since then, I felt I should probably enjoy myself more with the band.


- Every 10 years, you say it's time to stop with the Cure. Could the Cure fans expect another 10 years of your music ?

Robert : I say that every 2 years. (laughs). I know it's kind of funny in retrospect, but at the time I do usually mean it. I always mean it. And what usually happens is that someone leaves the band when I say that or the band changes in some respect. I'd like this line-up to make another album, we intent to make another album when we finish... I'm going to do some demos, I think at the end of September and we're possibly going to do another couple of concerts in October. And then we hoping to record this Christmas. It depends on the words, 'cause I keep rewriting the songs...

I never felt I should worry about the Cure being a kind of career band. It's always been there as a vehicule for, I suppose, my own expression. The songs I've written, musically I think it's very good. We already done some demos for the new songs but lyrically it's not very good. And I don't see the point just bringing out an album that I don't think is very good. I've never done it before. So when I get home, I'm gonna try rewrite the thing.


- When you made Bloodflowers, was it intentional to return to the past or is that what the Cure really is ?

Robert : I think it's more... What I consider... I don't know... the style of music... It's quite different to Disintegration and Pornography but there's a certain kind of soul to it I think is what the Cure is. We tried lots of different things over the years and some things have been successful at a creative level for me as an artist. Other things I felt rubbish and they sold a lot. They're have been commercially successful. But I always return to this idea of what the Cure do best is a certain style and certain type of sounds. And Bloodflowers is just another exemple of that with this particular line up. It's the Cure's sound.


- If you had to pick up 3 albums and 3 songs from your career ?

Robert : I'd pick Pornography, Disintegration and Bloodflowers. And I'd pick, A Hundred Years, the title track Disintegration and probably the title track Bloodflowers actually.


- Why do you think your music make people shivering and cry ?

Robert : (laugh). I think, because of the combination of the music and the words, and possibly to a degree I suppose, the fact that people have come to know me a bit. So it's like a combination of these three things. We attract a certain type of person. I think that person is more likely to become emotional when listening to music. If we played a kind of heavy metal, we wouldn't be attracting that kind of audience. They're slightly more thoughtful than the average audience. It's not patronising. They just are. We always attracted an audience that's really nice to talk to, that's why we always get on with our fans. 'Cause they're kind of pretty good people.


- What do you think when you still see people backcombing their hair like you nowadays ?

Robert : I'm surprised actually. It's a surprise. I'm still doing it. Why everyone else shouldn't really ?


- Last question : do you still believe there's nothing left but faith ?

Robert : I didn't even believe it when I sang it at the time. I have had no faith for so long that I don't even think there's that. Or that there's anything unfortunately... I feel everything is utterly pointless (smile)...