The main guys Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy
I know what you’re thinking, it’s “These guys are still around?” Pretty much, the Cult was making a big push at SXSW for their upcoming album Choice of Weapon due in May. My friend Chip from Waterloo Records asked me to come on down and since I was able to swing Friday off, I decided why not. These guys were considered the premiere band in the Eighties’ Psychedelic revival (see XTC’s Skylarking and Dukes of Stratosphear stuff, early Hoodoo Gurus, The Three O’Clock and the one-hit wonders Doctor and Medics are the quickest examples I can pull up). Most kids who shared my love of “Alt Rock” at Marquette had the Cult’s second album Love. When it came to Marquette, this would be a very small number.
How were they 25 years after their pinnacle? Besides being 40 minutes late, the Cult still lived up to expectations…loud but enjoyable. They did the hits the crowd wanted/knew, “Rain,” “Wildflower,” (or was it “Lil’ Devil,” they sound similar to me) and “She Sells Sanctuary.” The two upcoming tracks were pretty good so I will probably buy the new album. Unlike some in the audience, I didn’t complain. It was a free performance sponsored by Waterloo Records. One guy jokingly shouted, “We want our money back!” To him I asked, you bought Ceremony too?
People’s behavior when they light up doobage hasn’t changed. I spotted this older dude behind me sucking it down on his one-hitter and just like all “busted” tokers, he offered me some; the gesture of here, take a hit. I told him, no thanks, chuckling to myself about how I haven’t been put through the Narc-litmus test in some time.