the cure 'reflections' setlist and live recordings

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Over on the other side of the world, The Cure have performed two "Reflections" shows at Sydney Opera House. Part of the Vivid Live Festival, curated by Modular's Steve Pavlovic, the performances on May 31 and June 1 featured The Cure running through first three albums Three Imaginary Boys, Faith and Seventeen Seconds in their entirety.

Estranged keyboardists Lol Tolhurst and Roger O'Donnell returned to the fold as Robert Smith and The Cure cranked out nearly 4-hour sets of the aforementioned albums and encores of other early material. See the full set list for the 5/31 show below, courtesy of slicingupeyeballs.

A few tracks have made it to youtube. Here's a look at "The Hanging Garden":




Youtube user jupiterattraction has uploaded a few audio-only tracks that merit inclusion as well. First is a rather distant recording of "Boys Don't Cry":




And here's a surprisingly clean take of "The Lovecats":




UPDATE:

A few more video clips have been uploaded that are definitely worth sharing — both also from the 5/31 show. First is "Primary":




And what's a Cure show without the Seventeen Seconds masterpiece "A Forest":




Both performances of The Cure "Reflections" were filmed for future DVD release, so look forward to that.


         5/31/11: 1st Set — Three Imaginary Boys

1. 10:15 Saturday Night
2. Accuracy
3. Grinding Halt
4. Another Day
5. Object
6. Subway Song
7. Foxy Lady
8. Meathook
9. So What
10. Fire In Cairo
11. It’s Not You
12. Three Imaginary Boys
    
    2nd Set — Seventeen Seconds
    
    
13. A Reflection
14. Play for Today
15. Secrets
16. In Your House
17. Forever
18. The Final Sound
19. A Forest
20. M
21. At Night
22. Seventeen Seconds
    
    3rd Set — Faith
     
23. The Holy Hour
24. Primary
25. Other Voices
26. All Cats Are Grey
27. The Funeral Party
28. Doubt
29. The Drowning Man
30. Faith
    
    1st Encore
     
31. World War
32. I’m Cold
33. Plastic Passion
34. Boy’s Don’t Cry
35. Killing An Arab
36. Jumping Someone Else’s Train
37. Another Journey By Train
    
    2nd Encore
     
38. Descent
39. Splintered in Her Head
40. Charlotte Sometimes
41. The Hanging Garden
    
    3rd Encore
     
42. Let’s Go to Bed
43. The Walk
44. The Lovecats

robert smith through the years

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Perhaps the most unifying band amongst old wavers is The Cure. Even if you think Depeche Mode are too wussy or you can't stand Morrissey's croon, you can get behind Robert Smith.

Hard to believe Disintegration has turned 20 years old, and The Cure have been at it since 1976.

Robert has thrown down some looks in that time - evolving from a fresh-faced post-punk kid to a fright-wigged crossdresser.














But no matter what he's wearing, Robert Smith has created some of the most timeless music of our era. Let's begin in 1979, with a French TV performance of "At Night", which would later become known as "A Forest":





Fast forward to 1982. Fresh off the release of Pornography, they're back in Paris for a TV performance of "The Hanging Garden":





Just a couple years later, in 1985, the goth has turned to pop on the Head On The Door tour featuring "In Between Days":





We'll end with Robert in his prime. It's 1990, Disintegration is at the top of the charts, and the Cure are full-on arena rock stars:




Now go home tonight and watch this: The Cure: Trilogy - Live In Berlin. You're welcome.