The Cure at Riot Fest

The Cure at Riot Fest was magic. Every song was suffused with the melancholy or dissonant drive you'd expect from the band. They came across energetic and focused. Their sound was big and crisp and held up well in the outdoor setting.

Shake Dog Shake was the opening song, followed by Fascination Street. I was thrilled to hear my favourites and equally excited that they played variations on the album tracks. This was my first time seeing them live, so I didn't know what to expect. Plenty of artists who were at the peak of popularity decades ago are now lacklustre in concert. Not so The Cure. They had the ease of consummate professionals and the electric charge of bands in their prime.

The highlight for me was Lullaby. The seductive tremble in Robert Smith's voice as he delivered the sinister line, “Spiderman is having me for dinner tonight.” He wore a jacket with a pattern like cobwebs and fog floated over him. I felt intoxicated. It wasn't only the ethereal music, but a combination of the day's indulgences, wonderful company and tender arms wrapped around my waist.

After one of the lyrical pieces Smith joked with the audience that he was worried about playing it at Riot Fest. He followed it up with a few that showed their intense side.

The members were completely unified. They were clearly loving what they do. They played a long set - about two hours worth. For an encore they did three stellar songs: Close to Me, Why Can't I Be You? and Boys Don't Cry. Then the floodlights came up and we stumbled home through the mud. On that kind of night I felt perfection was possible.