The Cure

[AlexN]

Cure frontman ousts two members

I was not expecting this at all!!!!! I can understand kicking out Perry Bamonte, but not Roger O'Donnell. WTF?!? What they NEED to do is get rid of that God-awful drummer, Jason Cooper. That guy sucks so bad. They need to bring back Boris Williams, or Andy Anderson, anyone who isn't Jason Cooper. He plays with such bad taste. Ugh...

The perfect Cure line-up: Robert, Simon, Roger, Boris, Porl

Cure frontman ousts two members
By Jason MacNeil


TORONTO (Billboard) - Two veteran members of the Cure have exited the U.K. rock act, which has long featured a revolving door of musicians backing leader Robert Smith.

Keyboardist Roger O'Donnell and guitarist Perry Bamonte are out, leaving singer/guitarist Smith, bassist Simon Gallup and drummer Jason Cooper in the fold, according to the Cure's Web site (http://www.thecure.com)

"As of Tuesday this week I am no longer a member of the Cure," O'Donnell wrote on his Web site (http://www.rogerodonnell.com). "It was sad to find out after nearly 20 years the way I did but then I should have expected no less or more."

The Cure Web site coyly said others could be part of the lineup, promising more news soon. The new lineup will be unveiled on Aug. 5 when the Cure play a festival in Castellon, Spain. The band is also confirmed for festival dates in France, Switzerland and Turkey.

O'Donnell first played with the Cure from 1987 to 1990, when he was replaced by Bamonte, a Cure roadie. Bamonte switched to lead guitar after Porl Thompson left in 1993, and O'Donnell returned to the fold in 1995.

O'Donnell has been working on a solo album, "The Truth in Me," for the past six months and will release it in the fall on an as-yet-unnamed independent label.

Rumors are also circulating that Siouxie and the Banshees principal Steve Severin will fill in at the Cure's upcoming shows in some capacity. Severin and Smith are longtime friends who recorded a 1983 side-project album, "Blue Sunshine," under the moniker the Glove.

"It is true that we are talking again, but I haven't spoken to Robert since this story broke," Severin told Billboard.com. "All I know is that we are working together on making the most exciting remaster of 'Blue Sunshine' possible."

"Blue Sunshine" is such an awesome album.

 

[jennifer~]

Hyaena (the Banshees album which featured Robert Smith) was a slight disappointment IMO. I like Blue Sunshine, though... and I'd like to see Robert and Severin back together, just for the sake of it...

 

[kellyt]

Well I trust Robert Smith, so I'm sure The Cure will survive...

 

[brian]

"Blue Sunshine" is such an awesome album.

don't i know it...

 

[seaghost]

awww, i loved roger! he was so quaint (sniff)

 

[.francesca]

i'm a huge, huge cure fan...up until the mid-90s...i haven't heard much of their new album, but i really didn't like bloodflowers..why am i so disappointed in good 80s bands who just won't give up? like the new new order album is horrible

 

[AlexN]

I think "Bloodflowers" is great. I think the newest album sucks, though. Terrible production, weak songs, and Jason's drumming is at its most annoying and amateurishly cymbal-crashy. It sounds like they were trying to do an updated "p*rn*gr*phy" or something. The mistake they made was thinking they could do such a thing without any real emotion, energy, power, rawness, etc. It sounds so lazy...like merely going through the motions. Oh, not to mention the fact that they had nu-metal producer Ross Robinson produce it. What the hell were they thinking? That has to be one of the stupidest decisions they've ever made, along with hiring Jason Cooper and firing Roger O'Donnell. Why oh why would you get rid of the keyboardist responsible for the keyboard work on "Disintegration"? Anyhow...I thought "Bloodflowers" sounded quite inspired. It's like nothing else in the Cure's discography, in terms of music and lyrics. And a good portion of the drumming is quite tolerable and appropriate. Interesting that they started using drum machines in addition to drums as soon as Jason came aboard midway through "Wild Mood Swings".

 

[brian]

the new new order album is horrible

hey, i loved it!

...and that's all that matters!

 

[.francesca]

^ i didn't hate it, but it certainly didn't make me happy. not like movement or technique can do.

 

[brian]

very true!

 

[LolitaLuxe]

-----------

“We are delighted to announce the return of guitarist Porl Thompson for the cure shows this summer! This will be Porl's third time in the band - he first played from 1976 to 1978, and then again from 1983 to 1993 and it's a real pleasure to have him back once more!”

 

[city girl]

i'm a huge, huge cure fan...up until the mid-90s...i haven't heard much of their new album, but i really didn't like bloodflowers..why am i so disappointed in good 80s bands who just won't give up? like the new new order album is horrible

oh god i agree..i havnt got the cd but new orders new songs are terrible! their last cd had at least 60 mph and crystal which were awesome songs!

 

[AlexN]

I'm glad Porl's back. It's a big step in the right direction.

 

[polka_dot]

I can't believe they don't have a thread already! They're my all-time favorite band.

I looked for their biography, but couldn't find it.

 

[Tiny Dancer]

I LOVE The Cure! Amazing band. Hot Hot Hot!!! is one of my favorite songs, and Lullaby is the most beautiful song ever

 

[jennifer~]

I love the Cure... some albums more than others, as it is...... and 'p*rn*gr*phy' over all, but they had so many high points in their career I'm beginning to ramble...

 

[tvsnow]

Good band
*procrastinates*

I like the Bloodflowers album best.

 

[jennifer~]

Couldn't resist

 

[polka_dot]

They're so amazing and versatile. I love how every album doesn't sound exactly the same.

Hot Hot Hot! is definitely a favorite of mine too.

The Cure is almost a third of the songs on my iPod.

 

[Fiammifero]

Lullaby is the most beautiful song ever

I second this.