The Cult w/ The Black Ryders
The Fillmore Charlotte
Nov. 13, 2010
The Deal: Rockers The Cult offer short, half-hearted set to half-packed Fillmore.
The Good: The show got started by The Black Ryders who offered a 40-minute set of indie shoegaze rock. The crowd watched, but seemed to have a hard time really getting into it. Scott Von Ryper and Aimee Nash went back and forth on vocals giving some diversity to the music.
The Cult hit the stage at roughly 10:40 and ran through 14 songs — a handful of hits with a few new tunes thrown in. Before “New York City,” singer Ian Astbury broke a tambourine into a few pieces and threw them on the ground — I couldn’t tell if it was planned or frustration.
While Astbury proved he can still hit all of the notes, his voice also lacked in moments. I noticed it first during “Sweet Soul Sister,” when he simply didn’t hold some of the notes of the chorus, instead ending them short as if he was out of breath. He offered sporadic thank yous, but didn’t say much to the crowd outside of that.
Along with classics such as “Fire Woman” and “She Sells Sanctuary,” they also offered newer tunes such as “Embers.”
The Bad: The Cult have been playing the same 15-song set list for the duration of their tour and really appeared to have “phoned it in.” While Astbury offered a few glimpses of interest, he also remained somewhat static in his performance.
Having never seen the band before, and knowing that they’ve been at it for decades, I expected a more enthusiastic performance. I wanted a little more emotion from Astbury and a little more flair from Duffy.
Duffy offered sporadic soaring licks on the guitar, but generally appeared to be going through the motions and raising the occasional “goblet of rock.”
The Verdict: Not a bad show, but I expected more from a band that has been at it for so long — at least show me that you still enjoy being on stage and aren’t just doing it for the paycheck.
The Cult setlist
Everyman and Woman is a Star
New York City
The Phoenix
Rain
Sweet Soul Sister
White
Lil Devil
Nirvana
Spiritwalker
Embers
Rise
Fire Woman
Wild Flower
She Sells Sanctuary
Encore
Love Removal Machine
This article appears in Nov 9-15, 2010.
I couldn’t disagree more with your review. The Cult showed remarkable energy, and their setlist was great. Didn’t you notice the crowd going nuts?
I Was there and thought they were great and full of energy, it was the crowd that seemed lackluster. Astbury even called them at it at several occasions but got nothing.
I saw them in Seattle a few months ago, and felt along those same lines about the show. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Cult, and was excited to see them for the first time. But Billy’s “going through the motions” & Ian’s seeming “frustration” strike a chord with my experience of the show.