Vienna, Austria, Planet Music
There was plenty of long hair, denim and tattoos packed into Planet Music, a
dark and dirty sweatbox of a venue in Vienna, Austria. Billed as the “home
of rock” in that part of the world, there’d be no arguments from myself nor
the 500 other punters assembled to see The Cult play that this was any
deviation from the truth.
During recent times The Cult have spent more time apart than as a functioning
unit. The core nucleus of the band for the past 20 years has centred around
singer Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy, two diametrically different
personalities that when fused together in the form of a rock band have given
The Cult a characteristic sound that has constantly evolved since their debut
album released back in 1984.
As the band emerged on stage, Astbury and Duffy joined by Mike Dimkitch
(guitar), Chris Wyse (bass) and John Tempesta (drums) launched into Horse
Nation to start what was to be a solid, fan pleasing, greatest hits set.
The sound throughout proved to be excellent, as much a reflection on the
tightness of the band as it was on the acoustics within the venue.
And while there wasn’t much banter on stage from Astbury or Duffy, the dynamic
between them looking at times ambivolent, the level of respect each has for
the other is evident as they go about doing what they do best.
Rain, a song which judging from the crowd reaction did a lot more in the
charts in Europe than it did in Australia, was greeted with much jumping and
arm waving. The only new song played on the night I Assasin also received
nods of approval and solid applause from many who would have been hearing
it for the first time.
The set came home strongly with Rise and Love Removal Machine followed by a
brief wait for the predictable but worthy encore of She Sells Sanctuary, which
received an almighty roar as Duffy effortlessly launched into the instantly
recognizable echoing riff on his trademark white Gretsch Falcon.
When a band like The Cult has such a large back catalogue to draw upon, the
hardened fan is always going to have some point of contention about the
choice of setlist. For myself it was the lack of anything from 1994’s
self-titled album but this is really only a trivial criticism – there is only
so much you can fit into a 90 minute set. With a new album set for release
in September, let’s hope that the boys can keep it together long enough to
return to Australia for the first time since 1995.
Rodney Magazinovic
The show was great, the music was great, the people were great & I am a happy
cult fan :-)
We were there long before the show, coz I had self-painted funny t-shirts to
give to the band and hoped to meet them... in the meantime met all the cool,
lovely, nice austrian cult fans and friends, esp. Claus & Petar! It was a great
& special night ! Happy I can share it with people and true cult fans like you
:-)
An old lady was waiting there too and we started talking, so i found out she
was an autogramm collector. she had cult pictures to sign – but with matt
sorum on it, i told her he's not in the band anymore, she just drew over his
face with her pen, lol. good thing was she new where the bands are coming in
and the van they were coming with. So when they finally arrived I was of course
the first who greeted them.
Chris, Mike and John stayed a little so we had a quick chat and hugs :-) and
asked them about the surprise-gig a night before in Budapest with the tribute
band. They smiled about it and said that it has been very funny. I gave them
the t-shirts, Mike signed some stuff for my cult-friends far away in other
countries (those people will have mail soon!), quite surprised of the
friendship between cult-fans worldwide :-)
I asked him if he could take it to the others to have it signed, he said I
should wait after the show .... and in they went. Billy wasn't in the mood
again for talking with fans, he went in very quickly and without looking at
anyone. don't know when Ian came, I wanted to get in to be in the front row – so
I was, in front of chris's microphone stand.
(p.s.: Ian didn't want to meet fans and do signatures, a photographer from a
newspaper got in and said it was the only or one of the very few autographs
Ian would give this evening, signing a death-cult pictured - cd for him)
The waiting was horrible, the cult is the only band that makes me so excited
and nervous, I couldn't wait! so i chatted with the security guy – a nice one
:-) , I told him that Ian is not a friend of security guys and that at a doors
show in austria he held his mikrophone as if he would piss on the security's head
;-). Then finally Darren (i think it was him) did his blink-blink with the
torch which means – they are coming!!!!!!!!!
From the first tone on I was like on a wild, crazy, wonderful trip. It is too hard
for me to explain, true fans know that feeling. They take me to this fantastic world
full of sound and I feel so free and happy, must be all the luck-hormons coming
out :-)
Horse Nation as the first song is so perfect ! followed by Nirvana, one of my
favourites. The rest of the setlist I don't remember. Was just busy dancing,
jumping, headbanging, screaming, taking pics, enjoying, ......(enough space to
jump and dance in front row, never experienced that before! I think luck was on my
side the whole night)
3 songs I taped videos, but the sound quality is total crap. the sound was, where
I stood not very good, I could hardly hear ian singing. nevertheless – I had a
great time with myself and the music :-) Especially when they played my all time
favourite song Phoenix, wanted to videotape it but after a few seconds of the
guitar sound I had to stop, close my eyes and dance. I always have a mental
orgasm when I hear this song live. Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Before the encore I threw the shirts for Ian and Billy on the stage. Ian just
took the bag and threw it somewhere, then i saw mike saying something to ian and
looking at me, chris told me from the stage that he likes his shirt - so my
t-shirt mission was fulfilled ;-)
I was full of sweat and so thirsty after the show and exhausted and happy happy
happy. A minute after it was over one of my kids phoned me and I could tell my
lovely family how happy mama is and that I have to calm down before I go home :-)
So I calmed down with a few beers, chatting with the cult friends and my best
friend gerda (who knows me and my cult-addiction for over 20 years now). Then
suddenly John, Mike and Chris came out. John liked his t-shirt a lot and thanked
me like a gentleman (his t-shirt is really the coolest one!). I told him he was
drumming like the animal from the muppets :-) what cool, nice, funny, intelligent
guys and gentlemen they are! so i got the autographs from john and chris too,
like mike had said before the show ;-).
Billy and Ian I didn't see. Claus stayed at the exit so maybe he was lucky :-)
(p.s.: he was lucky, was one of the few who were invited to meet billy duffy, got
signatures and a very nice talk!)
My friend Gerda was glad and surprised that they are such cool, nice people with who
you can chat and talk like they were 'old friends'. I didn't talk about the cult
with them, didn't want to destroy the good 'private' atmosphere. Gerda and I
stayed there quite a long time, drinking, talking, having a good time. Mike knew
so many german words and sentences, he's a humorous man and Chris I like a lot too
(if he would just shave off the beard ;-)). good people. I hope they stay with
the cult!
When the bar closed we had more talk and drinks backstage, 2 pretty vienniese
girls were there too but I only remember me talking, I think I was in talkative
mood that night, lol. They wanted us to go on 'partying' with them but we got
tired and I felt drunk (probably because I was ;-)), so we left with lots of
hugging and saying goodbye. chris gave us stickers from his band owl – have a
look at: www.owltheband.net
At home I felt excited and awake again coz I told my man about my luck and
happiness, had another beer with gerda's boyfriend to calm down again and fell
asleep in my man's strong arms :-)
now imagine me the next morning at work: me, the teacher, still on a cult-high,
telling my students how wonderful the cult are - all day.
pics:
http://picasaweb.google.com/wiesl3
manuela, rechnitz, austria
Setlist
Horse Nation
Nirvana
Spiritwalker
Electric Ocean
Fire Woman
In The Clouds
The Witch
Wonderland
Edie (Ciao Baby)
Rain
I Assassin
The Phoenix
Ris
Wild Flower
Love Removal Machine
Encore
She Sells Sanctuary