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<\/a>Hot on the heels of an expansive reissue set to commemorate the 30th<\/sup> anniversary of band\u2019s multi-platinum selling \u2018Sonic Temple\u2019 album The Cult have long since sold out Cardiff University\u2019s Great Hall, with this ten date run of shows across England, Wales and Scotland celebrating all things Sonic and Temple-like proving to be their most popular in many a year.<\/p>\nMyself having never been that big a fan of said opus (I much prefer the three albums that directly preceded it) I did initially dither a bit over whether to actually pick a ticket up for this one whilst in the weeks running up to the show itself I was half toying with the idea of passing it on to my RPM compadre Hotshot Hooper as he\u2019d only recently discovered the delights of band\u2019s largely superb back catalogue.<\/p>\n
A few memory jogging spins of the aforementioned 5 CD \u2018Sonic Temple\u2019 box set though and suddenly I\u2019m driving through stop\/start Friday night traffic and seemingly endless sheets of rain (there\u2019s a gag in there but I\u2019m not doing it\u2026yet) now actually half looking forward to seeing Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy back in the place they\u2019d almost half flattened six years earlier on the opening night of their then UK tour celebrating the \u2018Electric\u2019 album.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately due to my journey into Cardiff taking almost twice as long as usual I only get to catch the last two songs of tonight\u2019s openers The Last Internationale with the band sounding a hell of lot feistier than the last time I saw them live just down the M4 at the Newport Centre (plying their wares for a much more sedate Robert Plant audience), and by the time I\u2019ve finally taken up my prime viewing spot a few rows from the front of the stage singer\/bassist Delila Paz is already in the crowd and loving every second of their chance to play Wales once again.\u00a0 With new music to promote and upcoming dates across Europe with Rival Sons, what I did get to hear of The Last Internationale tonight sounded bluesy in a Buck & Evans kind of way yet still positively huge. So, if you\u2019re off to one of these shows make sure you get in early doors and check them out. It\u2019s not for me though.<\/p>\n
After the longest intro tape known to humanity seamlessly segues into Grant Fitzpatrick\u2019s gigantic bass rumble intro to \u2018Sun King\u2019 it feels like the audience in the Great Hall has suddenly trebled in size as the crowd slowly starts to wake up and dance along to the opening track of the night, but as Mr Astbury (who once again tonight looks and sounds back at his very best) states right from the off \u201cit\u2019s time to ease into things baby, let\u2019s not rush it\u201d. \u2018Wild Flower\u2019 quickly follows and unlike with the Love and Electric tours that have gone, it\u2019s interesting to note that The Cult have chosen not to play \u2018Sonic Temple\u2019 in sequence or in fact as it would go on to prove in its totality, with the final trio of tracks from the album (\u2018Soldier Blue\u2019, \u2018Wake Up Time For Freedom\u2019 and \u2018Medicine Train\u2019) all missing from the set list tonight.<\/p>\n Of the seven \u2018Temple\u2019 tracks aired during the first half of the set \u2018Sweet Soul Sister\u2019 complete with Damon Fox\u2019s sublime Jon Lord-like keyboard intro and thunderous drumming from John Tempesta truly soars in all its stadium rock majesty whilst \u2018Soul Asylum\u2019 is still The Cult\u2019s very own \u2018Kashmir\u2019, however aside from the new wave of classic rock brigade in attendance all trying to be teenagers once again, things (just like during the Love tour) don\u2019t really shift through the gears until we hit the \u2018Beyond Good & Evil\u2019 pairing of \u2018Rise\u2019 and \u2018American Gothic\u2019 give us a glimpse of 21st<\/sup> century Cult at their very finest.<\/p>\n Returning for an encore that sees \u2018Horse Nation\u2019 dedicated to the both long since departed and still very missed Nigel Preston and Swansea Circles club, its left to the ultimate goth anthem of \u2018She Sells Sanctuary\u2019 to close things out, and the delight on the faces of both Astbury and Duffy as the lights go up is there for everyone to see. Something that makes nights like these feel so much more special.<\/p>\n What lies ahead next for The Cult though I wonder? I doubt a Ceremony 30th<\/sup> anniversary tour is going to be high on many people\u2019s must-see lists, so will 2020 see new music from the band, and a long overdue follow up to 2016\u2019s Hidden City?<\/p>\n Whatever happens, It\u2019ll always be CFFC.<\/p>\n Author: Johnny Hayward<\/p>\n Review of Sonic Temple 30 Here<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>I never thought I\u2019d be saying this after tonight\u2019s drive, but the arrival of \u2018Rain\u2019 is welcomed with open arms (boom boom) as it finally gets all the old goths out of the shadows and going suitably bananas whilst \u2018Phoenix\u2019 complete with Stooges teaser intro courtesy of an on fire Billy Duffy sends the atmosphere off the scale. This leaves just enough time for \u2018Spiritwalker\u2019, Fire Woman\u2019 and \u2018Love Removal Machine\u2019 all in quick succession and all those brand new \u00a330 tour shirts in the crowd will certainly be in need of an immediate wash first thing in the morning.<\/p>\n