The Cult
Webster Theatre
Hartford, Connecticut
November 3, 2010
After a bit of a hiatus, The Cult is back and in the midst of a US Tour. In addition, the band has just released four track extended play with two new songs and two live cuts. In fact, they opened with a new song called “Every Man and Woman is a Star,” and it sounded great; a cross between the “Love” and “Electric.” albums. From there, the band covered all of the bases highlighting proper representation of their works.
“Rain,” which many feel is the band’s best song ever, came surprisingly early in the set as did the full on hard rock of “Sun King.” Ian Astbury still harbors great resemblance to the Lizard King from the beard to the mannerisms behind the mic and in his inflections (remember that he spent some time with The Doors as their front man). Looking resplendent as he clutched the mic stand while gazing out from behind his shades, Astbury should get more acclaim than he does. And what about the riff king, Billy Duffy. His creativity and genius has shaped The Cult’s sound into what we’ve been hearing all these years – from the alternative cool of “Love” to the bare-knuckled AC/DC groove of “Electric” to the classic rock onslaught of “Sonic Temple” - Duffy has never rested with a tried and true formula. Rather, he has shifted The Cult from one musical genre to another while keeping the band’s musical identity intact. As he ripped into the likes of “Fire Woman”, “Lil Devil”, “Rise”, “Wild Flower”, and “Love Removal Machine”, one can really appreciate the man’s talents – certainly not flashy or a shredder, but his innate ability to craft songs that resonate with riffs that are simple, but effective put him heads and tails above many others in the business.
Overall, a great show by an eternally underrated and underappreciated band.
