July 13, 2023

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The Cult kicked off their short US summer tour at MGM Northfield Park last night and they sounded fantastic.

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Singer Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy are the two founding members of the band and they are out supporting their 2022 release, Under The Midnight Sun.  

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The band kicked off the show with "Rise" and went right into "Sun King" from their most popular album Sonic Temple.   Unfortunately, there would only be one other song played from that album.

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The stage was very sparse, with just the bands amplifiers and instruments on the stage.  Not that they need a big production but it also would have been nice to get some good lighting.  The band members were often in the shadows, making it very difficult to see their faces.

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"Sweet Soul Sister" got the audience on their feet and singing along.

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In the middle of the set after playing a couple of deeper cuts from Electric, "Lil Devil" and "Aphrodisiac Jacket," a fan in the front yelled "Let's Go!"  Astbury responded "Let's go? This is my fucking house. No one paid to see you, bitch!"

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Astbury, who must have a very high opinion of himself later stated, "We must be the last rock band that gives a fuck.  Everyone's gone lazy."

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I will give The Cult credit, they do play completely live and they sound great.

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Closing out the set were two bangers that really picked up the momentum, "Rain" and "She Sells Sanctuary."

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After a brief exit, the band returned to rock out on "Peace Dog" and "Love Removal Machine" for the encore.

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You read that right, the band did not close with, nor did they play their biggest US hit "Fire Woman."  What a disappointment and let down to fans.

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I'm sure the Rolling Stones are sick of playing "Satisfaction" but they play it every show.  You gotta give the fans what they want. 

 

Maybe The Cult should take note. 

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Review and photos by Greg Drugan

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