Ben Tanguy

Domaine National de Saint-Cloud, 30 August

If you asked me to name any 80s rock singer whose voice truly hasn’t aged, I’d place my bets on either Robert Smith or Morrissey. Not that they’d accept any comparison, though; Morrissey famously branded Smith a “whingebag”. But if Smith whinges, he does it with style – as The Cure’s performance at Rock en Seine showcased to perfection. For some bands, it appears, a nearly 50-year history only improves their musicianship.

With the release of Songs of a Lost World in November 2024, The Cure re-emerged into the public eye with a recognisably atmospheric if almost oppressively melancholic record – their first in 16 years, and a true return to form. Of course, a prolonged absence of original new material hasn’t stopped Smith and his bandmates touring, most recently in Europe and North America. This isn’t the first time that The Cure have graced the Saint-Cloud stage, either, with their last gig in 2019.

Seven years left plenty of time for anticipation to build, and build it did; it was a struggle to get anywhere close to the stage. Any attempt to advance was quickly bogged down by hardcore fans already packed into the festival field over an hour early. Our waiting was handsomely rewarded, though, by a whopping 29-song setlist spanning the band’s vast catalogue, from the vigorous post-punk riffs of Three Imaginary Boys to the gothic gloom and lush synthesisers of Disintegration.

The opener to Songs and the festival itself, ‘Alone' lulled the crowd into a hushed silence as they waited for Smith’s vocals to begin at the half-way mark, with a pensive yet anticipatory atmosphere. Meanwhile, a satellite view of Earth rotated on the screen behind Smith, gradually receding to the singer’s wails of “Where did it go?”. Holding his guitar tight to his chest to the refrain “Never let you go”, he segued into ‘High’, the audience clapping along with the beat. In a sign of things to come, he was clearly enjoying himself, although clearly not as much as the enamoured crowd.

Speaking of Disintegration, the set list started strong with ‘Pictures of You’, ‘Lovesong’, and ‘Fascination Street’ in quick succession. A swirling psychedelic backdrop perfectly suited these songs, only occasionally offset by images of Parisian landmarks doubtless appreciated by the American tourists present.

Smith didn’t shy away from some deeper cuts, too, jumping into the 1990 single ‘Never Enough’ with screaming guitars drenched in enough distortion and wah pedals to burst an eardrum. His vocals, on the other hand, become increasingly subdued, murmuring “Never enough” through gritted teeth as the crowd sang along. Helped by the instantly recognisable riff of ‘Push’ and the opening bassline of ‘Just Like Heaven’ (which predictably generated cheers), the energy was hardly let off.

Cue a “change of pace”, in Smith’s own words, with Bloodflowers’ moody magnum opus ‘Last Day of Summer’. There couldn’t have been a better way to conclude the festival season, as night fell over Paris and pastoral scenes gradually bled black and white on the screen behind the band. It’s up there with the best of the band’s discography and another deep cut, making for an enjoyable, if mildly depressing, surprise.

The setlist also featured a sprinkling of tracks from Seventeen Seconds, starting with ‘A Day Like Today’, propelled by an intense, guitar-driven momentum missing from the studio recording. With the crowd chanting along to the guitar riff in a frenzy, making even Robert Smith smile, you’re left to wonder whether the song could be considered dad rock’s anthemic equivalent of ‘Seven Nation Army’. The saxophone, courtesy of the drummer’s son Gabriel Cooper, was a particular standout, further elevating the track.

As you’d expect, The Cure knew a thing or two about atmosphere, and didn’t disappoint on that front. While a blood-red moon loomed behind them on the screen, a full moon rose above the stage, stars coming out in a clear night sky. All of this made for an unforgettable build-up as the crowd counted in the verse of ‘A Forest’, Smith’s backlit figure watching silently from the stage.

The visuals were consistently memorable, as well. ‘Lullaby’ featured a spider traversing its web, ‘Friday I’m in Love’ has, of course, a flurry of love hearts, the Seventeen Seconds songs benefit from an ice cold, wintry feel. You could tell, whether as a lifelong fan or a casual observer, that they knew what they were doing. No wonder, then, that they ended the encore with a sequence of bops like ‘The Lovecats’, Smith dancing on stage with infectious enthusiasm throughout. And to round it all off: ‘Boys Don’t Cry’, the unmatched anthem for 80s disaffected youth — and a thoroughly enjoyable closer.

It’s clear that his whingeing has aged like fine wine, and I’m certainly not worried about the quality of any future releases. Far from being burnt out, The Cure may be on track to release some of their best material in decades. Luckily for us, Robert Smith just doesn’t know when to stop.

Thanks to Ephelide for granting The Boar access to the festival.