good morning! It appears as if the entire world is on Harry Winks Watch, with our boy wonder nearing a transfer to Leicester. Normally he’d be our hoddle hero for the day, but we have a concert review to write. So expect his lovely mug front and centre when you drink your morning beverages tomorrow
——
In all the concerts I’ve attended over the years, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a musician as gracious as Robert Smith. The Cure lead singer and guitarist soaked in every moment during the band’s performance at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Saturday night, at times venturing to each side of the stage staring in awe at the crowd.
This was a crowd devoted to The Cure.
Is there a group out there that makes heartbreak sound so beautiful? I dare anyone to not feel the pang of heartache as Simon Gallup’s bass rings out the deep, sullen notes booming against Smith’s poetic Pictures of You.
And so by the second song a crowd consisting of tens of thousands had become a veritable broken hearts club. The only man who seemed capable of reparing us all was Robert Smith.
Fitzie’s track of the day, part one: Pictures of You, by The Cure
The gothic guitarist only got stronger through their 29-song show that included two encores and ticked in at a little under three hours.
As much as Smith gets the appropriate respect he deserves, as much praise must be given to the band’s musicianship, particularly on Charlotte Sometimes, A Forest and Disintegration.
But it was the second encore that I’ll remember the most. Beginning with Lullaby, I’ve never heard a band go through a stretch of songs that only built up more and more. To move from moodier tunes into the synth-disco The Walk to the headturning pop powerhouse Friday I’m In Love.
Fitzie’s track of the day, part two: A Forest, by The Cure
And then, of course, Close To You which features one of my favourite bass lines.
As I walked around Wells Fargo Center I saw all sorts of people in their goth ensembles. Kids, teenagers, folks my age and even those a couple decades older. I saw parents and their kids dressed in black.
Meanwhile I was wearing a plain white t-shirt and green joggers. I guess I didn’t get the memo.
But that’s kind of The Cure’s ethos, right?
From goth anthems like Disintegration to pop mainstays such as Just Like Heaven, The Cure never seemed afraid to do something different or to be authentic.
They’ve sung that message from the very beginning.
Fitzie’s track of the day, part three: Boys Don’t Cry, by The Cure
And now for your links:
The Athletic ($$): James Maddison deal nearly a decade in the making
For those who don’t want to listen to three songs by The Cure, the official song for the Women’s World Cup is out
Inter Miami appoint Tata Martino as head coach
Luton Town sign Chiedozie Ogbene from Rotherham
