By: Adam Harrison (@AdamRHarrison) –
The Cult. (Photo: Adam Harrison/Aesthetic Magazine Toronto)
It was ‘80s throwback night in Toronto as The Cult brought Electric to the Danforth Music Hall last night, as they played their classic 1987 album in its entirety, plus a selection of hits.
The capacity crowd gave the band from Bradford, England a warm welcome, despite the frustration from starting their set 45-minutes late. They opened with “Wild Flower”, the opening track of Electric and continued through the album thereafter. The set went through some highs and lows as they hit some of the back catalogue songs from the album, losing them a bit of steam, which is always a risk when performing a full album. The biggest reaction came during the hit single “Love Removal Machine”, which sounded bang on and had the capacity theatre dancing on their toes.
After completing Electric, the band took a 20-minute break. Again, swaying the momentum of the concert. They returned with “Rain”, a classic from their 1985 album Love, and a clear crowd pleaser. But then again, the choice of songs became questionable. Selecting a few fan favourites along with a bundle of tunes that had a lot of audience members saying “I don’t remember this one”, and leaving out some milestone hits like “Fire Woman”, “Edie (Ciao Baby)” and “Heart of Soul”.
Front man and lead singer, Ian Astbury, who rocked a fur coat and sunglasses the entire night, is one of two remaining original members of The Cult along with guitarist Billy Duffy. His voice hasn’t changed over the years and he still hit the same notes, but doesn’t seem to hold them as long, which was noticeable during the melody-heavy “Sweet Soul Sister” and set closing, claim-to-fame hit “She Sells Sanctuary”.
Astbury and the boys returned again for a two-song encore. The first was “Spiritwalker”, their first ever single from 1984, followed and finished with “Sun King” a favourable choice and ending to the show.
The Cult is a band that still sounds good into their mature age. This show had the potential to be memorable, but unfortunately long wait times and a hit-or-miss set list diminished the experience. Nevertheless it’s good to see the boys still got it.
The Cult Set-List
1. Wild Flower
2. Peace Dog
3. Lil’ Devil
4. Aphrodisiac Jacket
5. Electric Ocean
6. Bad Fun
7. King Contrary Man
8. Love Removal Machine
9. Zap City
10. Outlaw
11. Memphis Hip Shake
12. Elemental Light Video
13. Rain
14. Honey From a Knife
15. Nirvana
16. Sweet Soul Sister
17. Embers
18. The Phoenix
19. Rise
20.She Sells Sanctuary
Encore:
21. Spiritwalker
22. Sun King
Aesthetic Magazine | Album Reviews, Concert Photography, Interviews, Contests 
Second song would be Peace Dog and not Sun King. I had tickets to this show but traded them for Tuesday’s show in Mississauga. Looking forward to seeing my favourite band play my favorite album.
Posted by Joseph | December 8, 2013, 5:41 pmThanks Joseph. We changed it.
Posted by Aesthetic Magazine Toronto | December 9, 2013, 1:16 am