Live report December 13th, OVO Arena London UK

December 14th, 2022 - 7:04 pm - On the air, in the middle of nowhere between London and Canary Islands

Where to start? Probably from the end. Well, not really the end yet. I’m seated on a plane I took this afternoon in London, destination Fuerteventura, in Canary Islands. We are going back home. We live in Madrid.

What?

Anyway… jump cut to…


December 12th, 2022 - 7:04 am - Barajas Airport, Madrid

We woke up very early in the morning and reached Madrid airport on time to catch the plane to London. The flight had an hour delay because of bad weather conditions at Stansted. I had seen some videos and pictures of the snow in London the previous night. I was so afraid that the flight could be cancelled I didn’t sleep, not even half an hour. Fortunately the plane took off. We arrived at London an hour later than expected, that was all.

We jumped on a coach, destination Liverpool St., smiling. We were almost there. We have made it. A lady got on the bus saying the coach didn’t work. What? We had to go down and wait in the cold for the next one for a while. Finally, another coach came and left us at Liverpool St. an hour later, almost at noon. So, we thought that, before the Hotel check-in (at 3pm), we could pay a visit to some record stores. Why not?


December 12th, 2022 - 12.04 pm - Liverpool St., London

Rough Trade East was at a very nice five minutes walk from the station. At the shop, doubts quickly appeared: there were too many records we wanted. Waaaay too many records. We spent quite a while deciding wich ones to buy. Finally, the 4 vinyl box of Black Country New Road last album, and a couple of Sonic Youth records were chosen.

We still had some time left before hotel check-in stuff so we went straight to the Soho via Piccadilly. Sister Ray and Reckless Records are there. You know, Berwick, the street of Oasis’ Morning Glory cover blablablablehbluh. We scored Kate Bush’ Hounds of Love and Dirty from Sonic Youth. As you can see, I was travelling with a hardcore SY fan. Hardcore fans... hmmmm…

A burger later near to Oxford Street, we finally arrived at our hotel in Earl’s Court. A very cheap one, wonderfully named "The Paramount", with thousands of stairs up to the 4th floor where our room was. It had an eerie atmosphere, a very Shining’ twin girls vibes there. Room was tiny. No problem. Mattress was soft, way too soft. No problem. Bathroom looked like a closet. No problem. The smell in it, due to the pipes was terrible. A bit of a problem. Anyway, this was a low cost trip so that was what it was. We had to get used to for a couple of nights. “Odorless pipes or more money to spend on records?” “More records” Yes. Right answer.

We rested for a couple of hours and then realized that that very night The Cure was going to play in the city. But we had no tickets. And not too much money to spend. We only had tickets for the third night. An old friend of mine from Madrid, who also came to attend the last show, wrote me a message from a Cure Party, near Wembley: “There are a couple of guys who are selling seat tickets quite cheap, about £60”. We looked at each other and thought “what are we doing lying in this bed? Resting is for the weak! Let’s spend some more cash”. You only live once.

We still had enough time to arrive before the gig kick off, so we jumped in the Tube with the hope of finding a couple of tickets. At the very Conan Doyle Baker St, waiting for the Metropolitan Line that takes to Wembley, another message from my friend arrived: “Don't come. Not a single ticket left”. Shjt. Bummer. No Cure tonight after all.

“So, what can we do now?” We googled the map and realized we were not so far away from Abbey Road. It was just a 20 minutes walk. We went there chatting and trying to survive the slippery ice on the sidewalks. I’ve been a crazy Beatles fan since I was a kid and never been at Abbey Road before in any of my previous trips to London, so it was about time. We took some pictures in the crossing, wich looked very nice at night and wandered around for a while. You know, tourist things. There was something going on in the studio, few people were waiting behind the fence and looking, just looking. Surely it wasn’t The Beatles so I didn’t ask. We left.

Picked the Tube at St John’s Wood and had some pizza before falling exhausted on the soft mattress bed. We were so tired that didn’t care about the bathroom smell…


December 13th, 2022 - 7:04 am - Earl’s Court, London

Woke up in the dark with the aftertaste of pipes smell in the bac... er… Woke up and after a shower and breakfast in a Pub close to the Hotel we went straight to the Tube. We had an appointment with my friend at Camden. “We can have a walk in the market and visit some more record shops” “Sure, why not?” We love those artifacts that sound terrible and are useless in a XXI century digital world.

We met him and a friend of his, and talked about the old times. I became friend of this guy at high school about thirty some years ago. Within a year, we were crafting a handmade Cure fanzine that run up to four issues. It was 1989, the year Disintegration broke and changed everything. We saw the band for the first time on The Prayer Tour in an unforgettable June hot as hell night. We chatted about those days, about the people we met at gothic pubs, the girlfriends we had, the fun, the parties, the hangovers… Good times.

So, we had some food, wandered around Camden and searched in the bins of several second hand record stores. A very nice way to spend the morning.

Have to say I love London’s Tube aesthetics. Those corridors, stairs, labyrinths, tiled walls, stations, signs, names, trains, that logo… I feel like I’m in a retro future movie. I love it so much.

Before returning to the hotel, we thought that paying a visit to Portobello's Rough Trade store could also be interesting. Who needs London landmarks and monuments when you can have more records? Went there, picked a couple more –Mazzy Star’s So Tonight That I Might See and Endure from Special Interest– had something to drink and went back for a quick rest before the Show.


December 13th, 2022 - 6:04 pm - Wembley Arena, London. The Show

Finally.

Doors opened at 6 pm, as announced. We scored a very good spot in front of Robert, four/fifth row or so. Very close to the stage.

TTS started and it was so good to realize that Wembley sounds much better than Madrid’s Wizink Arena or Barcelona’s Palau San Jordi.

At 8:15 pm The Cure appeared. Sounding great, Robert’s voice in fantastic shape, Alone took the venue and the last European show took off. I finally enjoy Alone. It’s a very nice song. I’m not mad about it, but it is good. Then, the regular set of this tour (Pictures, A Night Like This, etc).

About the audience. Have to say I was a bit surprised about the people around us. Not too passionate. Almost everyone still. I was expecting something different. In fact, a guy I had on my right told me during Want to shut up because I was annoying him with my loud singing. He was right, for sure. But it was a gig, where people sing the songs. And behind me, another bloke, arms crossed, spent the main set pushing me all the time because apparently I was also bothering him with my jumps and clumsy dances. I’ve always thought that when you go to a concert you are allowed to jump, dance and sing as terribly as you can if you feel like to, as long as you don’t bother your neighbors, but it seems I was bothering them. I guess I was surrounded by very serious people. Sadly, something similar happened to me before in Madrid and Barcelona this year. Anyway, I thought “I’m sorry mates but I’m gonna keep jumping and singing” so I lowered my voice a bit and kept doing my thing. Gladly, there were also a few passionate people close to us. There was woman who knew every line by heart and sang and danced the whole time. Beautiful. Also behind me a proud mother with a wide smile and her shy lovely young daughter were clearly having the time of their lives, specially the daughter. Wonderful to see. After the gig she told me it was her first time watching the band. You should have seen her face. It was shining.

The main set was the best of the three I’ve witnessed this year. No Fragile Thing, wich I don't like TBH, a good Seventeen Seconds chunk with M included, Want, Shake Dog Shake, Trust, Cold, A Strange Day… Not my dreamed set, but a very decent one. Unfortunately, the six minutes flute torture was played. My flames suit came to mind. Also the cheesy And Nothing is Forever wich doesn’t speak to me at all. But that was it. I enjoyed the rest of it very much, despite my two guardians of the good manners at a show.

About Endsong: I have had the feeling since the first time I listened it that it's a song that I’ve heard before. It has strong Bloodflowers vibe. The vocal melodies seemed somehow a repetition of old songs. Nothing new or very interesting. I still have a bit of that initial perception, but after these months I can say I finally enjoy the song live. It’s a good tune, the best of the new ones in my opinion. I still need to hear the studio version and listen to all the nuances to decide if those 10 minutes are justified. I love long, slow developments, endless repetition, the progression of a certain mood... Endsong seems like it is going to be one of the longest songs The Cure has ever recorded (along with Watching Me Fall and The Promise). It needs to be perfectly crafted to justify that length.

So… first encore. Robert mumbled something about less frequently played songs. Good sign.

I was relieved A Forest wasn’t being played yet, that meant no Plainsong / Prayers / Disintegration. I love those songs but I didn’t travel here to listen to them. After I Can Never Say Goodbye that I don’t dig at all, sorry, Three Imaginary Boys started. Yes. That’s more like it. And then, completely unexpected for me as they played it the first night, One Hundred Years drum machine glorious pattern began. Now we are talking. I didn’t even realize at first. What a wonderful surprise. All this crazy trip has been worthy no matter what. I lost it with One Hundred Years as it always happens when I hear it live. I really went nuts. Felt sorry for my guards. Well, not true. I didn’t care at all.

And then… something unexpected. Up to that point, we were feeling a bit alone with our passionate hardcorish unpolite behaviour. But, like a typhoon, two ladies appeared from out of nowhere, smiling, dancing and singing Primary out loud. They stopped right where we were. One of them had the Faith black t-shirt and a Cure Wish logo tattoo on her wrist. They were wonderful. Now we were some more. Jumping screaming singing and dancing started to spread slowly around us. By the time A Forest started, the mood had changed. We were finally allowed to move around, some people moved back from us and we were free at last. I think it was also in A Forest when an Argentinian young couple also appeared, with the same fun spirit we had. Everything was set up for the pop? encore.

So Lullaby. OK. Then The Walk. People started to really get into it. Friday. Lots of yelling, singing and dancing in high spirits. Then Unstuck. I have to say I thought of steve and the end of his curse. I smiled. Close To Me. Cheerful but never works for me live. Inbetween Days. Same as always. Then Just Like Heaven. Violent mosh pit. Wait a minute… what?

Yeah, Just Like Heaven was the shjt. People went nuts and friendly violent in the mosh. Soooo much fun. Best JLH ever. It was a very different Just Like Heaven justlikeheaven, believe me. At least in our spot.

Finally, Boys Don’t Cry. One of the main moshers, a guy called Mark if I recall correctly, l started to shout like a madman: “C’mon! C’mon! Boys Don’t Cry! This is the last one! This is the last one! Here we go! C’mon” I grabbed him and shouted: “NO! 10:15 and Killing an Arab will follow!” I swear I’m not making it up. I just knew BDC couldn’t be the last one. What kind of tour ending is that?. Anyway, BDC was at least as wild as JLH, with the Argentinians, my friend, his friend, us, the Primary ladies, Mark and some new additions acting like maniacs.

And yes, it happened. Old school classic ending. What a joy, dear friends. I went nuts when I saw Robert grab one of that ugly electric guitars he plays nowadays. I screamed "Yeeeeeeeeeah!" Everyone around us sang, pushed, shoved and danced with/to/against each other, all of us complete strangers. FUN. Pure fun. When KAA ended, I faced this Mark guy and said: “I told you, I fvcking told you!” “You were right, you were right, my friend!” We laughed. I love when these stupid, unexpected things happen at concerts. Sharing the joy of watching a band like this with random people and talking nonsense.

And that was all. Not bad. Not bad at all. The only letdown is that fiveswinglive and lioness are not going to see me wearing the flames suit.

We left Wembley and went as fast as we could to the Tube. We didn’t want to miss last train to Earl’s Court. Hugged and said goodbye to my friend before taking separate ways. Earl’s Court Rd. was still alive when we reached there, so we bought some food and drinks and went straight to bed. Played Cocteau Twins to sleep. But I did have very little sleep. I was worried. Planes…


December 14th, 2022 - 7:04 am - Earl’s Court, London

Planes indeed. We needed two to reach home. First one to Fuerteventura, a 4.30 hours trip. And the second one to Madrid. An additional 2.30 hours. With only a 1.45 minutes gap between them. Total craziness. But this was the only way I found to flight cheaply to London. A roundtrip with direct flights was insanely expensive. It was this or nothing. Who said I don’t like The Cure enough?

Reached Stansted by bus on time. After the tedious check point we had something to eat. You guessed it: junk food. Then we boarded on the plane. Everything on time. “Great!. We are gonna make it!”. Well, not really… A Captain message through the speakers ruined it all. “We are gonna have a delay in departure of about two hours due to ice on the tracks”. Huge bummer. I didn’t mind to take an extra plane to African latitudes just to take another one back to Madrid, but the perspective of being stranded at the Canary Islands with no hotel and no new flight booked for the next day was quite depressing. We spent 2:37 minutes seated on the plane, waiting to take off. Quite hellish. I looked for hotels in Fuerteventura and flights to Madrid in the meantime. Anyway, finally the plane took off and reached the Islands four hours and half later, at 9 pm. Of course, our transit flight to Madrid was gone long time ago. Hello Fuerteventura, long time no see! WTF are we doing here?


December 14th, 2022 - 9:04 pm - Fuerteventura, Canary Islands

We seated on the Terminal, grabbed the iPad and booked a Hotel close to the airport and a flight for the next day. Jesuscrist. We grabbed a taxi and reached the Hotel within 10 minutes. The temperature was fantastic, 22º C degrees. What a contrast with London's freezing weather. We were wrapped up in several t-shirts, hoods and thick winter coats. It made no sense at all, we looked like clowns. We laughed. We were also hungry. Hungry clowns. Left our luggages, records and clothes in the room and went out for some food.

The hotel was in front of the harbor. It tasted so good to be suddenly by the sea at night in a very small town, after the busy London. What a beautiful sight. Palm trees and the ocean. We bought some bread and jamón serrano in a small supermarket and made a couple of tasty sandwiches. We sat by the sea, with a lovely soft breeze on our faces. Gorgeous dinner. We talked about the whole trip, my friend, London, the lousy hotel, the record shops, the concert, all the excitement, the stressful day missing the plane… We laughed so much and concluded that, despite all, everything was worth it. Fuerteventura was so quiet around us, just the sound of the sea. Amazing. We were finally relaxed, knowing the next day we will be in Madrid by the morning.

We went to bed and sunk deep in dreams.


December 15th, 2022 - 5:04 am - Fuerteventura, Canary Islands / Madrid

The plane departed on time. A flight with no delays, finally. We reached Madrid by noon. A bit tired but so happy. Took the Tube and reached home quite fast. The trip had ended. A bit sad everything is over now, but very happy I took the decision of buying tickets and do all this nonsense to finally see The Cure at Wembley after years of seeing it on papers or the net.

And I’m thankful. So thankful to the band. Although I’m always complaining about things I don’t like, my love for them is still infinite. Also thankful to TCC. This place is unique. Thanks to all the people here, a wonderful bunch of strangers who share their passion for TC. I don’t think things like this I’ve just told were ever happened if TCC wasn’t part of my daily life. And finally, special thanks to steve and all the red people who take care of this place and haven’t banned me yet. Your work is beyond words. Nothing else to say. I’m gonna play a record. Sorry in advance for this loooong and boring post written with my basic, embarrassing English. You can just skip it (I think I should have said this at the beginning).

PS. I’ve just seen this video and seems like that mosh pit was way smaller than I remember it. Oh, well, our brains…