The Cure, Newcastle Mayfair, 22 Apr 92

It was a case of right place, right time on 22 April 1992...

In 1989 the sucess of the album "disintegration" made the cure one of the most popular stadium / arena bands of the time, so it was great delight that the release of 1992s' "wish" album was initially promoted with a small UK "club" tour.

Towns and cities were announced via a video broadcast at HMV stores throughout the UK when the first single "high" was released, and thankfully, Newcastle was listed for a gig the following month...

Tickets went on sale the following week, so it was an early start for me to queue for tickets (no internet pre-sale then!). Got there just after 06.00 to find a hundred of others already there...

So the 22nd arrived and the missus and I headed to the venue early afternoon to soak up the atmosphere and try and meet the band as they arrived.

We hung around the stage doors for what seemed quite a while, and by mid-afternoon some folk went back to the main entrance to try and secure a place near the front of the queue - the Mayfair (RIP) was an all-standing venue, so you had to be quick to get a place at the front.

We opted to stay near the stage door...



Porl Thompson - note arm in sling! - Porl had a bike accident just before the tour was due to start...



Perry Bamonte - the guy having his records signed had a sisters of mercy t-shirt on... Perry was telling him off!



Simon Gallup



Robert Smith

Although we had missed drummer Boris Williams arrival (we caught sight of him just as he snuck around the trucks into the venue), the rest of the group were great with the fans, spending time to chat and sign various items. Robert in particular stayed and for what seemed like an age ~  I was too dumbstruck to ask anything of worth, though the missus enquired if they would play the "hanging garden", to which Robert politely informed us that they would be trying "the figurehead" instead (We ended up waiting until 2008 to hear the hanging garden live!)

Back in the queue excitement rose as the afternoon progressed, and we were even paid a visit by the then cure manager, Chris Parry. Chris, like the band, was very chatty and even brought some tickets out for the sold out show.

Doors opened as dusk descended and we all piled in ~ our early arrival had secured a front row position, stage left infront of where Porl would be standing, and we enjoyed the show immensely. Here's what we heard (courtesy of http://www.cure-concerts.de/)

open, high, pictures of you, lullaby, from the edge of the deep green sea, just like heaven, apart, a night like this, friday i’m in love, inbetween days, the walk, let's go to bed, doing the unstuck, fascination street, never enough, cut, end,

E1: the figurehead, charlotte sometimes, boys don't cry,

E2: a strange day, a forest

 

All photographs taken on a disposable 35mm camera - infact, it was dropped on the floor during the concert and we were lucky to retrieve it in one piece afterwards!

The show was reviewed by the formed musical journal "melody maker" - and me and the missus managed to get our photograph in,having been stopped by the journalist looking for people with RS influenced hair... maybe I'll scan it next time I get the scrap-book out of the loft!