the stars that shine and the stars that shrink-

Spellbound

http://www.playlist.com/playlist/12710324491/standalone

Dazzle

swallowing diamonds

a cutting throat

your teeth when you grin

reflecting beams on tombstones

a jamboree of surprises

playing russian roulette

or the lucky clip

a clenched fist to your heart

coal dust on your lungs

a silver tongue for the chosen one

heavy magnum in your side or a bloody thorn

skating bullets on angel dust

in a dead sea of fluid mercury

baby piano cries

under your heavy index and thumb

pull some strings -- let them sing

the stars that shine and the stars that shrink

in the face of stagnation the water runs

before your eyes

dazzle

it's a glittering prize

Spellbound

From the cradle bars

comes a beckoning voice

it sends you spinning

you have no choice......

You hear laughter

cracking through the walls

it sends you spinning

you have no choice

Following the footsteps

of a rag doll dance

we are entranced

Spellbound

And don't forget

when your elders forget

to say their prayers

take them by the legs

and throw them down the stairs

When you think

your toys have gone beserk

it's an illusion

you cannot shirk

you hear laughter

cracking through the walls

it sends you spinning

you have no choice

Following the footsteps

of a rag doll dance

we are entranced

Spellbound

- Siouxsie And The Banshees

it's in the water baby, it's in our frequency.

http://www.playlist.com/playlist/12660549131/standalone

(click to play music above)

Blind

If I could tear you from the ceiling

And guarantee a source divine

Rid you of possessions fleeting

Remain your funny valentine


Don’t go and leave me

And please don’t drive me blind

Don’t go and leave me

And please drive me blind


If I could tear you from the ceiling

I know the best have tried

I'd filll your every breath with meaning

And find the place we both could hide


Don’t go and leave me

And please don’t drive me blind

Don’t go and leave me

And please drive me blind


You don’t believe me

But you do this every time

Please don’t drive me blind

Please don’t drive me blind


I know we’re broken

I know we’re broken

I know we’re broken


If I could tear you from the ceiling

I’d freeze us both in time

And find a brand new way of seeing

Your eyes forever glued to mine.

Don’t go and leave me

And please don’t drive me blind

Don’t go and leave me

And please drive me blind

Please don’t drive me blind

Please don’t drive me blind

Please don’t drive me blind

Please don’t drive me blind

I know I broke it

I know I broke it

I know I broke it

Post Blue

It’s in the water baby

It’s in the pills that bring you down

It’s in the water baby

It’s in your bag of golden brown

It’s in the water baby

It’s in your frequency

It’s in the water baby

It’s between you and me



It’s in the water baby

It’s in the pills that pick you up

It’s in the water baby

It’s in the special way we fuck

It’s in the water baby

It’s in your family tree

It’s in the water baby

It’s between you and me



Bite the hand that feeds

Tap the vein that bleeds

Down on my bended knees



I break the back of love for you

I break the back of love for you

I break the back of love for you

I break the back of love for you



It’s in the water baby

It’s in the pills that bring you down

It’s in the water baby

It’s in your bag of golden brown

It’s in the water baby

It’s in your frequency

It’s in the water baby

It’s between you and me



Bite the hand that feeds

Tap the vein that bleeds

Down on my bended knees



I break the back of love for you

I break the back of love for you

I break the back of love for you

I break the back of love for you

I break the back of love for you

I break the back of love for you

I break the back of love for you

I break the back of love for you

Meds

[duet with Alison Mosshart from the Kills]

I was alone, Falling free,

Trying my best not to forget

What happened to us,

What happened to me,

What happened as I let it slip.

I was confused by the powers that be,

Forgetting names and faces.

Passersby were looking at me

As if they could erase it


Baby did you forget to take your meds?

Baby did you forget to take your meds?


I was alone,

Staring over the ledge,

Trying my best not to forget

All manner of joy

All manner of glee

And our one heroic pledge


How it mattered to us,

How it mattered to me,

And the consequences


I was confused,

By the birds and the bees

Forgetting if I meant it


Baby did you forget to take your meds?

Baby did you forget to take your meds?

Baby did you forget to take your meds?

Baby did you forget to take your meds?


And the Sex and the drugs and the complications

And the Sex and the drugs and the complications

And the Sex and the drugs and the complications

And the Sex and the drugs and the complications


Baby did you forget to take your meds?

Baby did you forget to take your meds?

Baby did you forget to take your meds?

Baby did you forget to take your meds?

Baby did you forget to take your meds?

Baby did you forget to take your meds?

I was alone,

Falling free,

Trying my best not to forget

-placebo

[you'll not feel the drowning]

warms the heart, soothes the soul. shimmers. these are the sounds that have stayed in my head these past months.

(play below)

http://www.playlist.com/playlist/12584199691/standalone

Crane Wife, Pt. 3

And under the bowsunbelle

I'll hold in the snowy shroud

She had no heart so hardened

All under the bowsunbelle

Each feather it fell from skin

'Till thread bare and she grew thin

How were my eyes so blinded?

Each feather it fell from skin

And I will hang my head, hang my head low

And I will hang my head, hang my head low

Her grey sky with bitter skin

A rain cloud rain on me

All out behind horizon, oh

A grey sky of bitter skin

And I will hang my head, hang my head low

And I will hang my head, hang my head low

Yankee Bayonet



Heart-carved tree trunk, Yankee bayonet

A sweetheart left behind

Far from the hills of the sea-swelled Carolinas

That's where my true love lies



Look for me when the sun-bright swallow

Sings upon the birch bough high

But you are in the ground with the voles and the weevils

All a'chew upon your bones so dry



But when the sun breaks

To no more bulletin battle-cry

Then will you make a grave

For I will be home then

I will be home then

I will be home then

I will be home then

Then



When I was a girl how the hills of Oconee

Made a seam to hem me in

There at the fair when our eyes caught, careless

Got my heart right pierced by a pin



But oh, did you see all the dead of Manassas

All the bellies and the bones and the bile

Though I lingered here with the blankets barren

And my own belly big with child



But when the sun breaks

To no more bulletin battle-cry

Then will you make a grave

For I will be home then

I will be home then

I will be home then

I will be home then



Stems and bones and stone walls too

Could keep me from you

Scaly skin is all too few

To keep me from you



But oh my love, though our bodies may be parted

Though our skin may not touch skin

Look for me with the sun-bright sparrow

I will come on the breath of the wind

Here I Dreamt I was An Architect

And here I dreamt I was a soldier

And I marched the streets of birkenau

And I recall in spring

The perfume that the air would bring

To the indolent town

Where the barkers call the moon down

The carnival was ringing loudly now

And just to lay with you

There's nothing that I wouldn't do

Save lay my rifle down

And try one, and try two

Guess it always comes down to

Alright, it's okay, guess it's better to turn this way

And I am nothing of a builder

But here I dreamt I was an architect

And I built this balustrade

To keep you home, to keep you safe

From the outside world

But the angles and the corners

Even though my work is unparalleled

They never seemed to meet

This structure fell about our feet

And we were free to go

And try one, and try two

Guess it always comes down to

Alright, okay, guess it's better to turn this way

And here in spain I am a spaniard

I will be buried with my marionettes

Countess and courtesan

Have fallen 'neath my tender hand

When their husbands were not around

But you, my soiled teenage girlfriend

Or are you furrowed like a lioness

And we are vagabonds

We travel without seatbelts on

We live this close to death

And try one, and try two

Guess it always comes down to

Alright, it's okay, guess it's better to turn this

But I won, so you lose

Guess it always comes down to

Alright, it's okay, guess it's better to turn this way

The Island: Come & See / The Landlord's Daughter / You'll Not Feel The Drowning

[Come & See]

There's an island hidden in the sound

Lapping currents lay your boat to ground

Affix your barb and bayonet

The curlews carve their Arabesques

And sorrow fills the silence all around

Come and see



There's a harbor lost within the reeds

A jetty caught in over-hanging trees

Among the bones of cormorants

No boot mark here nor finger prints

The rivers roll down to a soundless sea

Come and see

Come and see



The tides will come and go

With this bare waking eye

Who rose like the wind

Though we know for sure

Amidst this fading light

We'll not go home again

Come and see

Come and see



In the lowlands, nestled in the heat

A briar cradle rocks it's babe to sleep

Its contents watched by Sycorax

And patagon in paralax

A foretold rumbling sounds below the deep

Come and see

Come and see



The tides will come and go

Witnessed by no waking eye

Who rose like the wind

Though we know for sure

Amidst this fading light

We'll not go home again

Come and see

Come and see



[The Landlord's Daughter]

As I was rambled

Down by the water

I spied in sable

The landlord's daughter

Produced my pistol, then my saber

To make no whistle or thou will be murdered



She cursed, she shivered

She cried for mercy,

"My gold and silver if thou will release me!"



I'll take no gold miss, I'll take no silver

I'll take those sweet lips, and I'll deliver



[You'll Not Feel The Drowning]

I will dress your eyelids

With dimes upon your eyes

Laying close to water

Green your grave will rise

Go to sleep little ugly

Go to sleep you little fool

Forty-winking in the belfry

You'll not feel the drowning

You'll not feel the drowning



Forget you once had sweethearts

They've forgotten you

Think you not on parents

They've forgotten too

Go to sleep now little ugly

Go to sleep now you little fool

Forty-winking in the belfry

You'll not feel the drowning

You'll not feel the drowning



Go to sleep little ugly

Go to sleep little fool

Forty-winking in the belfry

You'll not feel the drowning

You'll not feel the drowning



Hear you now the captain

Heed his sorrowed cry

"Weight upon your eyelids

As dimes laid on your eyes"

-the decemberists

(live local review: smashing pumpkins)

August 20, 2008

LIVE REVIEW: Smashing Pumpkins

Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlain and singer Billy Corgan perform at Ruth Eckerd Hall. [EDMUND D. FOUNTAIN Times]

CLEARWATER – There was a time, a much different time, when the Smashing Pumpkins were the biggest band in the world. Led by the bold, often bald Billy Corgan, the Chicago band bridged the gap between the disillusionment of the ’90s grunge rebellion and the hook-banging optimism of a shinier tomorrow.

Using a rambunctious form of melodic mayhem, the Pumpkins urged you to trash the bedroom (and boredom) of your single-parent home -- then forgive your working mother when she told you to clean it up.

In between now and then, however, the famously head-trippy Corgan has battled depression and bandmates, sending the Pumpkins into a state of perpetual fracture. As a result, Wednesday's sold-out show at cozy Ruth Eckerd Hall was more curiosity than comeback, as the 41-year-old former voice of his generation continued working out his demons for those who still care.

From the sound of it, many in the crowd of 2,039 still do, although let it be known that this was mostly a show for diehards only, as Corgan and his crew, including original drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, made two-plus hours of noise akin to a 747 landing on your lanai. It was often brutal, a thrashing melee of the singer's soaring yelp and his band's tumultuous playing. It was also rather annoying, although give the band credit for giving it their all.

When there was a hook underneath the racket, the show was occasionally stellar. Taking the stage in a long skirt seemingly made out of Jiffy Pop foil, the smooth-pated Corgan launched into the prickly "Tarantula" (lyric: "I don't want to fight, every single night") then followed with the new "G.L.O.W." (lyric: "I'm so alone...").

Despite the classy environs, it all had the feel of a reckless club show, the kind where it's mandatory to slosh beer on your shoes and your date. There weren't many "hits," but when Corgan dusted off a smattering of well-knowns, the crowd went loopy, a refreshing reaction in the typically staid hall.

Corgan bunched up his best songs, trying to gain a momentum that might carry through the obtuse new stuff. Early on, the Pumpkins played the searing ballad "Mayonaise," from 1993's multiplatinum "Siamese Dream." That was followed by the grandiose thunder of "Tonight, Tonight," from 1995's ambitious "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness."

After a ramshackle barrage of forgettables, the band offered up a quiet, near-acoustic segment. This included the bittersweet lament "Today," which Corgan sweetly dedicated to "all our soldiers, spiritually, literally."

Before a confounding art-rock finale that often sounded like a fleet of ferrets scampering across a sea of guitars (oh, and the kazoo-driven cover of "In the Summertime"), Corgan unloaded the heavy-metal goodness of "Bullet With Butterfly Wings," with that unforgettable chorus, "Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage." It was sublime, a blast of what could have been.

At the very end of the show, Corgan brought out his father, a blues musician, who wailed on guitar. It was a sweet family moment. It was also really bizarre. Oh, that Billy. He may not sing for a generation anymore. But give him this: The dude is never boring.

August 20, 2008 in Live Shows, Reviews Permalink

i will possess your heart -

Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish.

-Ovid

we got death cab for cutie's latest cd this past weekend and listened to it on a long drive home. it was sweet, romantic, brought back memories of how we got together- which in many ways was quite unexpected, full of excitement, anticipation. i resisted his advances for more for about six months. thats kind of why the song reminds me of him, i feel like the song could have been written for me by him. i feel like the girl in this song is the girl i was in jimmy's life in the beginning.

everything about the below song [featured in my project playlist for all to hear] in music, emotion, and wording reminds me so much of my fiance [it is one of his favorite songs right now actually and i feel it is a song that makes him think of me] - and it has quickly become a favorite of mine as well. the long instrumental introduction is beautiful mesmerizing, emotional and captivating all at once. i love the piano in this and the melody of it all.

it's one of those songs that gives me chills, moves my heart, takes me back, reminds me of how we met and how we formed. the way our love has grown over time. the words in the song convey very much how he projected himself towards me before i allowed him to pursue a relationship with me. i was extremely resistant and hard to get. it's incredible to me that things turned out as they did and it still amazes me how things can do a complete 180 degree turn when you least expect it...and the way feelings can change.

i was very closed off to him, emotionally, romantically and that is why i resisted him. due to previous past hurt and abuse by men i had been with, i felt seering bitterness and absolute divine hatred towards men, and in all honesty, i didn't think we'd click. out of fear, i oscillated between doubt and certainty in an inconsistent way which is why i pulled back from him for some time to sort myself out and figure out what i wanted.

in ways the push and pull, tug of war, back n forth reminds me a lot of pride and prejudice. something like that.

it was that i was determined. i was determined to be rigid, stubborn, not let any man easily in especially him and for some reason i'd chosen him to challenge myself with. i felt my mind was set, and what i was attracted to was the opposition of him and the feelings that came along with it all.

i can't really make anyone understand but can only say that i was extremely determined in the fact that i wasn't going to let another male hurt me again and so i began to teeter back n forth between showing some mild vague interest in him and gently innocently titillating him in some restrained way. i refused to be perceived as a slut but hints of sexual flirtation did seep out due to my inability to control my sexuality which is often intense. i thrive best on stimulation, danger, mystery, but i have learned to keep myself very controlled and under wraps since being in a seriously committed relationship and i do not allow myself to stray.

[in my past, i was wildly careless, impulsive, flirtatious and unrestrained.]

with him, i wanted to be perceived differently so i think i made him work harder and didn't give of myself so carelessly, so freely, so easily. i wasn't going to let anything be easy this time. i think part of that was anger towards the men before him who had ruined, damaged, destroyed everything inside of me. that's why at a certain point, i pushed jimmy away and said i needed space and i avoided him literally for three months.

he must have given up. and out of the blue one december day right before christmas was to roll around, i suddenly woke up with realizations and regret. i suddenly knew what i wanted and that was a chance with him. i suddenly realized i'd been blind as to what was right in front of my eyes and i'd been insensitive.

i wish i could explain all the ways in which he tried to 'be there ' for me, cheer me up, wanting to take away my pain, make me happy, and continually asking to take me out, cook for me, take care of me but i had declined the one who was generous and kind out of stubbornness and distrust/mistrust in men, anger, bitterness and jadedness.

it was months before i realized my mistake.

it was lucky i was able to reconnect and he was able to look past my neglect, disdain, mis-sight in things. i did explain to the fullest the whys of my reaction and action towards him and apologized profusely. i feel in ways i really did hurt him with my rejections at his advances. and i mean numerous rejections. i felt horrible over that for a long time. i wasn't the honorable person i so prided myself in - at the start of us forming a potential 'relation-ship' although neither of us knew if we wanted romance or not.

the only thing obvious was that we were both looking for someone to love and to be loved, deep down and with jimmy, it was also the allure of challenge, the feeling that comes after resistance, the build up of tension that creates suspense and in ways, excitement.

when you fight something sometimes it seems like maybe it was really yourself you were fighting against. and it builds real suspense, and arousal in ways. the tension creates the need for release which results in sexual tension and then, afterwards there's always that immense rushing feeling of giving in, but not in a bad way, in a way that feels almost orgasmic like some heavenly release. like, you've opened your heart to something, someone new. that feeling of opening, and finding- surprising yourself, doing something you thought you'd never do, going outside of yourself, going deeper- that in itself is the highest of highs -

sometimes the best aphrodisiac are my memories- hands down!

i can't quite explain the exhiliration i felt when this all occurred and the nite we first met. lets just say we did click in every way and it was electric.

http://www.playlist.com/playlist/11988325643/standalone

How I wish you could see the potential,

The potential of you and me

It's like a book elegantly bound,

But in a language that you can't read just yet

You gotta spend some time love, you gotta spend some time with me

And I know that you'll find love, I will possess your heart

You gotta spend some time love, you gotta spend some time with me

And I know that you'll find love, I will possess your heart

There are days when outside your window,

I see my reflection as I slowly pass

And I long for this mirrored perspective,

when we'll be lovers, lovers at last

You gotta spend some time love, you gotta spend some time with me

And I know that you'll find love, I will possess your heart

You gotta spend some time love, you gotta spend some time with me

And I know that you'll find love, I will possess your heart

I will possess your heart

I will possess your heart

You reject my advances and desperate pleas

I won't let you, let me down so easily, so easily

You gotta spend some time love, you gotta spend some time with me

And I know that you'll find love, I will possess your heart

You gotta spend some time love, you gotta spend some time with me

And I know that you'll find love, I will possess your heart

You gotta spend some time love, you gotta spend some time with me

And I know that you'll find love, I will possess your heart

I will possess your heart

I will possess your heart

I will possess your heart

-Death Cab For Cutie

year zero + trent reznor + HBO???

Trent Reznor In Talks To Bring "Year Zero" Series To HBO

Artist: Nine Inch Nails

Last week brought news of HBO's negotiations with Kanye West for a new reality series, now we can officially add Trent Reznor into the mix.

Year Zero, which is Reznors vision of a worldwide chaos and nuclear war could very well turn into an HBO series, according to The Los Angeles Times.

"It's the most exciting thing on the horizon, [and] it's the thing that, when I wake up in the morning, it makes me say, 'God, it would be cool if that happened,' " Reznor told the Times. "This is my grand ambition. Will it happen? I don't know. It was fun sitting and telling [the HBO] guys and watching them shake their heads and having writers on board and producers that are into it. It's been a fun thing."

Reznor has always said that he wanted to expand upon the Year Zero idea, and there have been talks to bring it onto our screens in the past, but this opportunity seems to be more promising than the others. If HBO eventually givees the green light on this project, it could very well mean a new NIN album.

"We would have a second ARG tying into the second album and [that] ties into the series, and they all happen together with a budget needed to pull that all off. There would be a tour down the road," Reznor said. "The record completes the story — the ending that no one knows. I know what happens. I knew when I started it. And it's not what people think."

MTV News

Posted on 08/12/2008

h a u n t o l o g y

on the joy divison 2007 documentary directed by grant gee

some notes i took on the music technology of joy division and indepth analyzation via interview on the categorization of their music, sound, philosophy- a particular genre and time period very specific in music- which i find fascinating and very much a style which i find myself drawn to - time and time again.

Derrida [french philosopher]

Joy Division- seemed of spectral quality / dead but alive, something that's there and yet its not there.

"Hauntology" - different take of post-modernism, and symbolic of technology- that "it has turned us all into ghosts"

The Persistence of Past in the Present

Ghosts

Joy Division--- haunted by themselves.

*in some sense, a belief that- or philosophy that recording media is turning into dateable object and killing you [us].

small article on above documentary- what to expect from it:

Joy Division: A Film by Grant Gee

Iann Robinson takes a look at the Joy Division documentary.

CraveOnline

June 30, 2008

Joy Division has become much more than a band in the nearly three decades since singer Ian Curtis killed himself. Perhaps it’s due to the rebellious romanticism attached to Curtis taking his own life just days before the band was to hit America and “make it big.” It could be the almost otherworldly air that Curtis had with his stage presence, voice and lyrics. It might just be that Joy Division wrote damn good songs. Whatever it is, Joy Division has been lifted from a group of guys to an idea, a myth, and an institution. Though the remaining members went on to form New Order, one of the most influential pop bands in the world, it is still Joy Division that the world dotes on.

Since having achieved this mythical stature, it becomes hard to remember that Joy Division were simply four guys from Manchester England who had incredible chemistry together. Part of what makes this new documentary from The Miriam Collection titled simply “Joy Division” so wonderful is that it humanizes the band again.

This is a very even handed documentary that has successfully removed any hero-worship and instead focuses on the actual story of Joy Division, breaking down the whole into four separate parts or members. Of course the ghost of Ian Curtis weighs heavy on the film but it doesn’t consume it. None of the participants is maudlin or morose; in fact they seem to be celebrating the joy of the times they were in and their shared creativity as opposed to trying to pontificate on why the genius of Ian Curtis finally consumed him.

Director Grant Gee has no problem letting the film unfold slowly, giving it room to breathe and create an atmosphere that rivals Joy Division’s music. First Gee sets the scene with Manchester in the seventies, the sound, and the clubs, how the music brought some life back into it. From there we learn the origins of Joy Division through stories from surviving members Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook and Stephen Morris. The best part is that the stories aren’t these brooding melancholy gothic overtures but rather simple stories about four guys hanging out and trying to make original music.

It’s so cool to hear snippets of the more straight punk sounding work they did under their original name of Warsaw and to hear the band joke about how bad those songs were. The three surviving members are really interesting to watch, especially the odd split in their attitudes towards life. Sumner is serious and contemplative, Hook is boisterous and funny while Morris is an even-handed combination of his two peers. The combination of those personalities makes the telling of the band’s history so fascinating you can’t help but stay riveted through the entire thing.

Helping to round out this story are interviews with Tony Wilson (creator of Factory Records) as well as album cover designer Peter Saville, Joy Division biographer Paul Morley and a long overdue interview with Ian Curtis’s girlfriend Annik Honore. Conspicuously missing from this film is Deborah Curtis, Ian’s estranged wife though her presence is well represented through quotes layered throughout the movie. Gee has managed to tie in all the aspects of the band’s short existence from their music, to Curtis’s battle with epilepsy, and all the other triumphs and tragedies that made the band what it was. The film goes from funny to poignant when it needs to and never seems forced or heavy handed. Nobody involved in this movie is out to exploit the death of Ian Curtis, nor further the mythical image of Joy Division, if anything this film was made to break all of that down and destroy it.

Acting as the backdrop for this tale is the actual imagery of the film, which is beautiful and seamless. Gee doesn’t just splice together the various scenes, he weaves them together into a beautiful tapestry. It’s obvious that this movie was made by and for people who love Joy Division and for those of us who understand that their importance comes from who they were not from what people have made them out to be. Joy Division is clearly going to become the definitive look back at one of the greatest bands in the history of music.

---

joy divsion's name was created and derived from a book and has its roots in german history. it was actually a term for the german brothel's. in the over 20 yrs i had known them, this was foreign and strange to me if not slightly disturbing, as the context of the name seems largely misogynistic but i do not know if there was really any relevance behind the name and their philosophy of music. probably not. this name was also not their first name. prior to being joy divison, they were for a short time, the stiff kittens and then warsaw.

further information of above off website:

The name change to Joy Division in 1977 [because a punk band called 'Warsaw Pakt' existed already] was inspired by the World War II novel, Karol Cetinsky's "The House of Dolls". [In her book, the term "joy division" is used as slang for concentration camps where female inmates were forced to prostitute themselves for the Nazi soldiers].



The Joy Division was the corps of young women kept in the camp for the pleasure of Nazi officers on leave. Partly due to the name, Joy Division (and later New Order) often had problems with Nazi accusations spreading around in the press. These both puzzled and angered the band, and they did not wish to dignify them with a reply. Far from containing Nazi propaganda, their lyrics preach quite the contrary message. Many other punk bands used much more direct Nazi symbolism with much less press comment.

---

this documentary and the other bio-pic film "control" have truly put me in a very nostalgic state of my mind but then again i am always going back to the past so i guess it doesn't really take much.

whatever the case, anton corbijn's film about ian curtis heading joy division titled control was simply amazing, and the best replication of the band's story and history that i have ever seen have .

the british actor sam riley who portrayed the lead singer - ian curtis - of joy division did a tremendous job and was a worthy tribute to such a monumental band who represents an era of music i am particularly enamored with. he would have made ian proud, i think. i believe the actors in this film sang all the songs - it sounded and looked just like joy division. samantha morton, a great british actress known for independent film roles co-starred as well.

we loved 'control' so much we bought the control DVD for our collection last month at best buy.

below is a review i cut out from my fashion mag last year, scanned from my computer and uploaded on the net:

best band ever- local tampa insight on cure show-

see my insights, thoughts on the cure concert along with our personal pix from the show in the following entry.

i thought this copy and paste of other peoples insights on the cure concert in my local tampa area via a blog site was pretty fascinating, and interesting enough to share since some of their sentiments could echo mine. they seemed to have a closer view than us - however- so their experience sounded a little more personalized and up close, more exciting than ours!

read below:

Photos

Tampa Tribune / Pharaohchin / Kittydew

---

Reviews

I forgot to factor in the eccentric crowd that would attend a Cure show in Tampa--home of goth clubs like the Castle and full characters like that Peter Pan Wannabee (http://www.pixyland.org/peterpan/). They, along with Porl Thompson, made me think that Hot Topic sponsored the event and gave everybody new outfits.

Like I said about Ultra Fest last year, the band sounds better than ever. If they can keep touring every few years and play like they did last night, that would be the best. I am curious, however, how much longer they'll keep up with as much energy. The previous tour reviews are correct, Robert's unable to keep those high notes on Prayers for Rain and Wrong Number. By the encores, Porl was darting off stage, fatigued, and Robert kept panting from sheer exhaustion.

When I walked out, I also had to think through what the setlist was, I could only recall singles and new stuff at first--but then I remembered they played the Catch, The Blood, Kyoto song. It was a good show, overall, but no big surprises.

I must address, however, the bizarre qualities of this show. It is to no surprise that Cure fans are now in their 40's and even 50's, but it's kind of weird to see a mother/daughter team at the front of the stage holding a sign that says, "Why Can't I Do You?" What is even worse is then when I stood next to them, possible since a lot of people began leaving the floor in the encores, the mom says to me, "You can't be up front here unless you wanna fuck Robert Smith too!"

She kept flapping her cardboard sign at him, and eventually Smith mouthed with a look of annoyance, "Yeah, Okay, I know..." What else could she expect from a guy who has been practically married since the seventh grade.

For the first time ever, I found myself at the semi-truck parking lot amidst a crowd of other Cure fans awaiting the band's exit. Although the security was not lying when they said the band had left, I remained for quite awhile talking to some real pieces of work that wanted autographs and such. I met two women who were friends with an Italian guy who looks just like Robert Smith and sings in a cover band from Italy. They expressed surprise that Robert did not give him backstage tickets. I don't think I would do such at every one of my shows either. After you meet a guy who emulates you so much that he spends his life doing and looking everything the same way you do, with what qualities of such a mime could you ever forge more than a greeting and a thank you for being a fan? I think I would want to get the hell away from someone that so scarily copied me.

I also encountered a middle-aged blond wearing a shirt stating, "Robert Smith is God" who proceeded to jump the fence and hide beneath 65's bus. It is one thing to, by chance, meet a band, greet them, tell them some frame of reference as to why you like them as much as you do, but calling someone God? That has got to be one of the tackiest shirts I have ever come across on ebay.

I think I can only give some credit to the young kids standing out there, quietly, for a glimpse of the band. Hoping they may have a chance to mingle, get a photo, a handshake. As for the obnoxious middle-aged men with voices like Chris Farley who scream for pictures of roadies, wear black eyeliner, and drunkenly staggering... I could only look away from such embarrassing elements.

No wonder why they get into a discreet car and bolt--in a place like Tampa.

And lastly, the merchandising.... Will the Cure just let someone younger design their shirts? The stuff is so in your face. 4TOUR- THE CURE - ALL OVER THIS SHIRT! The one somewhat decent thing I saw was an army jacket that had the cure 4tour logo, but Modest Mouse and Dead Meadow had the same thing. Really.... something more subtle, maybe a graphic without the name? The band would make more money if they weren't merchandising that run-of-the-mill band merchandising company garbage where they just point at "cool" looking stuff in a brochure and order 5,000 in every size. I think the cure shirts stopped looking good 1987.

Keep in mind, that this all comes from probably the worst kind of Cure fan--one critical of the others...

But then again, I didn't see anyone else singing every word to every song except for me, and the head count was, what, 7,600?

- Eric W.

I bought tickets for this show last year (before the tour postponement) which fell on our first child's due date. I'm confident in saying that I was the only Cure fan happy to see the show rescheduled for June 2008. Saved a LOT of money on a divorce!! So, with my 8 month old home with Mom, safe and sound, I attended the show with my long time Cure buddy from NY, who flew down for the show.

This show was unbelievable!! Goose bumps from start to finish. Underneath the Stars was brilliant. Great opener, really setting the mood for the anticipation of the new CD this fall (hopefully.) I don't know if it was because we were in the 3rd row along side the stage, but this was the best Cure show I've seen since the Prayer Tour @ Giant Stadium. What made this show my absolute favorite of the 14 shows I've seen was finally being able to see 'Shake Dog Shake'. I've been chasing them all over the country for the last 2 tours to try to catch that one, but keep missing it. Thought for sure they would have played it in Miami last year, but no. On my life's 'things to do list', I can finally check off that one! Sounded as good, if not better than the 'Orange' show.

Porl is a madman. If Adam Jones ever leaves Tool, Porl is their guy. In fact, they should recruit him anyway...he's a perfect fit. Simon and Jason were in pristine form. Robert looked especially crazy last night! Last night was the best I've seen him look since '89.

If I'm not mistaken, they played ALL of the new songs (b-sides not included) at this show. All were great, but I think Baby Rag Dog Book was extraordinary. Jason was flawless. He went right from 100 Years into Baby Rag Dog Book! Porl, Robert, and Simon gave him a few seconds to wipe his face with a towel and then it was game on. That was approx. 10 straight minutes of serious hammering away on the drums!! Nothing against Jason, but until last night I've always favored Boris Williams as their best drummer throughout the various lineup changes. I was proven otherwise last night. Jason is to Boris as Ringo Starr is to Pete Best. This is by far the most energetic of the new songs and has me salivating for the studio version. I can only describe this song as 'Push' meets 'Disintegration' on 4 shots of espresso!

I don't want to sound greedy, but I was hoping to catch some other 'oldies' that they've been sprinkling in like Letter to Elise, Play for Today, Figurehead, etc. 'Catch' was a great surprise as was 'To Wish Impossible Things'. Glad Robert attempted that one again now that his voice was tip-top. Sounded much better than the Red Rocks version. He seemed to put a lot of effort into "....it was the hope of all we might have been". Excellent.

Songs like Kyoto, HHH, & Wrong Number are wasted on me, but they did sound phenomenal. During Wrong Number, when Robert says "hello? are you still there? Hello?", he switched up with repeating "HELLO?" "HELLO?" "HELLOOOOOOO?" to get the crowd going, as if it was needed!

You can always spot the long time Cure fans at any show by these three things:

1. During ANY new song, the novices sit down. Old fans remain standing.

2. During 'Fascination Street' when he sings 'move to the beat' the veterans pump their fists 3 times during that part.

3. During 'FTEOTDGS', the veterans "....put their hands in the sky".


4. Forest had an extra long intro and was by far the best version I've ever seen them do. As the band typically breaks down to just Simon at the end, Robert was going OFF!!! He sounded like he was about to fade out, and then went nuts and started back up again! Then Simon went crazy on the bass and dropped it by the amp, walking offstage with feedback blaring! Robert made a grimacing face, and walked over to his pedal and shut if off. Then he went back to his mike and said "Goodnight. See you again soon!"

Let me know when, so we can plan the birth of our next child a little better!!!

Anyone going to any remaining shows are in for a treat, especially the Radio City show.... the closer is usually their best performance! The way they've been mixing up their setlists, that's going to be full of surprises!!!

P.S. SHAME ON YOU, TAMPA!!!! HALF-FULL VENUE? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
- Skottydog

I went alone since my wife was in Dallas. The opening band was interesting but I think I got a little tired of them once the sound samples started getting to be too much.

Underneath the Stars was incredible. I also really enjoyed The Blood, Catch, Fascination Street, and wow - Wish Impossible Things. I've waited awhile to hear that one.

No one near me wanted to move or dance at the show. Now I can do an awesome spazmic 'man having a stroke' dance as a tribute to my hatred of rhythm. And since I was the only one doing it for several rows in either direction (I was the spaz in 103 D - passing his binoculars around, and yes, wearing khaki shorts), I'm sure I earned a few snickers. At least I didn't know anyone near me .

Then all the pop songs started and people sort of responded to those.

All in all, I'm glad I went, but I was a little disappointed by all the pop singles. If they'd have traded out Let's Go to Bed and WCIBY for M and Holy Hour it would have been the best show ever.

Last note, I saw the best Robert Smith impression I'd seen in awhile. I think the man, an Italian, said his name was Paulo. He sat a little far from me or I'd have introduced myself.

I hope everyone had a good time.

- Scott M

hey everyone. i just got back from the tampa show, and yes, the crowd was about as enthusiastic as a bowl of soggy corn flakes. my friend and i actually ended up scooting down a bit to a few row of empty seats just to the right of the mixing area. no one, i repeat NO ONE in the area i was previously in stood up at all. lame. kind of a standard set, but it was great to hear kyoto song and catch. freakshow was great live! i especially loved robert's little swimming dance. UTS was epic, but sadly, i don't think the crowd grapsed the oh hell yes! aspect of it. definitely a weird mix of people, with the hardcore fans being outnumbered by fuddy duddys in khakis shorts and what not. the highlight for me...easy. sneaking past an unmanned curtain on the 100 level and watching them soundcheck charlotte sometimes. robert was wearing his shorts! it also seemed that porl's guitar was kind of low in the mix at times, most evident on fteotdgs. robert appeared to be having a great time and was talkative. after freakshow, he said something to the effect of, "we've practiced this one a lot, but i keep fucking up the lyrics. seems simple enough, right?" before hot x 3, he said, "what it's been for the last fucking 3 days or so..." all in all yes, a standard show, but very high energy from the band. let's hope that milquetoast crowd stays at home when they hit sunrise, fl!

- November Trilogy