GIG REVIEW: THE CULT, DE EFFENAAR,
EINDHOVEN, THE NETHERLANDS,13 OCTOBER 2009

My association with The Cult goes back a long time. It must have been around 1985 that I got my first glimpse of the band on one of Sky Channel’s music programs. Sky Channel was the first satellite television channel we could receive in the Netherlands. Owned by Rupert Murdoch (of The Sun), the channel featured mostly crappy Australian series and, or course, music programs. I remember that a VJ (I don’t think this term was used back then) called Gary Davies regularly played The Cult’s video’s and described them as “a strange bunch of hippies” and “those odd followers of fashion”. Of course the band stood out between the other video’s of artists like Cindy Lauper and Phil Collins with their use of stylish clothing, Maltese crosses, riffs from the Sixties and the use of religious symbolism. There was, as Gary Davies was keen to point out, a certain darkness, something hard to define yet out of the ordinary that the band expressed through its music. On no Cult album is this more evident than on the Love album.
The consensus in the world of music is that the Sex Pistols’ “Anarchy in the UK” is the most political album in music history (with Fela Kuti’s “Zombie” on second place). If we should seek after the most spiritual rock album in music history, it would almost certainly be The Cult’s “Love”. Though The Cult are veterans of many a successful rock album, most fans hold the Love album dearest to their heart. There’s always a certain response from the crowd if Ian says “this song is from the Love album” before playing one of the tunes live. If The Cult is a cult (and some say it is), the Love album is their gospel. And we could catch it live on 13 October 2009.

LOVE LIVE

De Effenaar, located a few minutes walk from the train station in Eindhoven, turned out to be a nice venue. It can contain some 1000 to 15.000 people; it has three bars, and a nice, spacey stage. Due to a stroke of luck, the awful opening band (I don’t remember nor want to remember their name) that opened for the band in the HeinekenMusic Hall was dropped. There were some brethren that I knew from the gig on Sunday and later some more came in that I knew from last year’s gig. In traditional Cultwise fashion the sound crew started doing their checks a couple of minutes before the scheduled starting time. Why do Americans in the Netherlands always act like they’re on vacation even if they’re here to work? Anyway, around 21.15 everything was set and the portrait of a young Sitting Bull was projected onto the projection screen.  Then our fabulous five hit the stage. Ian looked a lot like his long time idol Jim Morrison towards “The End” of his short life. A bit of a tummy, a beard, jeans and cowboy boots. Billy was clad in black with black boots and dog tags hanging from his neck.
NIRVANA, the opening song of the Love album, has been a favorite gig opener for the band throughout the years. Occult symbols were projected onto the screen. Nirvana means “extinction” and “descent (of the sun)” in Sanskrit and refers to the highest state human beings can achieve with no more suffering or desires. This song more or less presents The Cult’s philosophy in a nutshell in the sense that life can be painful but bearable “But when the music is loud, we all get down” and we certainly did. Who needs Anthony Robbins seminars for 1000 euro’s when you can see The Cult for 40?
Next up was BIG NEON GLITTER. The SM sex theme from the song tied in well with Ian’s leather gloves, the newest and never before seen addition to his extensive wardrobe. In the meanwhile the screen showed us big neon signs from Tokyo.
One of the highpoints of the evening was the song that gave the album its name, LOVE. Although never released as a single, the entire crowd banged their heads in unison, while Billy went into a guitar solo that could have split an atom. Although the lyrics are simple, musically Love is one of The Cult’s most complicated compositions. 
It was time for a breather with BROTHER WOLF, SISTER MOON. The screen displayed wolves and scenes of Native Americans on horseback. If the Love album is a bible, this song is its book of prophecy and tonight our time had surely come.
The song RAIN is inspired by the rain ceremonies of the pueblo Indians in America’s Southwest. When the rain comes after long and complicated rituals, the people are ensured of a new harvest and their survival and the release is almost sexual in nature. The Cult’s song is no different.
When the hypersexual riff of THE PHOENIX started ancient Egyptian symbols were projected onto the screen. “The Phoenix”” is the song Aleister Crowley would have used for the climaxes of his occult sex rituals, had he been alive. It goes without saying that Ian and Billy are the stars of every Cult show. However, the rhythm section’s contribution mustn’t be underestimated. During “Phoenix” Chris Wyse, our blond and bearded bass player, gave away a fantastic solo. Tempesta gave away a mind blowing solo of his own and ranks, in my opinion, as one of the very best of the many drummers the band has had in their musical career. Billy’s right hand man on the guitar, Mike Dimkitch, doesn’t seem to like the spotlight that much, though his playing surely deserved it.
HOLLOW MAN was never performed live before, but it was amazing to see the crowd’s reaction. This proves that people do know and love the album as a whole and don’t come to see a band that they only know from music video’s seen on television.
“Hollow Man” was followed by a hard and loud version of REVOLUTION. This song has been part of the band’s live setlist for the past few tours, but it was great to hear it in its original “setting”. “Revolution” is probably the lyrical high point of the Love album, and it’s dark, poetic lyrics earned Ian the nickname of “Neil the Hippie” in the English music press.
It always amazes me that SHE SELLS SANCTUARY, perhaps The Cult’s most spiritual song, evokes such a violent reaction from the crowd. In the HeinekenMusic Hall a physical altercation between two fans in the mosh pit could only barely be avoided. In the Effenaar this song turned the mosh pit into a war zone of maniacs with no apparent fear of losing their glasses, front teeth or lives. One of the great things about The Cult is that they’ve been respectful to women and never embraced the misogynist lyrics that many rock and rap artists use. The respectful lyrics of She Sells Sanctuary are the perfect example.
We got a special treat with the live version of BLACK ANGEL a song that was never performed live before. The song closes the album, a soul ascends to heaven. Tempesta made a fantastic contribution on “the skins” that sounded like Scottish march music that went really well with the theme of the song.

THE ENCORE 

The encore consisted of rock classics from the band’s post-Love albums. “ElectricOcean” turned the crowd into a tumultuous Ocean of Love. The mystical marriage of spiritual lyrics and earthly rock riffs remains one of territories that makes The Cult stand out from your regular rock band. The Headbanger’s Ball was continued with “Wild Flower” followed by the self-effacing “Sun King”. “Sun King “ featured another great solo from Billy who was clearly enjoying this part of the show. Wyse’s aggressive, almost percussion like bass playing gave the song a whole new dimension we never heard before. “Rise” was an impulse for the guys (and even a few gals) to give the mosh pit another go. Shots from old Samurai movies projected onto the screen further fueled their aggression. After some psychedelics thrown in with  “Dirty Little Rock” star and one more golden oldie in the form of “Fire Woman”,” Love Removal Machine” was, as has been customary the last few years, the closer of the set and an ultimate rocker. One more chance for Mr Billy Duffy to prove us he is one of the best guitar players on the planet. And prove it he did! His solo went through our hearts and souls and shook the building to its foundations. Amen!

Part two: Video’s of the Love album live (performed in the Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 11 October 2009)