Ticket 2 Ride

The Show of a Lost World was released briefly in the theaters before being available on DVD and blu-ray.

This concert film comprises the entirety of Songs of a Lost World, plus a sampling of their hits and past catalogue. Performed at the Troxy Theatre in London on November 1, 2024, and directed by Nick Wickham. With a runtime of 2 hours, 47 minutes, this quite a performance. Featuring a total of 31 songs, this is more Bruce Springsteen area.

See the film trailer below.

A fan for decades, I’ve never seen the Cure live, and what a treat. First, I thought Songs of a Lost World was a very good album from beginning to end. That’s a great thing because most new music by bands is a tough concert sell. The new album lends itself to a deeply moving concert experience. It’s a seductive soundscape of ethereal synths and guitars moving you through a richly textured musical journey. It’s not all deeply hypnotic, which is a knee-jerk reaction to the Cure’s very dark and goth persona. While founder and main Cure member Robert Smith still projects that 80s spookiness, there’s still a lot of heart and soul going on behind the eyeliner. The jagged and threatening waves of the Cure have a sweetness as well as melancholy center.

Concert films are a funny thing. In the early days of classic rock, cameras tended to linger on performers for long periods and wasn’t always very interesting. With limited crews, there wasn’t always a lot of angles for editing. Musicians could also be indulgent in long, meandering solos. Today, those things have changed. More cameras and quick editing. The three second rule applies to edits. Keep the screen image changing – the MTV rule of editing. I’m happy to report that Wickham’s editing lands somewhere in the middle of the two styles. The camera often holds on a performer for longer, giving the viewer time to breathe in the image before moving on. The stage lighting and design is consistent with the Cure’s music. While the songs can be jangly and poppy, most of their music is more somber and introspective. The film captures that vibe perfectly.

The band consists of Smith on vocals/guitars, Jason Cooper on drums, Roger O’Donnell on keyboards, Reeves Gabrels on guitar, Simon Gallup on bass, and the late Perry Bamonte on guitar/keyboards.

Song/Album

1. Alone – Songs of a Lost World

2. And Nothing Is Forever – Songs of a Lost World

3. A Fragile Thing – Songs of a Lost World

4. Warsong – Songs of a Lost World

5. Drone:Nodrone – Songs of a Lost World

6. I Can Never Say Goodbye – Songs of a Lost World

7. All I Ever Am – Songs of a Lost World

8. Endsong – Songs of a Lost World

9. Plainsong – Disintegration

10. Pictures of You – Disintegration

11. High – Wish

12. Lovesong – Disintegration

13. Burn – The Crow soundtrack

14. Fascination Street – Disintegration

15. A Night Like This – The Head on the Door

16. Push – The Head on the Door

17. In Between Days – The Head on the Door

18. Just Like Heaven – Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me

19. From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea – Wish

20. Disintegration – Disintegration

21. At Night – Seventeen Seconds

22. M – Seventeen Seconds

23. Secrets – Seventeen Seconds

24. Play For Today – Seventeen Seconds

25. A Forest – Seventeen Seconds

26. Lullaby – Disintegration

27. The Walk – single

28. Friday I’m In Love – Wish

29. Close To Me – The Head on the Door

30. Why Can’t I Be You? – Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me

31. Boys Don’t Cry – single

The film is available for rent on Apple+ and Prime Video.