The Cult live at the Hard Rock

Bands like The Cult are a rare commodity. The Cult, along with Duran Duran, rose in the '80s yet still is recording viable new music, still has its core members, and still plays a lot of live shows and sounds great. Though the music differs, the two British bands share a lot of the same fans and are both on tour this spring. The bands' paths will cross this summer when each will headline the Ottawa Bluesfest.

All photos by Christopher Windle.

The Cult, on tour to support its new album, made a stop at Anthem at Hard Rock Casino in Sioux City, Iowa, on March 22. "Hidden City" is The Cult's 10th studio album, and the band performed five songs off its latest effort.

The Cult kicked off the show with "Dark Energy" off "Hidden City," then really got the crowd going with "Rain," proving that the new songs fit in seamlessly with the band's older hits. When one audience member voiced his disagreement later in the show, singer Ian Astbury promptly chastised the heckler and launched into "Sweet Soul Sister," with the crowd singing along.

Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy are The Cult's longest-serving members and its songwriters. Astbury, along with Echo and the Bunnymen's Ian McCulloch and the late Michael Hutchence, is one of the few rock stars who can wear sunglasses throughout most of a show and look legitimately cool doing so. His voice sounded great despite the fact that he was feeling under the weather.

As is the usual practice, casino venues want bands to play shorter set lists to get concertgoers out early and back onto the casino floor. The Cult played its standard 16 songs, and bizarrely, Anthem brought the stage lights down and the venue lights on as the band played its encore. Thankfully, the venue corrected that so the band could close the show with "Love Removal Machine." The band didn't seem to notice, continuing on as only seasoned rock stars can.

... On film

As Duran Duran gets ready to go on tour in less than one month, fans are debating how and whether to take photos. While I have always been partial to actually watching the show, the visual focus of blogs means I'll be bringing a camera along.

Fans on the Duran Duran Message Board seem to agree that point-and-shoot cameras, and of course, cellphones are allowed in even at shows for which tickets say there is no photography allowed. Before the prevalence of smartphones, venues were pickier about allowing cameras. Having stood in a long line after a concert to collect my camera in the past, I would bring a disposable camera and hope for the best.

Simon Le Bon collected cash from the crowd during "Skin Trade" on the 2001 tour.
(Disposable camera photo by Karen Duran.)

When I had a camera with, I got a few good shots at Duran shows over the years. But I have always focused on the writing side of things, so I have detailed notes from concerts from which I have no photos.

Now, I still focus on the words, while my husband takes care of the pictures. We brought our Canon to shoot the Duran show at Red Rocks last year and will have it with us again at the shows this year.

Red Rocks photos by Christopher Windle.

A note: Live Nation is promoting Duran shows on the coming tour. If my recent experience with Live Nation is any indication, expect to go through some strict preshow security. Lines were like anything I have seen when I saw Black Sabbath in January. The security guards blamed it on Ozzy. Maybe Duran will be more lenient.