Call it a semicentennial, a quinquagenary — or just give thanks to Maybelline for half a century of blackest-black eyeliner: Today, British goth-rock legend Robert Smith joins Madonna, Prince, and Michael Jackson in the Holy Crap, They’re 50! Club.
Granted, the Cure itself is only 33, but it’s always felt as if the prodigiously talented Smith sprang from the womb with his sad-bat semaphores already intact — those kohl-rimmed eyes! those pinky-red lips! that wild halo of Edward Scissorhands hair! — just as it’s hard to imagine a world without "Just Like Heaven" or "Lovesong."
To honor the recent Coachella headliners, do tell us your own favorite Cure memories; mine involves an early-’90s road trip, a wobbly old tape deck, and a mom who was cool enough to introduce me to the band by putting "Close to Me" on repeat repeat repeat. (I was 13, and I thought "Kokomo" was a really good song. It was like a very special episode of Intervention, if Aruba-Jamaica-ooh-I-wanna-take-ya was the drug.)
Or just enjoy this interview from 1985, in which a painfully self-effacing, possibly hungover and relatively makeup-less Smith somehow still manages to be utterly charming:
More on the Music Mix:
Coachella ‘09 Sunday: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Cure battle for supremacy
Lollapalooza lineup announced: What year is it, again?
What was the 1980s’ best year for music?
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The bass shaking Radio City Music hall at the 1985 Head on the Door Tour show I attended at age 15 — with my dad. Our seats were very close, but on the right — right in front of the speakers. My body was vibrating for days from that rumble of the bass. (Last year’s show in Chicago was less rumbly, but every bit as great!)
When did I get so old?
In 2004 it was the first time The Cure came to Mexico City and I had the chance to go to the press conference and when Robert walk in i started to shiver but in a good way i’ll never forget that and also in one of the 3 concerts they gave i was in the 2nd row and Roger used to throw paper planes made with the setlist sheets and a i caught one
Let’s just say this weekend at Coachella is one for the record books! Utterly remarkable and something never to be forgotten!
Wow! It’s incredible that he has 50years already! He’s so amazing, i can’t wait to see The Cure when they come to Mexico, i don’t know if they will come here soon but… anyway, i wanna see him with his new 25’s
i can’t cait to see him !
Now the most of the old rock star’s are dead and Robert is a legend and he’s only 50