the cure interpol tour

Interpol on 20 years of ‘Antics’ and touring with The Cure: “It was another era”

After announcing a 20th anniversary tour for classic second album 'Antics', guitarist Daniel Kessler talks to NME about the legacy of the record, playing football with The Cure, the iconic 'Evil' video puppet, and what the future might hold

Interpol have spoken to NME about 20 years of their classic second album ‘Antics’, and their plans to celebrate the anniversary on a UK tour this winter.

This week saw the NYC indie veterans announce plans to play their second LP in full at dates across the UK in November. The album, following on from their seminal debut ‘Turn On The Bright Lights’, contained the singles and indie disco staples ‘Slow Hands’ , ‘Evil’ , alongside fan favourites ‘C’mere’  and ‘Narc’ . The record cemented the band’s success and went on to become a classic of the era. It led to the group signing to a major label for the mainstream success of their third album ‘Our Love To Admire’.

Speaking to NME , guitarist Daniel Kessler recalled how the band were “actually very mindful of not having any sort of pressure” while they were making the album.

“Touring ‘Bright Lights’ was so full-on, but every time we had two weeks or a weekend at home we went right to our rehearsal space in Brooklyn and just started working on new songs. When we finally finished touring, we already had a good portion of the songs that ended up being on ‘Antics’.

“We had an idea of the identity of what our second record was going to be. We put the blinders on to just continue, but at the same time from ‘Bright Lights’ to ‘Antics’ there’s an evolution and progression. I don’t want to use the word ‘maturity’, but there’s an understanding of what we were trying to accomplish.”

Check out our full interview with Kessler discussing the legacy of the record, the iconic puppet from the ‘Evil’ video, touring with The Cure , and what the future might hold.

Hello Daniel. How would you describe how you landed on the DNA of ‘Antics’ and what you wanted it to be?

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Daniel Kessler : “‘Bright Lights’ was our first record, so we had a tiny budget and a small amount of time in the studio and had to make a very ‘live’ record. That record was really how the band sounded on stage at that moment. We just wanted to do that justice. We were focussed on that and being reasonable with what we could accomplish. For ‘Antics’, we had the experience of having made a record and then toured for two years. When we came out of that, we wanted to make the studio work for us a bit more and get more out of the songs. There are more textures and the songs really hold you in the moment a little bit more.

“There wasn’t that much time between the two records, but we were really trying to push it forward and I think we did that.”

So it was all happening very quickly?

“Oh, sure. We finished the record in Connecticut, sequenced it in the car on the way back to New York, then we mastered it. The other difference is that when we made ‘Bright Lights’, it was a different music industry – it was word of mouth and a time that had more in common with the ‘80s or ‘90s in terms of how records were released. It was slow movements and a gradual build.

“By the time we’d finished ‘Antics’, the album had already leaked. That was three weeks after mastering and three months before release. Welcome to the next era!”

Weren’t people coming up to you and singing the songs long before the album was due out?

“Yeah. We finished ‘Antics’ in the spring and then we went on The Cure’s ‘Curiosa’ tour. The line-up was great – there was Mogwai , The Rapture and lots of other great bands [ Muse , Cooper Temple Clause , Melissa Auf Der Maur , Thursday , Head Auotmatica ]. We were playing Toronto and the weekly newspaper reviewed the record even though it was only just finished. We were like, ‘How is this even possible?’”

How did that feel at the time – to have so many people connecting with the songs but also having the record’s success hindered like that?

“Honestly, it was easy come, easy go. It was another era. I was happy that we had the last final taste of that era of the music industry, but it had all just evolved so rapidly from piracy to downloads to streaming. It was at break-neck speed, so when it happened I wasn’t that angry – but I was surprised.

“It’s not something you wish for, but there was also something amazing with what was happening. If you lived in a remote part of the world with a certain taste in music then suddenly you wouldn’t be punished for your geographical location. That excited me more than I was disappointed that the record leaked.”

So it was another five years until you could buy a boat?

“Exactly! But now we’re all good.”

That ‘Curiosa’ tour sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime event. What was the vibe of that like?

“It was great. Sometimes you do those tours and it sounds amazing on paper but then all the bands live very separately, but there was an amazing camaraderie. It was like a travelling circus. Everyone got along really great and hung out. There would be these really intense football matches between all the bands; just wherever made sense like behind the stage. I remember one of the guys from Muse hurt himself really bad during one of the matches and had to leave the tour.

“The Cure guys were just the best: really hospitable and friendly and welcoming.”

Which band was the best at football?

“Oh I don’t know, man. It got pretty intense though.”

And Interpol took off their suits to play?

“Something like that. American summers are pretty rough.”

The Cure have a similar problem as Interpol – people think they’re miserable and goth, when they’re actually quite romantic and human.

“Oh, 100 per cent. Their music has that quality, plus Robert Smith and the rest of the band are such great people to hang out, shoot the shit and have a drink with. I have wonderful memories of hanging out with those guys.”

Looking back on the ‘Antics’ tour, the shows suddenly felt more ‘complete’. What do you remember about coming together as a live band during those shows?

“We just really settled into it. There are a lot of cliches about the music industry, and you do have your whole life to make your first record. Everything was leading up to us releasing ‘Bright Lights’, but I never even envisioned putting out one record and couldn’t get beyond that. You’re going and going and you get the opportunity to be in the moment and own it a bit more. You’re enjoying being on stage and connecting with each other. By ‘Antics’, we had more ownership on stage.”

How was the mood in the band as you went into third album ‘Our Love To Admire’ and signed to a major label? How did the lessons of ‘Antics’ lead you there?

“We just wanted to expand. We incorporated more keyboards and, not soundscapes, but textures and atmospheres. We took a little bit more time on the songwriting and were really conscious of that. We toured pretty hard on ‘Antics’ and took the time to realise what we wanted to accomplish, which was to find new ways of expressing ourselves. There isn’t a song like ‘Pioneer To The Falls’ on the first two records because we weren’t able to arrive at that point until then. There’s a lot of space in a song like that.”

Do you learn anything about a record by revisiting it in such depth by putting on a show like this?

“We did two shows in France where we played ‘Antics’ in full , and it’s been really strange. It’s nerve-wracking at first. It might not seem that much of a stretch for a band to play an album in sequence, but it really is. It’s sequenced for the record in a very intentional way, but performing it as such means going from first gear to fourth gear and vice versa. When we did those two shows, it really took some activating and getting used to – regardless of how many times you’ve played those songs before.

“Nervous energy makes you be very present in the moment, and you want to stay faithful to what people are expecting to hear.”

You recently launched new fanclub service The Big House with a lot of archive content – is this a period of taking stock for the band?

“We’re not one of those bands who filmed every single thing that we did, but we’re trying to figure out what we do have, what our friends have and what we can share. There are some things in the archive that hadn’t made it out to our fans yet. It’s been fun to try and create a little bit more of a community.”

Seeing as long-departed bassist Carlos D was such a big part of that era, have there been conversations about getting him back for any of these shows?

“There’s been no conversation about that.”

What about the puppet from the ‘Evil’ video? He recently needed saving after all…

“My GPS on him has been lost so I need to tap into my tracker but I think he’s alive and well! He’s had some rough moments though, that’s for sure. He’s not a young puppet anymore.”

And you’re touring with Smashing Pumpkins in Europe. Will those shows be more of a greatest hits affair?

“We did some shows with them last year and they were a lot of fun. We really try to feel it out each night per situation. I saw Smashing Pumpkins play when I was in high school, so it’s really great to be playing with them.”

It’s been nearly two years now since last album ‘The Other Side Of Make Believe’ . How’s progress going on new material?

“We’re writing a lot this year and we don’t have any specific recording plans, but we’re working on it in between all this touring. It’s a little too early [to reveal how it sounds] but it’s exciting, that’s for sure.”

Interpol’s upcoming ‘Antics’ 20th anniversary UK tour dates are below. Tickets are on general sale today (Friday March 22) from 9am GMT – buy yours here .

NOVEMBER 1 – Wolverhampton, The Halls 2 – Manchester, O2 Apollo 4 – Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall 5 – Newcastle, O2 City Hall 7 – Bristol, Beacon 8 – London, Alexandra Palace

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UPCOMING SHOWS

Cure, Interpol Plot Festival

By Kirk Miller

Kirk Miller

“If you don’t like this record, you don’t like the Cure,” says frontman Robert Smith. He’s not kidding — the goth band’s new CD, The Cure , due June 29th, is the group’s best work since 1989’s Disintegreation .

The Cure entered London’s Olympic Studios in February with thirty-seven songs and banged out an album with producer Ross Robinson in eight weeks. That’s a phenomenal achievement for us,” says Smith. “We haven’t made a record that quickly since 1984.”

Robinson, who’s known for his intense recording sessions with metal bands such as Korn and Slipknot, had the group record its tracks live in the studio, resulting in a raw-sounding album full of guitar squalls and feedback. It’s not all noise, though: There are several upbeat numbers, such as the first single, “The End of the World.” And the standout track, tentatively titled “Labyrinths,” is an Eastern-influenced epic along the lines of Jane’s Addiction’s classic “Three Days.”

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After touring Europe in June, the Cure will launch the Curiosa festival tour in the U.S. in July. Interpol, the Rapture and Mogwai will also play the main stage, with Auf Der Maur, Cursive, the Cooper Temple Clause, Cursive, Thursday and Muse among the bands who will do dates on the second stage.

The Cure tour dates (venues TBA):

7/24: West Palm Beach 7/25: Tampa 7/28: Nashville 7/29: Atlanta 7/31: New York 8/1: Camden, NJ 8/3: Cincinnati 8/4: Cleveland 8/7: Boston 8/11: Detroit 8/12: Chicago 8/14: Dallas 8/15: Houston 8/17: Denver 8/18: Salt Lake City 8/27: Los Angeles

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The Cure Announce 40-Year Anniversary Show With Interpol, Slowdive, More

By Noah Yoo

In 2018, the Cure are set to celebrate 40 years of being a band. To commemorate the occasion, Robert Smith and company have announced a massive headlining show in London’s Hyde Park, which is being billed as the group’s only European show of next year. The concert includes a slew of openers: Interpol , Goldfrapp , Slowdive , Ride , the Twilight Sad, and Editors are set to perform before the Cure, who will play a 2-hour-long set according to their website . The concert goes down July 7; general tickets go on sale at the end of the week. Next year also marks ten years since the release of the Cure’s most recent studio album 4:13 Dream .

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Interpol on 20 years of Antics and touring with The Cure: It was another era

• Andrew Trendell

Interpol  have spoken to  NME  about 20 years of their classic second album ‘Antics’, and their plans to celebrate the anniversary on a UK tour this winter.

This week saw the  NYC indie veterans announce plans to play their second LP in full at dates across the UK  in November. The album, following on from their seminal debut ‘Turn On The Bright Lights’, contained the singles and indie disco staples  ‘Slow Hands’ ,  ‘Evil’ , alongside fan favourites  ‘C’mere’  and  ‘Narc’ . The record cemented the band’s success and went on to become a classic of the era. It led to the group signing to a major label for the mainstream success of their third album ‘Our Love To Admire’.

Speaking to  NME , guitarist Daniel Kessler recalled how the band were “actually very mindful of not having any sort of pressure” while they were making the album.

“Touring ‘Bright Lights’ was so full-on, but every time we had two weeks or a weekend at home we went right to our rehearsal space in Brooklyn and just started working on new songs. When we finally finished touring, we already had a good portion of the songs that ended up being on ‘Antics’.

“We had an idea of the identity of what our second record was going to be. We put the blinders on to just continue, but at the same time from ‘Bright Lights’ to ‘Antics’ there’s an evolution and progression. I don’t want to use the word ‘maturity’, but there’s an understanding of what we were trying to accomplish.”

Hello Daniel. How would you describe how you landed on the DNA of ‘Antics’ and what you wanted it to be?

Daniel Kessler: “‘Bright Lights’ was our first record, so we had a tiny budget and a small amount of time in the studio and had to make a very ‘live’ record. That record was really how the band sounded on stage at that moment. We just wanted to do that justice. We were focussed on that and being reasonable with what we could accomplish. For ‘Antics’, we had the experience of having made a record and then toured for two years. When we came out of that, we wanted to make the studio work for us a bit more and get more out of the songs. There are more textures and the songs really hold you in the moment a little bit more.

“There wasn’t that much time between the two records, but we were really trying to push it forward and I think we did that.”

So it was all happening very quickly?

“Oh, sure. We finished the record in Connecticut, sequenced it in the car on the way back to New York, then we mastered it. The other difference is that when we made ‘Bright Lights’, it was a different music industry – it was word of mouth and a time that had more in common with the ‘80s or ‘90s in terms of how records were released. It was slow movements and a gradual build.

“By the time we’d finished ‘Antics’, the album had already leaked. That was three weeks after mastering and three months before release. Welcome to the next era!”

Weren’t people coming up to you and singing the songs long before the album was due out?

“Yeah. We finished ‘Antics’ in the spring and then we went on The Cure’s ‘Curiosa’ tour. The line-up was great – there was  Mogwai ,  The Rapture  and lots of other great bands [ Muse ,  Cooper Temple Clause ,  Melissa Auf Der Maur ,  Thursday ,  Head Auotmatica ]. We were playing Toronto and the weekly newspaper reviewed the record even though it was only just finished. We were like, ‘How is this even possible?’”

How did that feel at the time – to have so many people connecting with the songs but also having the record’s success hindered like that?

“Honestly, it was easy come, easy go. It was another era. I was happy that we had the last final taste of that era of the music industry, but it had all just evolved so rapidly from piracy to downloads to streaming. It was at break-neck speed, so when it happened I wasn’t that angry – but I was surprised.

“It’s not something you wish for, but there was also something amazing with what was happening. If you lived in a remote part of the world with a certain taste in music then suddenly you wouldn’t be punished for your geographical location. That excited me more than I was disappointed that the record leaked.”

So it was another five years until you could buy a boat?

“Exactly! But now we’re all good.”

That ‘Curiosa’ tour sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime event. What was the vibe of that like?

“It was great. Sometimes you do those tours and it sounds amazing on paper but then all the bands live very separately, but there was an amazing camaraderie. It was like a travelling circus. Everyone got along really great and hung out. There would be these really intense football matches between all the bands; just wherever made sense like behind the stage. I remember  one of the guys from Muse hurt himself really bad  during one of the matches and had to leave the tour.

“The Cure guys were just the best: really hospitable and friendly and welcoming.”

Which band was the best at football?

“Oh I don’t know, man. It got pretty intense though.”

And Interpol took off their suits to play?

“Something like that. American summers are pretty rough.”

The Cure have a similar problem as Interpol – people think they’re miserable and goth, when they’re actually quite romantic and human.

“Oh, 100 per cent. Their music has that quality, plus  Robert Smith  and the rest of the band are such great people to hang out, shoot the shit and have a drink with. I have wonderful memories of hanging out with those guys.”

Looking back on the ‘Antics’ tour, the shows suddenly felt more ‘complete’. What do you remember about coming together as a live band during those shows?

“We just really settled into it. There are a lot of cliches about the music industry, and you do have your whole life to make your first record. Everything was leading up to us releasing ‘Bright Lights’, but I never even envisioned putting out one record and couldn’t get beyond that. You’re going and going and you get the opportunity to be in the moment and own it a bit more. You’re enjoying being on stage and connecting with each other. By ‘Antics’, we had more ownership on stage.”

How was the mood in the band as you went into third album ‘Our Love To Admire’ and signed to a major label? How did the lessons of ‘Antics’ lead you there?

“We just wanted to expand. We incorporated more keyboards and, not soundscapes, but textures and atmospheres. We took a little bit more time on the songwriting and were really conscious of that. We toured pretty hard on ‘Antics’ and took the time to realise what we wanted to accomplish, which was to find new ways of expressing ourselves. There isn’t a song like ‘Pioneer To The Falls’ on the first two records because we weren’t able to arrive at that point until then. There’s a lot of space in a song like that.”

Do you learn anything about a record by revisiting it in such depth by putting on a show like this?

“We did  two shows in France where we played ‘Antics’ in full , and it’s been really strange. It’s nerve-wracking at first. It might not seem that much of a stretch for a band to play an album in sequence, but it really is. It’s sequenced for the record in a very intentional way, but performing it as such means going from first gear to fourth gear and vice versa. When we did those two shows, it really took some activating and getting used to – regardless of how many times you’ve played those songs before.

“Nervous energy makes you be very present in the moment, and you want to stay faithful to what people are expecting to hear.”

You recently launched new fanclub service  The Big House  with a lot of archive content – is this a period of taking stock for the band?

“We’re not one of those bands who filmed every single thing that we did, but we’re trying to figure out what we do have, what our friends have and what we can share. There are some things in the archive that hadn’t made it out to our fans yet. It’s been fun to try and create a little bit more of a community.”

Seeing as  long-departed bassist Carlos D  was such a big part of that era, have there been conversations about getting him back for any of these shows?

“There’s been no conversation about that.”

What about the puppet from the ‘Evil’ video?  He recently needed saving  after all…

“My GPS on him has been lost so I need to tap into my tracker but I think he’s alive and well! He’s had some rough moments though, that’s for sure. He’s not a young puppet anymore.”

And you’re touring with  Smashing Pumpkins  in Europe. Will those shows be more of a greatest hits affair?

“We did some shows with them last year and they were a lot of fun. We really try to feel it out each night per situation. I saw Smashing Pumpkins play when I was in high school, so it’s really great to be playing with them.”

It’s been nearly two years now since last album  ‘The Other Side Of Make Believe’ . How’s progress going on new material?

“We’re writing a lot this year and we don’t have any specific recording plans, but we’re working on it in between all this touring. It’s a little too early [to reveal how it sounds] but it’s exciting, that’s for sure.”

Interpol’s upcoming ‘Antics’ 29th anniversary UK tour dates are below. Tickets are on general sale today (Friday March 22) from 9am GMT –  buy yours here .

NOVEMBER 1 – Wolverhampton, The Halls 2 – Manchester, O2 Apollo 4 – Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall 5 – Newcastle, O2 City Hall 7 – Bristol, Beacon 8 – London, Alexandra Palace

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Interpol on 20 years of ‘Antics’ and touring with The Cure

Interpol have spoken to NME about 20 years of their classic second album ‘Antics’, and their plans to celebrate the anniversary on a UK tour this winter.

This week saw the NYC indie veterans announce plans to play their second LP in full at dates across the UK in November. The album, following on from their seminal debut ‘Turn On The Bright Lights’, contained the singles and indie disco staples ‘Slow Hands’, ‘Evil’, alongside fan favourites ‘C’mere’ and ‘Narc’. The record cemented the band’s success and went on to become a classic of the era. It led to the group signing to a major label for the mainstream success of their third album ‘Our Love To Admire’.

Speaking to NME , guitarist Daniel Kessler recalled how the band were “actually very mindful of not having any sort of pressure” while they were making the album.

“Touring ‘Bright Lights’ was so full-on, but every time we had two weeks or a weekend at home we went right to our rehearsal space in Brooklyn and just started working on new songs. When we finally finished touring, we already had a good portion of the songs that ended up being on ‘Antics’.

“We had an idea of the identity of what our second record was going to be. We put the blinders on to just continue, but at the same time from ‘Bright Lights’ to ‘Antics’ there’s an evolution and progression. I don’t want to use the word ‘maturity’, but there’s an understanding of what we were trying to accomplish.”

Check out our full interview with Kessler discussing the legacy of the record, the iconic puppet from the ‘Evil’ video, touring with The Cure, and what the future might hold.

Hello Daniel. How would you describe how you landed on the DNA of ‘Antics’ and what you wanted it to be?

Daniel Kessler : “‘Bright Lights’ was our first record, so we had a tiny budget and a small amount of time in the studio and had to make a very ‘live’ record. That record was really how the band sounded on stage at that moment. We just wanted to do that justice. We were focussed on that and being reasonable with what we could accomplish. For ‘Antics’, we had the experience of having made a record and then toured for two years. When we came out of that, we wanted to make the studio work for us a bit more and get more out of the songs. There are more textures and the songs really hold you in the moment a little bit more.

“There wasn’t that much time between the two records, but we were really trying to push it forward and I think we did that.”

So it was all happening very quickly?

“Oh, sure. We finished the record in Connecticut, sequenced it in the car on the way back to New York, then we mastered it. The other difference is that when we made ‘Bright Lights’, it was a different music industry – it was word of mouth and a time that had more in common with the ‘80s or ‘90s in terms of how records were released. It was slow movements and a gradual build.

“By the time we’d finished ‘Antics’, the album had already leaked. That was three weeks after mastering and three months before release. Welcome to the next era!”

Weren’t people coming up to you and singing the songs long before the album was due out?

“Yeah. We finished ‘Antics’ in the spring and then we went on The Cure’s ‘Curiosa’ tour. The line-up was great – there was Mogwai, The Rapture and lots of other great bands [Muse, Cooper Temple Clause, Melissa Auf Der Maur, Thursday, Head Auotmatica]. We were playing Toronto and the weekly newspaper reviewed the record even though it was only just finished. We were like, ‘How is this even possible?’”

How did that feel at the time – to have so many people connecting with the songs but also having the record’s success hindered like that?

“Honestly, it was easy come, easy go. It was another era. I was happy that we had the last final taste of that era of the music industry, but it had all just evolved so rapidly from piracy to downloads to streaming. It was at break-neck speed, so when it happened I wasn’t that angry – but I was surprised.

“It’s not something you wish for, but there was also something amazing with what was happening. If you lived in a remote part of the world with a certain taste in music then suddenly you wouldn’t be punished for your geographical location. That excited me more than I was disappointed that the record leaked.”

So it was another five years until you could buy a boat?

“Exactly! But now we’re all good.”

That ‘Curiosa’ tour sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime event. What was the vibe of that like?

“It was great. Sometimes you do those tours and it sounds amazing on paper but then all the bands live very separately, but there was an amazing camaraderie. It was like a travelling circus. Everyone got along really great and hung out. There would be these really intense football matches between all the bands; just wherever made sense like behind the stage. I remember one of the guys from Muse hurt himself really bad during one of the matches and had to leave the tour.

“The Cure guys were just the best: really hospitable and friendly and welcoming.”

Which band was the best at football?

“Oh I don’t know, man. It got pretty intense though.”

And Interpol took off their suits to play?

“Something like that. American summers are pretty rough.”

The Cure have a similar problem as Interpol – people think they’re miserable and goth, when they’re actually quite romantic and human.

“Oh, 100 per cent. Their music has that quality, plus Robert Smith and the rest of the band are such great people to hang out, shoot the shit and have a drink with. I have wonderful memories of hanging out with those guys.”

Looking back on the ‘Antics’ tour, the shows suddenly felt more ‘complete’. What do you remember about coming together as a live band during those shows?

“We just really settled into it. There are a lot of cliches about the music industry, and you do have your whole life to make your first record. Everything was leading up to us releasing ‘Bright Lights’, but I never even envisioned putting out one record and couldn’t get beyond that. You’re going and going and you get the opportunity to be in the moment and own it a bit more. You’re enjoying being on stage and connecting with each other. By ‘Antics’, we had more ownership on stage.”

How was the mood in the band as you went into third album ‘Our Love To Admire’ and signed to a major label? How did the lessons of ‘Antics’ lead you there?

“We just wanted to expand. We incorporated more keyboards and, not soundscapes, but textures and atmospheres. We took a little bit more time on the songwriting and were really conscious of that. We toured pretty hard on ‘Antics’ and took the time to realise what we wanted to accomplish, which was to find new ways of expressing ourselves. There isn’t a song like ‘Pioneer To The Falls’ on the first two records because we weren’t able to arrive at that point until then. There’s a lot of space in a song like that.”

Do you learn anything about a record by revisiting it in such depth by putting on a show like this?

“We did two shows in France where we played ‘Antics’ in full, and it’s been really strange. It’s nerve-wracking at first. It might not seem that much of a stretch for a band to play an album in sequence, but it really is. It’s sequenced for the record in a very intentional way, but performing it as such means going from first gear to fourth gear and vice versa. When we did those two shows, it really took some activating and getting used to – regardless of how many times you’ve played those songs before.

“Nervous energy makes you be very present in the moment, and you want to stay faithful to what people are expecting to hear.”

You recently launched new fanclub service The Big House with a lot of archive content – is this a period of taking stock for the band?

“We’re not one of those bands who filmed every single thing that we did, but we’re trying to figure out what we do have, what our friends have and what we can share. There are some things in the archive that hadn’t made it out to our fans yet. It’s been fun to try and create a little bit more of a community.”

Seeing as long-departed bassist Carlos D was such a big part of that era, have there been conversations about getting him back for any of these shows?

“There’s been no conversation about that.”

What about the puppet from the ‘Evil’ video? He recently needed saving after all…

“My GPS on him has been lost so I need to tap into my tracker but I think he’s alive and well! He’s had some rough moments though, that’s for sure. He’s not a young puppet anymore.”

And you’re touring with Smashing Pumpkins in Europe. Will those shows be more of a greatest hits affair?

“We did some shows with them last year and they were a lot of fun. We really try to feel it out each night per situation. I saw Smashing Pumpkins play when I was in high school, so it’s really great to be playing with them.”

It’s been nearly two years now since last album ‘The Other Side Of Make Believe’. How’s progress going on new material?

“We’re writing a lot this year and we don’t have any specific recording plans, but we’re working on it in between all this touring. It’s a little too early [to reveal how it sounds] but it’s exciting, that’s for sure.”

Interpol’s upcoming ‘Antics’ 29th anniversary UK tour dates are below. Tickets are on general sale today (Friday March 22) from 9am GMT – buy yours here.

NOVEMBER 1 – Wolverhampton, The Halls 2 – Manchester, O2 Apollo 4 – Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall 5 – Newcastle, O2 City Hall 7 – Bristol, Beacon 8 – London, Alexandra Palace

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• Culture & Music

The Cure announce 2023 tour dates, return to Pine Knob in nearly 20 years

The Cure will return to Metro Detroit on June 13.

British goth rock/new wave icons The Cure are hitting the road in North America starting in May, which includes a stop at Pine Knob for the first time in nearly two decades.

The Shows of a Lost World tour launches May 10 in New Orleans and is scheduled to hit Pine Knob on June 13. This will be The Cure’s first show in Metro Detroit since 2004’s Curiosa Festival, which also featured Interpol, Muse and a host of other dark indie rock bands that filled mix CDs and iPods in the mid-2000s.

Tickets go on sale March 15 but fans must register first with Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan program now through March 13. The Twilight Sad are the support act. See the full tour schedule below.

The Cure haven’t released a proper studio album since 2008’s 4:13 Dream , though Robert Smith has been keeping himself busy over the past few years. Smith and his bandmates were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. The 63-year-old also collaborated with Chvrches and Gorillaz, and just this week remixed a Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds song.

The Cure 2023 North American Tour Dates (via Pitchfork )

5/10 New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center 5/12 Houston, TX – Toyota Center 5/13 Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion 5/14 Austin, TX – Moody Center 5/16 Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater 5/18 Phoenix, AZ – Desert Diamond Arena 5/20 San Diego, CA – NICU Amphitheatre 5/23 Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl 5/24 Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl 5/25 Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl 5/27 San Francisco, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre 6/1 Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena 6/2 Vancouver, British Columbia – Rogers Arena 6/4 Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Smart Home Arena 6/6 Greenwood Village, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre 6/8 Saint Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center 6/10 Chicago, IL – United Center 6/11 Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center 6/13 Detroit, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre 6/14 Toronto, Ontario – Budweiser Stage 6/16 Montreal, Quebec – Bell Centre 6/18 Boston, MA – Xfinity Center 6/20 New York, NY – Madison Square Garden 6/21 New York, NY – Madison Square Garden 6/22 New York, NY – Madison Square Garden 6/24 Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center 6/25 Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion 6/27 Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena 6/29 Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena 7/1 Miami, FL – Miami-Dade Arena

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The Cure are a band formed in 1976 hailing from Crawley, West Sussex, in the United Kingdom. Fronted by lead singer and songwriter Robert Smith, they came from the post-punk scene of the early 80’s to become one of the biggest and most influential bands in modern rock.

When a band gets to be as truly worshipped as The Cure, it can be an interesting and slightly bizarre thing to look at their early days. A little bit like seeing your favourite actor wondering whether they’re going to go with white or brown bread in a local Tesco. Or an important politician spotted zoning out on public transport, it brings them back down to earth and reminds you that they’re not all-conquering, all-powerful cosmically divine extra-dimension visitors who know the secrets of the universe, but a guy from the Sussex suburbs who formed a band to play at a school concert.

They probably looked ridiculous at their first shows, and not in the awesome way. They probably wrote some godawful songs. Some punters probably watched an early incarnation of The Cure and thought, for good reason, that they were a bunch of no-hopers. Every band has those days and if they haven’t one should be very, very suspicious of them. What makes The Cure so special is that they absolutely had those days, but knowing about them doesn’t take the sheen off them at all. They’re still a vitally important band, influential to thousands of bands the world over and that’s enough to make them legends, before the image and before the imitators.

And it all began with a school concert. In April 1973, five students from Notre Dame Middle School in Crawley formed Obelisk, the first tentative musical project of one Mr Robert Smith, who was the bands pianist. Future Cure cohorts Mick Dempsey and Lol Tolhurst backed him up on guitar and percussion, respectively, but it wasn’t until 1976 that the trio began to take making music more seriously. The band was reshuffled to feature Smith on the guitar, Dempsey on bass and Tolhurst left the now renamed Malice, but it was only to last a year until their lead guitarist left as well.

The remaining members got Tolhurst back as their drummer and renamed themselves again.This time, they would be called Easy Cure. By September 1977, Smith took over lead vocals after several unsuccessful auditions and by the start of 1978, they had dropped the Easy from their name and had recorded their first demo tape. This tape found its way to Polydor Records scout Chris Parry, who was so taken with the band that he signed them to his own label Fiction in September of that very year. In a move that nobody would get away with now, their track “Killing An Arab” was released soon after as their very first single.

It was a move that gained as much acclaim as controversy, to the extent that a re-release of the single had to be packaged with a sticker on the cover denying its supposedly racist connotations. Thankfully, the bands energetic post-punk got more attention, and their hype was considerably heightened with a session on John Peel’s legendary Radio One show. By the following year, their debut album “Three Imaginary Boys”, was released, and as part of its promotion, the band embarked on their first major support tour opening for Siouxsie And The Banshees.

This was to be a major step forward for the band, as Smith was coaxed into playing guitar for The Banshees after their original axe-man left shortly before the tour. The experience of being a Banshee profoundly changed Smith’s attitude towards the music that his band played, and when before he was most influenced by The Buzzcocks and Elvis Costello, afterwards he wanted to match the power that he felt while playing Siouxsie’s music. The result was 1980’s “Seventeen Seconds” and arguably, that was when they became The Cure that we know today.

Since then, they’ve been most known for essentially creating Goth music with the aforementioned record, its follow up “Faith”, and 1982’s bleak masterpiece “Pornography”. However, after those records they released some of the most romantic, beautiful and downright succesful pop of the 1980’s and early 90’s, with albums like “Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me”, “Wish” and “The Top” showing just what Smith could do with a lovelorn lyric and a truly gorgeous melody. It’s their mastery of these two extremes that really show why The Cure are as loved as they are. They exemplify the human condition, and reflect when one is ecstatic and when one is at their lowest with equal skill and sensitivity.

There’s no-one else like them, and it’ll be a while before we see their likes again. See this band as soon as possible.

Live reviews

Reviewing a show of one of your favorite Bands who have the distinction of being in your Top 5 (if not #1) live experiences of all time can be a bit daunting.

It can go a number of ways.

1. Another Great show as hoped.

2. Sub par and a let down.

3. The Band just "mails it in" (which is the worst).

The Cure, who have been around since 1976 (Easy Cure) and haven't toured the States anyway with a new album since 2008 are currently embarking on a substantial North American tour and with no new album I was really only expecting a "Greatest Hits" type show honestly? And given their Longevity and slew of "Hits" from the heyday of MTV I guess I couldn't blame them and I would have been satisfied more than likely?

Ah, but that was not the case in Boston (6-16-16) at Agganis Arena!

The Cure came out full throttle with a high energy level for what would turn out to be a marathon show of 3 hours which included.

Not 1. Not 2. Not even 3. But 4. Yes. 4 Encore Sets!!!

Were the standards there? Of course how can they not be.

"Inbetween Days", "Just Like Heaven", "Lovesong" "Let's Go To Bed", "Boys Don't Cry" etc etc etc

And all played with a kicked up, but not hurried, sense of urgency and excitement!

Mixed in though were surprising live Gems like:

"Burn" (1st The Crow soundtrack), "M", "Kyoto Song" and the surprising "Snakepit"!!

"Fascination Street" which has one the most perfect Bass lines ever IMO was a whirlwind of insanity as Simon Gallup just pushed the Band forward.

And the songs just kept coming one after the other while the crowd basked in Robert Smith's wonderfully childlike sense of wonder and emotion in his lyrics and vocals and understated guitar work.

Most Cure fans (me included) knew every single song played which is typical of The Cure fanbase.

But when they launched into the new "It Can Never Be the Same" with it's rumbling Bass line and heart felt lyrics to Robert Smith's Mother(?) I was amazed at how well it slid into this already fantastic set and really really really hope it gets a proper release soon, if it hasn't already and I have somehow missed it?

Robert Smith is an enigma of a front man. He demands your attention but. I don't believe, has never come to grips with his fans adulations and is still obviously shy individual. And I really don't think it's an act?

Simon Gallup is without doubt the energy of this Band still! He stalks the stage and never stops moving. All the while laying down a very unique Bass foundation that compliments Roberts Jangly sparse guitar style perfectly.

Simon does not get the recognition he deserves as a force on the Bass (along with John Taylor of Duran Duran) and if you play Bass you really should take a close listen to his work with The Cure.

Jason Cooper I think has finally come out from the shadow that was Boris Williams and seems comfortable in pushing his style now more in the drumming Dept. which I believe is another reason for the energy level of the Band live.

Roger O'Donnell is sublime on the keyboards and brings that soaring majestic sound needed for anything done from DISINTEGRATION while jumping right over to the nursery rhyme key tinkling of The Cure's early 80's Synth Pop era easily.

Reeves Gabrels who is the current 2nd guitarist in the ever rotating slot is a masterful musician in his own right (David Bowie folks) and honestly I was surprised at how long He has stayed with the Band? But He steps out very tastefully when required and ads his unique flair to the sound. I will admit to missing Porl Thompson who I just think was/ is the elusive component to the Band. But if you have to have Mr. Gabrels who am I to complain?.

Honestly this review could have been round up with one word: "EPIC"

But that, would be "mailing it in".

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I first saw the Cure in 1982 in this very same venue, the effectionatelg named by U.S. Muso's as the Hammy Odeon.

Tonight some 30 years later I'm back. I feel at home especially as I'm stranding and I'm where I should be.... Down the Front

Our evening starts with And Also The Trees a reformed eighties outfit who previously supported the Cure on their 1984 tour.

The thing about Robert smith is that he is a prolific song writer and the bands back catalogue is immense which results in us experiencing a three hour plus spectacular.

And what a treat. Hits rained down and more randomly than normal. Tracks from The Top album seemed dominate. Just like Heaven, Charlotte sometimes, Hundred Years, The End and of course the gems Primary, play for today and the classic A Forest.

Of course I'd liked more from Seventeen Seconds and Faith but that would have been greedy. There were plenty of folk here tonight who weren't born when these albums were released

With so much to play we were presented with four encores and finally at 11.15 it all ended with Boys Don't Cry.

It meant so much for me to have returned to this awesome venue to see my favourite band.... The place and the band that started me on my gig going journey

Cheers Robert.... Fantastic

The Cure are a special band and should be heard in a special environment, that is why I saw them at Red Rocks in Colorado. It was a cool night and the sun was sitting low in the sky. That famous colorful Colorado sky fell down across the stage.

The fans were are pretty relaxed and were mostly 25 plus in age. Everyone seemed to be poised for a night of great music. You could hear conversations coming from every direction, everyone hoping their favorite songs will be played.

Just as it was getting dark the band took the stage. Everyone stood and applauded Robert Smith as he paced across the stage and made his way to the microphone stand. As the band members struck a few random chords then the band jumped into “Just Like Heaven”. The frenzy only grew as the bad started without pause to play “Friday I’m In Love”. Everyone was having so much fun. The music sounded better then I have ever heard it before.

Robert Smith played an amazing set list of all the hits over the years. The band played all the old songs like “Boys Don’t Cry” and “Pictures of you” with a fresh take and with a new energy. This band has been around a while and still worth seeing live!

The Cure are legends and any band that will give you a 2 1/2 hour show deserves your respect. That being said this "greatest hits" + a few back-catalogue approach is what you'd expect from the Rolling Stones not from what is still an underground act. That in and by itself wouldn't even be that bad but aside from a few songs 39, A Night Like This, 100 Years sounded bland, uninspired and as though they were just going through the motions... Great light show, technical perfection but no soul! I've seen them twice in the 90's and came out of those shows thrilled, energized and inspired. Those were magical shows where the band managed to transform reality and all (the band included, to judge by their faces) came out of it exhausted and amazed, carried off as by some shamanistic ritual to dark and dangerous lands where we learned to overcome our fears and face the world around us with new hope. This wasn't one of those shows. This was Robert Smith giving his audience 30 of his best songs and not once making a spiritual connection with either the music or the crowd...

Obviously being way too young to remember The Cure the first time around (sort of, ish, ahem, etc), this was the first time seeing this bunch of post-punk proto-goths and inevitably they didn't disappoint.

Despite most of the band heading pretty swiftly towards free-bus-pass age, the gig show kicked along at a pace, with young Mr. Smith barely pausing for breath as they band kicked on through a back catalogue spanning 30+ years.

Having spent the past few weeks attempting to brush up on my Cure knowledge (via Spotify) I can gladly add this band to an ever-growing list of "if you thought the studio version was good...", as tracks like Lullaby, Lovecats and Friday all sounded immense performed live.

Main issue of the night was technical; the lack of big screens at Wembley Arena means if you're right at the back, the band are mere specks on the stage up front. The lighting design was beautifully done though, and went some way to compensate for the lack of being able to see Robert Smith gurning earnestly into the microphone.

Two review, first for The Cure. It was a wonderful show! They were willing to perform hits along with other unknown songs and sounded great at doing it. They had a half and half crowd, some diehard fans and some who thought they were bigger fans than they actually were. With it being May in Pac NW the temperature dropped quickly freezing alot of people enough to say they had seen enough. This wasnt The band's fault for lack of inspired fans. They were everything I expected from a goth rock band from the late 70s and 80s. About the venue: I love the venue as well! We have been living in Portland for 5 years but have never made a point to catch a show in the Washington Amphitheater. Wow! We felt like we were home in the south. Nice concert under the stars and the price was a great as well, considering the crappy prices shows in Portland go for. We will be going back to Sunlight Supply in August.

Buon concerto del gruppo, rovinato dalla pessima acustica del Mediolanum Forum.

L'esecuzione è stata quasi impeccabile, l'interazione col pubblico buona (Robert Smith ha persino azzardato un "Grazie mille", unica ed acclamatissima frase che il pubblico ha capito), alcune canzoni elegantemente riarrangiate.

La qualità sonora, inizialmente pessima (purtroppo tale è rimasta per tutta l'esibizione dei Twilight Sad che aprivano il concerto), è migliorata durante l'esibizione grazie al lavoro ingrato dei fonici e al fatto che gradualmente le chitarre elettriche distorte sono state sostituite con le acustiche o con suoni più docili.

Penso che sia l'ultimo concerto che andrò a vedere al Mediolanum Forum, che è vergognosamente inadatto ad ospitare concerti rock dal punto di vista acustico (peccato, perché dal punto di vista logistico non è male). Ridateci l'arena!

What a concert!

We managed to get front row side view, only a few meters from the stage.

I'd seen them in 1985 in Madrid, 2008 in Melbourne and now in Milan. Awesome songs, still as good as always. A massive repertoire to choose from, but they performed most of their hits, plus a new one, It Can Never Be The Same. Robert as grand as always, he really enjoyed the show.

Simon at his best, he inspired me when I was 17 to play bass guitar, his usual moving around the stage with his bass at knee level!

I missed Porl, though, he has always been the colourful note at the right end of the stage!

Roger as sculptural as always in front of the keyboards and Jason performing at his best.

A magnificent show, what can I say.

I hope to see them again in a couple of years!

The Cure - Barcelona, Palau Sant Jordi. November 26th 2016

My 5th Cure concert, and probably the best I've seen. No doubt it was far better than the last one, also in Barcelona in 2008 (without Roger O'Donnell on keys)

The band is great with Reeves Gabrels and Roger. Jason Cooper sounds better than ever on drums and Simon's bass is terrific.

Missed some gems such as Plainsong, Jupiter Crash, Want, Letter to Elise, but setlist was OK, 32 songs, focusing on The Head on the Door (1985) + Disintegration (89) + Kiss Me (87).

1 great unreleased song: It Can Never Be The Same on 1st encore.

Robert's voice was fine, powerful and clean. Athmosphere was good, proactive and the pop songs encouraged fans to sing along.

Looking fw to a new tour and maybe new album?

3 (three) hours of pure pleasure. 31 songs.

They sang as if they were recording the original albuns. Perfect!

Great quality and performance.

Great respect for the fans, as I never saw.

Best was not possible, im glad I went to this concert. Thank you CURE!

In Between Days

Pictures of You

The Hungry Ghost

A Night Like This

Shake Dog Shake

The Caterpillar

From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea

One Hundred Years

Step Into the Light

Play for Today

Fascination Street

Friday I'm in Love

Just Like Heaven

Boys Don't Cry

Hot Hot Hot!!!

Let's Go to Bed

Close to Me

Why Can't I Be You?

Videos (15)

Photos (125)

Posters (224)

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The Cure announce Curiosa Festival dates, bands

The Cure have announced their summer festival tour, titled Curiosa. Robert Smith and company will bring along many acts they influenced, including Interpol, The Rapture and Mogwai. A second stage will feature a rotating roster of bands including Cursive, Muse, Thursday, Head Automatica, The Cooper Temple Clause and Auf Der Maur. Venues have not been announced, but the tentative schedule is now available. More dates are expected to be added to this list.

The Cure's new record, their 13th full length, will be a self titled release and should see the light of day on June 22nd. It was produced by Ross Robinson (At The Drive In, The Blood Brothers) and will be released on Robinson's I Am Recordings label.

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• May 10, 2004

Cure Announces Festival Tour With Interpol, Rapture, Mogwai

Time to get out the hairspray and black eyeliner again. Less than a week after headlining the Coachella festival in the Southern California desert, goth pioneers the Cure have unveiled plans for a full U.S. tour this summer.

The Curiosa Festival 2004 will feature the Cure headlining a bill that also includes three bands plainly influenced by Robert Smith and company: Interpol, the Rapture and Mogwai.

A second stage will also be part of the traveling road show, with Muse, Thursday, Cursive, Melissa Auf Der Maur, Cooper Temple Clause and Head Automatica rotating as performers.

The Cure formed in 1976, and only iconoclastic singer/songwriter Smith remains from the group’s initial lineup. Simon Gallup, who joined the group in 1979, is the only other longstanding member in the current lineup. The group plans to release a new eponymous album on June 29, the band’s first LP since 2000’s Bloodflowers. The first single from the album bears the cheery title “The End of the World.”

The tour kicks off July 24 in the unlikely tropical setting of West Palm Beach, Florida, and ends August 27 in Los Angeles. Venues have yet to be confirmed, and additional dates are still being added.

Dates for the Curiosa Festival 2004, according to a band spokesperson:

* 7/24 – West Palm Beach, FL

* 7/25 – Tampa, FL

* 7/28 – Nashville, TN

* 7/29 – Atlanta, GA

* 7/31 – New York, NY

* 8/1 – Camden, NJ

* 8/3 – Cincinnati, OH

* 8/4 – Cleveland, OH

* 8/7 – Boston, MA

* 8/11 – Detroit, MI

* 8/12 – Chicago, IL

* 8/14 – Dallas, TX

* 8/15 – Houston, TX

* 8/17 – Denver, CO

* 8/18 – Salt Lake City, UT

* 8/27 – Los Angeles, CA

Source VH1.com .

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Following on from their 2022 European concerts, The Cure have announced the “Shows of a Lost World Tour” will be heading to North America in May, June and July with The Twilight Sad opening at all shows. The 30-date run will include a stop in Saint Paul at Xcel Energy Center on June 8.

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More From Forbes

Former women’s soccer chief riding tour de france for cure leukaemia.

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Ian McMahon and Geoff Thomas at the Oxford University Hospital Cancer Unit

Ian McMahon, a former commissioner of Women's League Soccer in the United States is taking on the course of the Tour de France to raise money for the Cure Leukaemia.

McMahon did not even own a cycle as recently as January. He fell off within a mile of his first ride on a road bike but four months of intensive training later, he is set to take on the 21 stages of the Tour de France covering 3,492km ahead of the professional riders to raise money for Cure Leukaemia , the official United Kingdom charity partner of the famed French road race.

McMahon's professional soccer career was cut short by injury at the age of 21, something he tells me he has never really come to terms with "Even now, I feel like I'm not over losing my career because I wanted to know how good I could be. At 21, I thought I was going to conquer the world, I didn't have a back-up plan."

Eventually McMahon ended up moving to the United States and working in sports administration. In 2011, he was named as commissioner of the newly-founded Women's League Soccer (WLS), a regional semi-professional league with promotion and relegation. Following the creation of the National Women's Soccer League in 2012, the short-lived WLS transitioned to become an indoor league before folding a year later.

Off the field McMahon's own physical and mental well-being also suffered. His weight increased and fitness deteriorated. In 2018, he had a stent in his heart and in 2019, after years of chronic arthritis, he underwent a knee replacement operation, a surgery which has given him a new lease of life.

"I had 30 years of my knee being stuck in one place," he told me, "and now all of a sudden, I've got a full range of movement, I'm developing quads. It's been the greatest thing that I've done."

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McMahon is following in the footsteps of his Rochdale team-mate as a youth player, Geoff Thomas. The former Crystal Palace captain and England international was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia a year after retiring from the game in 2002. At the time, he was given just three months to live.

Following a stem cell transplant and treatment from the co-founder of Cure Leukaemia, Professor Charlie Craddock CBE, Thomas eventually entered remission in 2005 but has made it his life's work to ensure no-one has to go through what he had to.

Inspired by Lance Armstrong riding the Tour de France following his own battle with cancer, Thomas began cycling to raise funds for leukaemia research. He has since completed the gruelling course on several occasions. In June 2021, Thomas was awarded the MBE for his efforts in respect of cancer charity fundraising.

English former foorball player Geoff Thomas poses with his medal after being appointed a Member of ... [+] the Order of the British Empire (MBE) following an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, in Windsor, on March 15, 2022. (Photo by Steve Parsons / POOL / AFP) (Photo by STEVE PARSONS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

He told me about how he dismissed the warning signs of the disease for too long. "There are symptoms, but they're probably symptoms you ignore as something else. You can have night-sweats, you can have lack of weight, muscle-soreness, you can get bruises. There are lots of different warning signs, I ignored too many. It's like any cancer now, if you grab it early, you've got a better chance."

Thomas was one of only 20% of leukaemia sufferers who are given the opportunity to have a stem-cell transplant. During his treatment he watched many other patients disappear as nothing could be done at the time to save their lives due to a lack of funding.

"There was a massive shortfall in the early part of the century into the clinical translation of the work what was going on. There's millions being invested in the science side, but all of that knowledge was being left in the lab, so it wasn't benefitting patients."

"So we've got a facility now that allows a flow of science to benefit patients. In this country now, we've got about fifteen hospitals that unite together and that gives you a population of patients that you can fast-track trials on. So people are now being offered opportunities that ten or fifteen years ago they wouldn't have been offered. Things are moving forward for sure."

Thomas' former England captain Gary Lineker is also a supporter of Cure Leukaemia. At a fundraising lunch for McMahon in London, the BBC television presenter talked about how his eldest son George was diagnosed with the condition as a baby in 1991. After initally being alerted by a hard bump on his son's head, doctors believed George had a skin condition but further examinations and blood tests revealed a rare forme of leukaemia.

Lineker recalled that "within an hour we were in an ambulance off to Great Ormond Street Hospital where he spent the next seven months, five months of chemo. We were told that he wouldn't live through the night twice."

Due to the fundraising of Thomas, Cure Leukaemia has leveraged £350 million pounds worth of free drugs into the NHS and the condition is now treatable with a single tablet. Lineker admitted that "the truth is, without people independently of government helping, kids like my son would not have had the chance in life that he has. We relied on that money for research and stuff to give them a chance in life." George is now 32.

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 14: Gary Lineker and son George Lineker attend the Sun's Who Cares Wins ... [+] Awards 2021 at The Roundhouse on September 14, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)

As McMahon prepares to take on Thomas' baton and ride the Tour de France course, I asked his former team-mate if he had any words of advice for McMahon. "The first time I did it, I was naive, not a clue what was going on." said Thomas. "The second time I did it with a gang of cancer survivors so I was inspired every day. After that it was like 'wow, this is getting a little bit tough now'. We did it it on 2017. I did it in 2022 as well, but didn't finish then, that's why I decided I needed a bit of a rest."

"The biggest thing that stops you doing anything in life is your mind. If you've got a mindset that you are open to suggestion about anything in life and then go at positively, rather than no, for no's sake, then that's where I'm at now. I like to yes a lot more, rather than no, and not let people down."

Recently Thomas and McMahon visited a cancer unit at Oxford University Hospital, a trip that opened McMahon's eyes up to the reasons he is putting his body to the ultimate test. "It made it real, and very personal. When I ride up a hill, I know I'll be struggling but that's what I will take. That will keep me pushing literally every pedal around because at the end of the day, it's just a bike ride. I can get off any time, they don't have that privilege."

Donations to Ian McMahon's JustGiving fundraising page can be made here

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Pope recognizes miracle needed for church's first 'millennial' saint

Pope Francis recognized the second miracle needed for the canonization of Italian Blessed Carlo Acutis, who wrote, "the Eucarist is the highway to heaven." When people sit in the sun, they become tan, "but when they sit before Eucharistic Jesus, they become saints."

Italian Blessed Carlo Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15, is pictured in an undated photo. (CNS photo/courtesy Sainthood Cause of Carlo Acutis)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis formally recognized a miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old Italian teenager whose birth in 1991 will make him the first "millennial" to become a saint.

In a meeting May 23 with Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for Saints' Causes, the pope signed decrees advancing the sainthood causes of Blessed Acutis, as well as one woman, and six men.

The Vatican announced May 23 that the pope had signed the decrees and that he would convene a consistory to set a date for the canonization of Acutis and other future saints: Blesseds Giuseppe Allamano; Marie-Léonie Paradis of Québec, Canada; Elena Guerra; and eight Franciscan friars and three Maronite laymen who were martyred in Damascus, Syria, in 1860.

After he started high school, he began to curate, create or design websites, including one for a local parish, for his Jesuit-run high school and for the Pontifical Academy "Cultorum Martyrum," according to the saints' dicastery. He also used his computer skills to create an online database of Eucharistic miracles around the world.

He volunteered at a church-run soup kitchen, helped the poor in his neighborhood, assisted children struggling with their homework, played saxophone, soccer and videogames, and loved making videos with his dogs and cats, according to carloacutis.com, the website dedicated to his cause for canonization.

"To always be close to Jesus, that's my life plan," he wrote when he was 7 years old.

He was devoted to Our Lady, praying the rosary every day, and to the Eucharist.

"The Eucharist is the highway to heaven," he wrote. When people sit in the sun, they become tan, "but when they sit before Eucharistic Jesus, they become saints."

His mortal remains were moved to the municipal cemetery in Assisi in 2007 to fulfill his wish to be in the city of St. Francis. Then his remains were moved to the Shrine of the Renunciation at the Church of St. Mary Major in Assisi in 2019. He was buried wearing Nike sneakers, black jeans and an athletic warmup jacket -- clothes he was used to wearing every day.

In February 2020, the pope formally recognized a miracle attributed to Acutis' intercession and in October that year, the teen was beatified during a Mass at the Basilica of St. Francis. An estimated 117,000 pilgrims visited the teen's tomb in just the first year after his beatification, the Diocese of Assisi said the day before his feast day, Oct. 12, 2021.

The two miracles attributed to the intercession of the teen involved alleged miraculous recoveries for a young boy in Brazil in 2013 and a young woman in Florence in 2022.

The miracle Pope Francis recognized May 23 that paves the way for the blessed's canonization involved a young woman who was born in Costa Rica in 2001 and moved to Florence in 2018 to study.

The woman fell from her bicycle at 4 a.m. July 2, 2022, and suffered a serious head injury, according to the dicastery website. Even after emergency surgery removing part of her skull to reduce severe intracranial pressure, doctors warned her family she could die at any moment.

Pope Francis has urged young people to learn about Blessed Acutis, who "did a great deal of good things," despite his short life.

"Above all, he was impassioned by Jesus; and since he was very good at getting around on the internet, he used it in the service of the Gospel, spreading love for prayer, the witness of faith and charity toward others," the pope told young Italians Jan. 29.

"Prayer, witness and charity" were the hallmarks of Blessed Acutis' life and should be a key part of the life of every Christian, he said.

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

With its Rome bureau founded in 1950, Catholic News Service has been providing complete, in-depth coverage of the popes and the Vatican for more than 70 years.  CNS Rome continues to be your fair, faithful and informed connection to the Holy See.

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Cyclist pedals on for more than a decade to support Tour de Cure fundraiser for diabetes

by Karen Edwards

It was training day last Sunday for Jay Laird, who was preparing for the 2024 Finger Lakes Tour de Cure cycling fundraiser to benefit the American Diabetes Association .

"A good friend of mine and a neighbor, his 6-year-old ended up with diabetes and he asked me to support him as he was doing the Tour de Cure," said Laird.

That was more than a decade ago.

More | Finger Lakes Tour de Cure participants gear up for diabetes cycling fundraiser

So, why does he keep hitting the pavement year after year?

"Knowing there are so many children living with diabetes, it just pulls at my heartstrings. I want to support them," Laird explained. "I just love it at this point. I love the camaraderie. There are so many good people who've done this. I've met some amazing people."

And it's the people of the Finger Lakes Community that Laird said also makes it worthwhile.

"There's really a sense of community I think in Rochester more than any other community," he said. "It's really philanthropic so people really kind of get some energy for this event in particular."

More than anything, he's happy to lace up to be part of the fight to end a chronic disease that plagues nearly 40 million people in the U.S.

More | Finger Lakes Tour de Cure cycling fundraiser seeks volunteers

"How do we make or provide those things that they need in order to have a happy and healthier life?" Laird asked. "It's really a two-pronged approach but I'm certainly happy to do my part."

As a longtime rider, Laird had one message for anyone who was still considering getting involved.

"Do it!" he exclaimed. "It's so much fun so it's definitely worth doing. It's a little bit different. Everyone's got their 5K runs and walks. Tour de Cure is a bit different, but it's really so much fun."

The 2024 Tour de Cure is in Canandaigua next Saturday, June 8. If you'd like to donate, sign up to ride or volunteer, CLICK HERE.

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Savvino-storozhevsky monastery and museum.

Zvenigorod's most famous sight is the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, which was founded in 1398 by the monk Savva from the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra, at the invitation and with the support of Prince Yury Dmitrievich of Zvenigorod. Savva was later canonised as St Sabbas (Savva) of Storozhev. The monastery late flourished under the reign of Tsar Alexis, who chose the monastery as his family church and often went on pilgrimage there and made lots of donations to it. Most of the monastery’s buildings date from this time. The monastery is heavily fortified with thick walls and six towers, the most impressive of which is the Krasny Tower which also serves as the eastern entrance. The monastery was closed in 1918 and only reopened in 1995. In 1998 Patriarch Alexius II took part in a service to return the relics of St Sabbas to the monastery. Today the monastery has the status of a stauropegic monastery, which is second in status to a lavra. In addition to being a working monastery, it also holds the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum.

Belfry and Neighbouring Churches

Located near the main entrance is the monastery's belfry which is perhaps the calling card of the monastery due to its uniqueness. It was built in the 1650s and the St Sergius of Radonezh’s Church was opened on the middle tier in the mid-17th century, although it was originally dedicated to the Trinity. The belfry's 35-tonne Great Bladgovestny Bell fell in 1941 and was only restored and returned in 2003. Attached to the belfry is a large refectory and the Transfiguration Church, both of which were built on the orders of Tsar Alexis in the 1650s.  

To the left of the belfry is another, smaller, refectory which is attached to the Trinity Gate-Church, which was also constructed in the 1650s on the orders of Tsar Alexis who made it his own family church. The church is elaborately decorated with colourful trims and underneath the archway is a beautiful 19th century fresco.

Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is the oldest building in the monastery and among the oldest buildings in the Moscow Region. It was built between 1404 and 1405 during the lifetime of St Sabbas and using the funds of Prince Yury of Zvenigorod. The white-stone cathedral is a standard four-pillar design with a single golden dome. After the death of St Sabbas he was interred in the cathedral and a new altar dedicated to him was added.

Under the reign of Tsar Alexis the cathedral was decorated with frescoes by Stepan Ryazanets, some of which remain today. Tsar Alexis also presented the cathedral with a five-tier iconostasis, the top row of icons have been preserved.

Tsaritsa's Chambers

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is located between the Tsaritsa's Chambers of the left and the Palace of Tsar Alexis on the right. The Tsaritsa's Chambers were built in the mid-17th century for the wife of Tsar Alexey - Tsaritsa Maria Ilinichna Miloskavskaya. The design of the building is influenced by the ancient Russian architectural style. Is prettier than the Tsar's chambers opposite, being red in colour with elaborately decorated window frames and entrance.

At present the Tsaritsa's Chambers houses the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum. Among its displays is an accurate recreation of the interior of a noble lady's chambers including furniture, decorations and a decorated tiled oven, and an exhibition on the history of Zvenigorod and the monastery.

Palace of Tsar Alexis

The Palace of Tsar Alexis was built in the 1650s and is now one of the best surviving examples of non-religious architecture of that era. It was built especially for Tsar Alexis who often visited the monastery on religious pilgrimages. Its most striking feature is its pretty row of nine chimney spouts which resemble towers.

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Gagarin cup (khl) finals:  atlant moscow oblast vs. salavat yulaev ufa.

Much like the Elitserien Finals, we have a bit of an offense vs. defense match-up in this league Final.  While Ufa let their star top line of Alexander Radulov, Patrick Thoresen and Igor Grigorenko loose on the KHL's Western Conference, Mytischi played a more conservative style, relying on veterans such as former NHLers Jan Bulis, Oleg Petrov, and Jaroslav Obsut.  Just reaching the Finals is a testament to Atlant's disciplined style of play, as they had to knock off much more high profile teams from Yaroslavl and St. Petersburg to do so.  But while they did finish 8th in the league in points, they haven't seen the likes of Ufa, who finished 2nd. 

This series will be a challenge for the underdog, because unlike some of the other KHL teams, Ufa's top players are generally younger and in their prime.  Only Proshkin amongst regular blueliners is over 30, with the work being shared by Kirill Koltsov (28), Andrei Kuteikin (26), Miroslav Blatak (28), Maxim Kondratiev (28) and Dmitri Kalinin (30).  Oleg Tverdovsky hasn't played a lot in the playoffs to date.  Up front, while led by a fairly young top line (24-27), Ufa does have a lot of veterans in support roles:  Vyacheslav Kozlov , Viktor Kozlov , Vladimir Antipov, Sergei Zinovyev and Petr Schastlivy are all over 30.  In fact, the names of all their forwards are familiar to international and NHL fans:  Robert Nilsson , Alexander Svitov, Oleg Saprykin and Jakub Klepis round out the group, all former NHL players.

For Atlant, their veteran roster, with only one of their top six D under the age of 30 (and no top forwards under 30, either), this might be their one shot at a championship.  The team has never won either a Russian Superleague title or the Gagarin Cup, and for players like former NHLer Oleg Petrov, this is probably the last shot at the KHL's top prize.  The team got three extra days rest by winning their Conference Final in six games, and they probably needed to use it.  Atlant does have younger regulars on their roster, but they generally only play a few shifts per game, if that. 

The low event style of game for Atlant probably suits them well, but I don't know how they can manage to keep up against Ufa's speed, skill, and depth.  There is no advantage to be seen in goal, with Erik Ersberg and Konstantin Barulin posting almost identical numbers, and even in terms of recent playoff experience Ufa has them beat.  Luckily for Atlant, Ufa isn't that far away from the Moscow region, so travel shouldn't play a major role. 

I'm predicting that Ufa, winners of the last Superleague title back in 2008, will become the second team to win the Gagarin Cup, and will prevail in five games.  They have a seriously well built team that would honestly compete in the NHL.  They represent the potential of the league, while Atlant represents closer to the reality, as a team full of players who played themselves out of the NHL. 

• Atlant @ Ufa, Friday Apr 8 (3:00 PM CET/10:00 PM EST)
• Atlant @ Ufa, Sunday Apr 10 (1:00 PM CET/8:00 AM EST)
• Ufa @ Atlant, Tuesday Apr 12 (5:30 PM CET/12:30 PM EST)
• Ufa @ Atlant, Thursday Apr 14 (5:30 PM CET/12:30 PM EST)

Games 5-7 are as yet unscheduled, but every second day is the KHL standard, so expect Game 5 to be on Saturday, like an early start. 

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