The first time I saw The Cult was at a legendary show in Austin when Guns n Roses was their warm up act. This was 1987 and The Cult had recently released their game changing Electric album. I was first introduced to their music with Dreamtime and Love albums as well as ventures to the Numbers night club in Houston. They would play various songs from both of those albums which had danceable beats and cool guitars. Electric introduced a harder edge Cult with more of an emphasis on guitars and a more straight forward approach of rock n roll. Fast forward 25 years and The Cult still delivers both on album and live.
Kudos to the 713 Music Hall venue in Houston. It’s now our favorite place to see shows. Great sound system, huge stage and lighting, great seating and floor GA as well as amenities like multiple bars, restrooms, parking and even a place to store merch during the show. The Cult had just released their new Under the Midnight Sun. The new album looks back to their Dreamtime era a bit more but also has plenty of modern touches that keeps The Cult in the now. It’s a strong record from one of the most underrated bands in rock,
The Cult were in very fine form this night hitting on all cylinders. They opened with Rise from the excellent Beyond Good and Evil album which is just about the perfect opener. From there on out the band played just about the perfect Cult setlist. My only critique would be to have another song from their new album. The first quarter of the show included the usual American tour numbers like Sweet Soul Sister and Sun King but also included the deep cut Automatic Blues. The one-two punch of Lil’ Devil and Wild Flower in the middle of the set are always affective and they also played another hidden gem in Aphrodisiac Jacket. The new song was A Cut Inside that grooved with a hypnotic energy. Rain and She Sells Sanctuary got the ladies dancing while The Witch in particular got the booty’s shaking towards the end. The obligatory Love Removal Machine finished the concert. Both the crowd and band showed their appreciation throughout and definitely the best Cult concert I’ve seen since the Beyond Good and Evil tour.
