The Cure Shake Up Sets, Rein In Ticket Prices As North American Tour Continues

As live concerts have continued to make a steady return over the course of the last two years, following pandemic-induced postponements and cancellations, many fans have nevertheless been forced to watch from the sidelines, priced out of what was once a fairly affordable experience.

Concerts today double as meticulously timed and staged productions, heavy on technology that’s difficult to operate and transport. Logistics complications and staffing shortages have combined to make routing tours more difficult, and expensive. And with inflation raising the price of necessities like gas, hotels and transportation, concert tours have become more expensive than ever to stage, with fans forced to foot the bill.

Long a source of derision and frustration for concertgoers, ticketing giant Ticketmaster, owned by promoter, venue owner and entertainment company Live Nation, has come increasingly under scrutiny for its ticketing practices and fees.

MORE FROM FORBESTommy Stinson On Cowboys In The Campfire Debut, Economic Benefit Of Unconventional TouringBy Jim Ryan

During his State of the Union Address this past February, President Biden called out what he dubbed “junk fees,” doubling down last Thursday during a round table which found the 46th President joined by officials from ticketers and resellers like Live Nation and SeatGeek as well as companies like Airbnb, with Biden demanding a more transparent process that displays all fees to consumers up front instead of as one final checkout surprise.

While it’s a step in the right direction, it hardly addresses the controversial new utilization of dynamic pricing, which, instead of setting stationary ticket prices, takes a more flexible approach, adjusting prices continually based upon demand.

Dynamic pricing is a ticketing method – chosen for use by each artist – which fuels pricing surges for the hottest, most in demand performances, causing some tickets for summer tours by artists like Bruce Springsteen to soar near $5,000 per seat at the retail level before even making it into the hands of resellers on the secondary market.

While it allows artists to pocket a larger share of the money once reserved for scalpers, it also leaves a large segment of concertgoers wholly out in the cold, unable to afford the increasing admission price in a concert going era that often feels like an arms race.

All of which makes Robert Smith’s approach to The Cure’s current “Shows of a Lost World” tour that much more refreshing.

“Thank you. Hello again,” said the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer earlier this month, opening the 20th show of this tour in Chicago. “Seems like only yesterday,” Smith mused on stage at United Center.

It’s the group’s first full U.S. tour since 2016, so demand is high. But Smith, reverent of his die-hard fan base, priced tickets as low as just $20 for each show, refusing to utilize dynamic pricing while railing against scalpers, establishing a marketplace for his fans to resell tickets to one another at face value.

In an unprecedented move, Smith, astounded by the unexpected Ticketmaster fees which doubled the price of some $20 tickets, actually negotiated with the ticketer to refund fans a portion of the service charges.

While he avoided most interviews on the subject, Smith opted to pull back the ticketing curtain a bit via social media, speaking directly to fans in a uniquely candid manner, tweeting in all caps as he showcased just how much say an artist actually has in the handling and pricing of their tickets while proving there’s still plenty of money to be made even at the lower price.

45 years into a remarkably influential career, The Cure stand today as elder statesman of alternative music, unwitting architects of an art form that would explode during the 80s, 90s and beyond, crafting emotive songs that speak to the human condition.

Adding additional dates in many cities, “Shows of a Lost World” has become one of the largest, most successful American Cure tours in the last 30 years.

Smith and company are having a moment, and rolled out five terrific new tracks on stage in Chicago, presumably cuts from the group’s forthcoming project Songs From a Lost World, which highlight a still vital creative entity.

Opening the show with “Alone,” The Cure book ended the first set with new music, wrapping up with “Endsong” while peppering in still unreleased cuts like “And Nothing is Forever” and “A Fragile Thing” along the way, saving the hits for a powerful encore.

Ironically, every phone on the floor lit up as The Cure, performing as a six piece, offered up “Pictures Of You” second in the set in Chicago, Smith turning to his left to face longtime bassist Simon Gallup during the at times soaring and swirling performance.

Early merch lines were immense, wrapping around the arena concourse and past an Amnesty International booth. Because it’s not just ticket prices Smith is looking after on this outing, with The Cure pricing tour posters at just $15 and city specific posters at $30. T-shirts are also a bargain at just $25 and merch sales were brisk at United Center.

“I may need to build a new wing!” joked one fan, who waited 30 minutes in line, of her interior decorating skills.

With most merch available online as well as at shows, that fan has purchased eight different posters so far on this tour, the band selling in bulk thanks to the unusually reasonable merchandise pricing approach.

The stage on this tour is sparse, refreshingly free of trappings, save for two small screens on each side with one large one behind the band, a production that’s cheaper and easier to route, another element helping allow the group to rein in ticket prices.

“It’s a bit tough tonight. I can feel my voice a bit,” said Smith in Chicago of a sore throat, powering through a thrilling set in fine voice nevertheless. “But it will come back,” he said with a smile, setting up the new “I Can Never Say Goodbye.”

In the Chicago live setting, the new songs stood up against The Cure’s best. And free of the effects that dictate most concert setlists remain the same night in and night out, the band has been shaking things up on this tour, trotting out a tour debut in Chicago as part of a stunning 31 song performance which clocked in at just under three hours despite Smith’s sore throat.

“We haven’t played this song on this tour,” he said excitedly. “It’s from the Kiss Me album,” said Smith, setting up the group’s first performance of “Like Cockatoos” in several years.

Rock and roll is at its best when it’s unpredictable and this tour has delivered that in a way most don’t, keeping fans on their feet and engaged throughout a performance where it truly feels like anything could happen.

“Push” remains a tour de force in the live setting. “A Forest” followed shortly thereafter in Chicago, Gallup climbing onto an amp as guitarist Reeves Gabrels turned to face drummer Jason Cooper, the crowd exploding.

Smith, picking up a guitar, bent over to face the crowd, bass lumbering in a rumble as the dueling guitar work of Smith and Gabrels kicked in under the keyboard of Roger O’Donnell during “Disintegration.”

“The other thing is it sets me,” said Smith of the impact of live performance on stage in Chicago. “But, anyway, enough of this drivel,” he said to laughs, Gallup soon spinning a whirling dervish during “Lullaby.”

“We were gonna stop there,” admitted the singer during the encore, following frequent closer “Boys Don’t Cry.” “But we’ve got six minutes!” he exclaimed, setting up “10:15 Saturday Night.”

For a band so frequently mislabeled as “goth” or “doom and gloom,” Saturday night’s encore was a downright joyous affair, with Smith guiding a crowd willing to follow wherever he led.

The Cure saved the hits for last this time around, trotting out “Friday I’m in Love,” “Close to Me,” “Why Can’t I be You,” “In Between Days” and “Just Like Heaven” all in a row, Smith feeling the love from an appreciative Chicago crowd.

“We’ll see you again!” he said, referencing the group’s scheduled Chicago return for a headlining September performance at Riot Fest. “Thank you!”

Scottish indie rockers The Twilight Sad proved to be the perfect opening act, setting the stage over the course of 40 minutes at United Center.

“Thank you for coming early!” said singer James Graham. “Holy sh-t, there are a lot of you!” said the shocked singer, the arena already about 70% full as the group conjured up a grittier Smiths during “Dead City.”

The majority of fans were on their feet as the animated singer danced spastically early in the sparsely lit set, putting their spin upon a cut by fellow Scottish rockers Frightened Rabbit later.

“We’ve played more in Chicago than we have Edinburgh, Scotland,” joked Graham, dedicating “VTr” to beloved Chicago music club The Empty Bottle. “Thanks again for coming early. It means so much.”