Another iconic ‘80s band is making their way to our area and giving us a brand new album. They are also making their way back to Southern California on their latest tour. The band is The Cult.
Originally known as Death Cult, Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy found mainstream success as The Cult when they topped the charts with “She Sells Sanctuary.” From their 1985 album “Love,” the song had them at the top of the UK charts for 22 weeks. They would become a staple of ‘80’s rock with “Fire Women,” “Lil’ Devil,” “Sweet Soul Sister,” “Edie (Ciao Baby),” “Love Removal Machine,” and “Wild Flower.”
There have been a few break-ups and make-ups since their induction into the music scene in 1983, but we are happy to say The Cult is back with their 11th album set to be released October 7th. “Under the Midnight Sun” is sure to give us the goth punk rock style we love The Cult for, and the band will hit the road to share it in person.
“Under the Midnight Sun” was inspired by Astbury’s experience at a summer festival in Finland that is so far north, the sun doesn’t set. “It’s three in the morning, the sun’s up, and there’s all these beautiful people in this halcyon moment,” he explained. “People are laying on the grass, making out, drinking, smoking. There were rows of flowers at the front of the stage from the performances earlier that evening. It was an incredible moment. When the world stopped, I had this moment to write in real time, to calculate. I was compelled by this vision, this anomaly, this memory, of being under the midnight sun.”
THE GREEK THEATRE
Los Angeles, California
October 9, 2022
To get us excited about the new album – the first since 2016’s “Hidden City” – the band released the first single, “Give Me Mercy.” Per Duffy, the song has “all the hallmarks of the new classic Cult to my ears. Fresh yet familiar.”
Astbury is also thrilled with the new music, saying, “I was absolutely enamored with this piece of music Billy had written and it perfectly fit these thoughts I’d been having about our culture’s need to move past assumptions of duality. We need new language because words can’t express where we’re going.”
Starting July 27th, The Cult will tour North America and are coming to SoCal on October 9th at the beautiful and historic Greek Theater in Los Angeles. This theater is the perfect venue for Cult fans; with jumbotrons and stadium seating, there isn’t a bad seat in the house. Perched against the Griffith Observatory in the hills of L.A. with the night stars as your ceiling, this will be their only local show. This thrilling event is sure to sell out, so grab your tickets while you can!