Prepare for your local Priceline to run out of hairspray, classic goth-pop band the Cure are bringing their sensory melodies and voluminous hair to Sydney. The band will be darkening the sails of the Opera House with their presence (not literally... we think) as part of Vivid Live, celebrating the 30th anniversary of their seminal album Disintegration by playing it live in its entirety.
Over four nights in May, Robert Smith and the full band will perform both the full suite of Disintegration tracks alongside hits from their extensive back catalogue. Lauded by fans and critics as a melancholic masterpiece, Disintegration, their eighth album, rode the new wave swells of the '80s into the dream-pop shores of the early '90s, with songs 'Pictures of You', 'Lullaby', and 'Lovesong' informing the period's rock sound. The show promises to deliver a night to experience this influential album in the flesh with the added treat of some of the Cure's many hits from their '70s-to-present-spanning career thrown in.
As with Vivid Live's past big-name shows from Solange, Morissey, Kraftwerk, and Anohni, tickets will be released as a ballot. Anticipating high demand, the Sydney Opera House has set up an application process so that everyone has a fair chance at getting tickets. The ballot opens today and closes this weekend with successful applicants notified by Thursday February 28. So, if you ever stoically sucked in your tears to 'Boys Don't Cry' or sang along with your Dad to 'Just Like Heaven' in the car you're going to want to make sure you put your name down through the ballot site by midnight on Sunday February 24.
If the Cure's impending arrival is stirring up your latent gig-going impulses, check out our guide to the best music venues in Sydney or the best pubs to watch live music in and get involved.