I saw a question, wondering why The Cure have/had renown that in some ways similar act Souxsie and the Banshees did not.
Is this a simple question, simple answer? How similar are the two bands? Indeed they did hybrid at moments.
(Disclaimer, I’m not pretending to be an “Expert”, but suffice to say, I grew up in the wake of these two bands and experienced their fandom and/or lack of it. I write now from my own perspective. )
Who are the bands;
The Cure is Robert Smith. Other Cure band members may atest to this, if Robert Smith gives you a call your in, if not your not in, so goe’s the lore. (Please don’t get me wrong, I like other members and I’m sure the fans do, this is no personal slight from me just an exploration of what/how The Cure work) Robert Smith founded “The Easy Cure” with LOL Tolhurst, the name shortened and they went on to some success, [I am currently trying to read up via Wikipedia to verify facts but what can I say, they have different facts to the ones in my head!!! ;)] The Cure had some success, but they weren’t runaway chart superstars, that said, stood alongside other “Goth/Punk” bands of the time they weren’t so much “Attack, they weren’t so much” Hammer house of horror, this dark thing is happening and will all encompass you, your life, your whole being”, no, they were throwaway pop. Their first album (In my head “Boys don’t cry”, via Wikipedia and one presumes some history being rewritten by the current Cure machine, Three imaginary boys, but hey, my brain is Swiss cheesed and my facts rarely factual. Boys Don’t cry got air play, more so than the stark “Killing an Arab”, and here is where The Cure often live, in a place between Gothic horror/Punk attack and throwaway pop. Robert Smith is the cute cuddly plush toy of goth rock.
The Cure charted every year from 79 to 89 (Likley 90 too), they didn’t always hit high in the charts, but they gave enough that their cult fan following really swelled, and I believe it is this following that ensured the bands lasting renown.
Souxsie and the Banshees;
Started earlier than The Cure, and more truly borne out of the punk scene, Suzy Souxie had a great eye for flair, design, for striking artistic looks.
When Paul Morely of the NME wrote about The Cure he ended with “With a toy drum kit”, and this is some true immidiate stark difference between the two acts, early Souxsie was very tribal drumming. Poor Souxsie, got quite some abuse in the early years…… Maybe The Cure played different venues, or maybe cutesy Robert Smith just didn’t evoke the same strong emotions in audiences, or maybe Smith hasn’t talked about any abuse, The second explanation I find most likely.
Souxsie have also had consistent chart success according to Wikipedia their only gap years being 89 and 93. I maybe first encountered Souxsie in 88 with Peepshow, and they immediately stole my heart, in a way The Cure didn’t….. Now I really don’t like that I like The Cure, I Guess It Is Alltogether Just Too Easy to like The Cure.
That’s my little write up, anything more would just be waffle I feel;
The Cure, cutesy too easy to like Robert Smith;
Souxsie, Stark, Powerful, female led Spikey Suzy Soux
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