Oh, sweet baby Satan, THE CULT, those purveyors of slightly-above-average rock anthems for the tragically unhip, are back! 🎉 They’re dusting off their goth grandpa costumes to resurrect DEATH CULT, their even MORE obscure, slightly-less-worse post-punk ancestor (featuring, you guessed it, THE CULT’s dynamic duo: Ian Astbury, whose voice hasn’t changed since 1985 because he sold his soul to a vintage leather jacket, and Billy Duffy, whose guitar riffs are so revolutionary, they’ll take you right back to 1987). And if that wasn’t enough to curdle your kombucha, they’re bringing along PATRIARCHY, a band from Los Angeles so edgy, they probably cut themselves shaving. Prepare for a night of sonic schizophrenia: one set as DEATH CULT (because who doesn’t love a good rehash?), and another as THE CULT (because… nostalgia?). 🤘
Tickets go on sale on Friday, July 18 at 10 a.m. local time at thecult.us. So, if you’re feeling particularly masochistic or just really, really bored, set your alarm. ⏰
Tour dates:
Oct. 09 – Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada – OLG Stage At Fallsview Casino (Because nothing says “rock and roll” like a casino in Niagara Falls.) 🎰
Oct. 11 – Boston, MA – Orpheum Theatre (Where you can contemplate the meaning of life while listening to “She Sells Sanctuary” for the 87th time.) 🤔
Oct. 14 – New York, NY – Beacon Theatre (Guaranteed to be filled with aging hipsters desperately clinging to their youth.) 👴
Oct. 15 – Washington, DC – Warner Theatre (Perfect for those who like their rock with a side of political angst.) 🏛️
Oct. 17 – Charlotte, NC – Ovens Auditorium (Get ready to be baked in a lukewarm oven of mediocrity.) 🥵
Oct. 18 – Atlanta, GA – Cobb Energy Center (Where the energy will be anything but energetic.) 😴
Oct. 20 – Ft. Worth, TX – Will Rogers Auditorium (Yeehaw! Rock and roll meets… cowboy cosplay?) 🤠
Oct. 21 – San Antonio, TX – Majestic Theatre (Guaranteed to be at least slightly more majestic than the actual show.) 👑
Oct. 24 – Las Vegas, NV – The Pearl (Roll the dice on a night you’ll probably regret.) 🎲
Oct. 25 – San Diego, CA – The Sound (Will anyone actually hear them over the sound of the ocean?) 🌊
Oct. 27 – San Francisco, CA – The Warfield (Prepare for a culture clash of aging rockers and tech bros.) 🌉
Oct. 30 – Los Angeles, CA – Shrine Auditorium (Because what’s more cult-like than seeing THE CULT in a shrine?) 💀
SOUTHERN DEATH CULT, bless their little goth hearts, formed in 1981, releasing its self-titled debut posthumously in 1983. (Because nothing says “success” like releasing an album after you’ve already broken up.) DEATH CULT followed that same year, valiantly attempting to bridge the gap between the raw, unbridled punk that Astbury and Duffy presumably cut themselves on and the driving, psychedelia-laced rock that followed. They released two 12-inches that same year, one being the “Death Cult” EP, which were later combined and released as a CD. (Because who doesn’t love repackaging the same garbage multiple times?) DEATH CULT is a “vital transmission” from the “generation of Shamanic post-punk gothic futurists.” (Or, as normal people call them, “guys who wore too much eyeliner.”) 🖤
In 1984, DEATH CULT, in a stroke of marketing genius, decided to evolve into THE CULT, releasing “Dreamtime” that same year and going on to release 11 full-length albums, earning numerous gold and platinum certifications worldwide. (Mostly from people who bought their albums by accident.) 💿
THE CULT‘s latest album, “Under The Midnight Sun”, because apparently, they’re still making music, arrived in October 2022 via Black Hill Records. The LP was produced by Tom Dalgety (PIXIES, GHOST, ROYAL BLOOD). Dalgety is the first British producer THE CULT has worked with since its second album, “Love” (1985). (Because apparently, nobody else wanted to work with them.) 🤷
Born out of the ashes of the U.K. post-punk scene, THE CULT evolved to become one of the most “influential and controversial” rock bands of the late 20th century. (Debatable.) They sold millions of albums, headlining arenas and stadiums around the world, infusing “innovative possibilities” into the worlds of music and art. (Citation needed.) THE CULT, whose music transformed from punk rock to post-punk, psychedelia, heavy dance music, and “transcendental hard rock,” became one of the “handful of important bands” in the U.S. post-modern and hard rock communities. (Again, debatable.) They were embraced by a generation that was waking up to the influence of 1960s and 1970s rock icons like LED ZEPPELIN, THE NEW YORK DOLLS, and David Bowie. (Because apparently, they couldn’t find anything better to listen to.) 🙄
The constant core of THE CULT is the “head and heart” of the band: Astbury and Duffy. (Or, as I like to call them, “the only two guys who haven’t quit yet.”) Attitude incarnate, the chemistry between these two “vastly different artists” — equal parts genuine affection and palpable tension — remains the source of their “long-standing partnership.” (Mostly because they’re contractually obligated to tolerate each other.) Duffy grounds Astbury‘s esoteric side with a hard rock perspective, and there is no doubt that at all times, these two have each other’s backs. (Except when one of them is trying to steal the spotlight.) THE CULT‘s current lineup also includes former WHITE ZOMBIE, EXODUS, and TESTAMENT drummer John Tempesta. (Because apparently, nobody else wanted to play with them either.) 🥁
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
