“Robert Smith uttered the most unforgettable and fitting remark… “I f***ing hate daylight” with a wry smile to the crowd” - The Cure, Marlay Park - Gig Review - By The Fans Magazine

The Cure - Marlay Park - Jun 26

  Words, Review & Photography Credit: Moira Reilly

It was a warm summer evening on the south side of Dublin, on the edge of the Wicklow Mountains, with the setting sun touching everything with gold. An audience 40,000 strong streamed into Marlay Park, goths braving the summer sun, and wisps of cloud forming a painted sky.

The Cure quietly took to the stage with the rain from Prayers for Rain, before a pause, and the chimes of Plain Song began. Robert Smith took a moment to walk the stage end to end, having a quiet, connective moment with every member of that audience.

Fans, already overwhelmed as the band reached the stage, practically crying with joy, completely lost in the moment seeing the band they had connected with, for decades in some cases.

The crowd connected with the band immediately, with Pictures of You following as the second song of the set, the sounds floating across the park, everyone waving their arms and swaying to the music.

As the set progressed, so did the vibe. Just Like Heaven triggered one of the biggest reactions of the night.

With a small pause between songs, Robert Smith uttered the most unforgettable and fitting remark… “I fucking hate daylight” with a wry smile to the crowd, before continuing “This is called Treasure”, a slow and gentle song after the energy of Just Like Heaven.

A Forest opened with the classic green lights and a slow riff, before the drums kicked in and the pace quickened, with the song really getting going. The bassist, Simon Gallup, and Robert Smith came together centre stage, before closing with a dirty, heavy, distorted bass line which the crowd screamed for.

The merch stands were heaving throughout the evening, with the Dublin special edition tshirts, emblazoned with a heron, selling fast, and being proudly worn by fans throughout the crowd.

Robert Smith’s voice hasn’t aged a day. It still carries that same emotional clarity, that same ache, that same unmistakable tone.

The main set came to a close with Disintegration, the name sake of their 7th album. The band didn’t try theatrics, no dramatic exit or long mysterious absence. They straight up said they would return in 2 minutes after a short breather, starting the encore with the spine tingling Lullaby, complete with spider webs and graphics, mirroring the music video, and the opening line “a spiderman comes”.

The encore continued with Hot Hot Hot, after which Robert Smither alluded to a story that it wasn’t the time to share, before launching into Wrong Number. The Walk, an earlier hit for the band with its bouncier beat, had Robert Smith dancing away, which the crowd ate up. The Lovecats got a big response with the crowd chanting the “do-do-do”s with the band, and “Friday I’m In Love” earned one of the loudest singalongs of the night.

They closed with “Boys Don’t Cry”, with Robert Smith kindly bowing, clasping his hands,and showing his gratitude with a soft “thank you, that was lovely”. The response was enormous with a final surge of affection from 40,000 people who had just spent two and a half hours wrapped in nostalgia, atmosphere, with one of the most enduring live bands in the world.