THE CULT GOES FULL-THROTTLE AT BROOKLYN STEEL

If you’re going to open up a new music venue, especially a larger-capactiy Bowery Presents destination, like the new and shiny Brooklyn Steel, you’re going to have tons of hot new acts lining up. But if you really want to break it in and put a shamanesque spell on the place, you know, some of that dangerous juju and a dash of well travelled rock ‘n’ roll DNA, then you need a legendary act to get wicked on stage. And last night at Brooklyn Steel, Ian Astbury and Billly Duffy brought the goth metal classic sound of The Cult to help spread some dark mojo all over that brand new stage.

Opening up for The Cult was the drony and dark duo from Australia, VOWWS. Guitarist Matt has one of those deep and dark voices that fits smoothly over an incantaion (think a musicaly inclined Tony Todd) that requires some robust beats layed under it, which Rizz provides on her synth at the other end of the stage. Their set had a foreboding quality to it, and was shrouded in fog and red and purple lights that seemed to swallow the band up at times. But even if you couldn’t always see them through the stagecraft, you were sure to hear them.

 

Next up was a band that cut it’s teeth at the psychedlic learning tree of the Doors and burst into stardom with a shiny goth meets metal sound in the late 80s: The Cult. Gone might be Astubry’s flowing locks and the original line up – besides Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy that is – but the spirit and the rock legend vibe remains. Astbury still saunters and slides across the stage – and beats the hell out of his tambourine while Duffy strikes guitar god poses for the front row.

 

You might think that after 30 + years that Astbury would be content to play and get off stage without saying much, but he’s always ready to keep the crowd entertained inbetween songs – whether its making a plea for the environment, like taking the sith vs jedi pulse of the crowd (“I swing both ways,” Astbury noted about his force allegieance) while bathed in red light (“Same birthday as George Lucas. Just saying,” he added, while on his Star Wars related banter), Astbury was always ready to throw a wink and a nod at his adoring fans, almost as if to say, “I still make this look good.”

 

And the fans were there, screaming at the top of their lungs – from the ones who went through puberty as the band rose to stardom, and those not yet born before “She Sells Sanctuary” broke through. And the band threw out the hits and newish songs all ngiht long. And inbetween some tunes, Astbury would get down close to the new stage, almost as if he was getting close enough to say, “I’m here to help break you in. Buckle Up.”

The Cult setlist HERE