By Special Correspondent Hays Davis
It may have been over 20 years since The Cult got their foot in the door of an international audience with the single “She Sells Sanctuary,” but a big crowd at The National made it clear that singer Ian Astbury, guitarist Billy Duffy and their crew had not been forgotten.
After a well-received set from Richmond’s Ki:Theory, who are joining the headliners for a few dates, smoke began filling the room for what was getting close to being a what-the-heck-are-they-doing-back-there wait. Finally the band appeared, with Astbury bundled in a long-sleeved jacket and scarf (maybe the hot tub backstage wasn’t on its game).
The National crowd was way up for everything the band brought out, both new and old. A second guitarist rounded out a five-piece lineup, freeing Duffy to break into more lead work while keeping the sound full. Astbury was in good voice; while he seemed careful not to attempt to hit every protracted high note from their earlier recordings, it’s doubtful that anyone present would have taken him to task over not meeting expectations.
For anyone who felt that The Cult’s latest album, 2007’s “Born Into This,” didn’t quite hit the peaks of their glory days, hearing them play songs like “I Assassin” live may have prodded more than a few to consider giving that album a fresh spin. And if the new stuff sounded better from the stage, old favorites like “Wild Flower” and “Edie (Ciao Baby)” went over doubly well.
When his between-song chatting was intelligible, Astbury took some time to get friendly with the crowd while Duffy switched guitars, at one point gauging their musical interests: “Do you like Black Kids? How about the German band Neu from Stuttgart?” He barely had a chance to catch their response before Duffy struck some new chords and the band moved on.
The audience was twisted tight by the night’s end, with some of the best tunes saved for last, and when “Love Removal Machine” cranked up just before the encores the room blew apart. Here, Duffy stepped out as the guitar hero an earlier generation remembered him to be, and he seemed to genuinely enjoy tearing into the solo that was a highlight of 1987’s “Electric” album.
Practically everyone in attendance held their places for the encores. While “Fire Woman” went over well as expected, all were waiting for the big finish of “She Sells Sanctuary,” and The Cult gave them no less than they’d given 20-plus years before.
Astbury and Duffy would be the first to tell you that their time together over the past couple of decades hasn’t exactly been a long, warm ride into the sunset, but Friday’s show was startling evidence that The Cult may be sparking as much fire on theater stages these days as they ever did in arenas.
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