History The Cult

1 history

1.1 history (1981–1984)
1.2 mainstream success (1985–1990)
1.3 ceremony , lawsuit (1991–1994)
1.4 cult (1994–1995)
1.5 break-up (1995–1998)
1.6 reunion (1999–2001)
1.7 second hiatus (2002–2004)
1.8 second reunion (2005–2007)
1.9 born (2007–2009)
1.10 capsule eps (2010)
1.11 choice of weapon (2011–2013)
1.12 hidden city (2013–present)

history
early history (1981–1984)

the band s origins can traced 1981, in bradford, yorkshire, vocalist , songwriter ian astbury formed band called southern death cult. name chosen double meaning, , derived 14th century native american religion, southeastern ceremonial complex or southern death cult known, mississippi delta area, stab @ band viewed centralisation of power in southern england (including of music industry); there has long been perceived notion of north-south divide based on social, historic , economic reasons. astbury joined buzz burrows (guitar), barry jepson (bass) , aki nawaz qureshi (drums); performed first show @ queen s hall in hometown of bradford on 29 october 1981. band @ forefront of emerging style of music, in form of post-punk , gothic rock (then known positive-punk), achieved critical acclaim press , music fans.

the band signed independent record label situation two, offshoot of beggars banquet records, , released three-track, triple a-side single, moya, during period. toured through england headlining shows , touring bauhaus , theatre of hate. band played final performance in manchester during february 1983, meaning after sixteen months band over. compilation named southern death cult released, being collection of single, radio sessions john peel radio 1 , live performances - 1 of audience member recorded tape recorder.

in april 1983, astbury teamed guitarist billy duffy , formed band death cult . duffy had been in nosebleeds (along morrissey), lonesome no more , theatre of hate. in addition astbury , duffy, band included jamie stewart (bass) , raymond taylor smith (later known ray mondo) (drums), both harrow, london based post-punk band, ritual. death cult made live debut in oslo, norway on 25 july 1983 , released death cult ep in same month, toured through mainland europe , scotland. in september 1983, mondo deported home country of sierra leone , replaced nigel preston, formerly of theatre of hate. single gods zoo released in october 1983. european tour, uk dates, followed autumn. tone down name s gothic connotations , gain broader appeal, band changed name cult in january 1984 before appearing on (uk) channel 4 television show, tube.

the cult s first studio record, dreamtime, recorded @ rockfield studios, in monmouth, wales in 1984. record produced joe julian, after recording drum tracks, band decided replace him john brand. brand produced record, guitarist duffy has said drum tracks produced julian, preston had become unreliable.

the band recorded songs later became known butterflies , (the) gimmick , flower in desert , horse nation , spiritwalker , bad medicine (waltz) , dreamtime , love (later known ship of fools , , sea , sky ), bone bag , young , 83rd dream , , 1 untitled outtake. unknown outtake was, or whether developed song @ later date. songs horse nation showed astbury s intense interest in native american issues, lyrics horse nation , see them prancing, come neighing, horse nation , taken verbatim book bury heart @ wounded knee, while spiritwalker dealt shamanism, , record s title , title track overtly influenced australian aboriginal beliefs.

on 4 april 1984, cult released single spiritwalker , reached no. 1 on independent charts in uk, , acted teaser forthcoming album dreamtime. followed summer second single, go west (crazy spinning circles) , before release of dreamtime in september; album reached no. 21 in uk, , sold on 100,000 copies in uk alone. on 12 july 1984, band recorded 5 songs @ bbc maida vale 5 studio richard skinner session. before , after album s release, cult toured throughout europe , england before recording single, ressurection joe (uk no. 74), released december. following christmas support slot big country, cult toured europe support mission (then called sisterhood). dreamtime released in uk, after success, , cult s popularity grew worldwide, issued in approximately 30 countries.

mainstream success (1985–1990)

in may 1985, cult released fourth single, sells sanctuary , peaked @ no. 15 in uk , spent 23 weeks in top 100. song voted no. 18 in vh1 s indie 100. in june 1985, following increasingly erratic behaviour, preston fired band. big country s drummer mark brzezicki picked replace preston, , included in video sells sanctuary . cult recorded second album, love in july , august 1985. band s music , image shifted punk-oriented roots 1960s psychedelia influences. love chart success, peaking @ no. 4 in uk , selling 100,000 copies there towards total of 500,000 copies throughout europe, 100,000 in australia , 500,000 copies in united states. date, record has sold on 2 , half million copies worldwide.

from mid-1985 1986, band went on worldwide tour new drummer les warner (who had played julian lennon , johnny thunders). 2 more singles love album followed; rain (charting in uk @ no. 17) , revolution (charting in uk @ no. 30). neither charted in us. single, nirvana , issued in poland. album version of rain , remix (here comes the) rain , used in italian horror film dèmoni 2. once in england, band booked manor studios in oxfordshire, producer steve brown (who had produced love), , recorded on dozen new songs. band unhappy sound of new album, titled peace, , decided go new york producer rick rubin remix first single, love removal machine .

rubin agreed work band, if rerecorded song. rubin talked them rerecording entire album. band s record company, beggars banquet, displeased this, 2 months , £250,000 had been spent on record. however, after hearing initial new york recording, beggars banquet agreed proceed. first single, love removal machine , released in february 1987, , new version of album appeared in april same year, renamed electric, reaching no. 4 , outselling love. band toured kid chaos (also known haggis , kid ) on bass, stewart on rhythm guitar. 2 more singles, lil devil , wild flower , released during 1987. few tracks original peace album appeared on single versions of love removal machine , , lil devil . full peace album not released until 2000, when included disc 3 of rare cult box set.

in us, cult, consisting of astbury, duffy, stewart, warner , kid chaos, supported then-unknown guns n roses. band appeared @ roskilde festival in denmark in june 1987. when world tour wound through australia, band wrecked £30,000 worth of equipment, , result not tour japan, no company rent them new equipment. @ end of tour electric album had been certified gold in uk, , sold 3 million copies worldwide, band barely speaking each other then. haggis left band @ end of electric tour form 4 horsemen rubin s def american label. astbury , duffy fired warner , management team grant/edwards, , moved los angeles original bassist stewart. warner sued band several times firing, felt unpaid royalties due him performance on electric album, resulting in lengthy court battles. cult signed new management deal , wrote 21 new songs next record.

for next album, stewart returned playing bass, , john webster brought in play keyboards. band used chris taylor play drums during rehearsals , record demos, future kiss drummer eric singer performing during second demo recording sessions. cult recruited session-drummer mickey curry fill drumming role , aerosmith sound engineer, bob rock, produce. recorded in vancouver, british columbia, canada october december 1988, sonic temple record went top 10 in both uk , us, certified gold , platinum respectively. band went on tour in support of new album , new single fire woman (uk no. 15) (nz no. 1), yet new drummer, matt sorum, , webster keyboard player. next single, edie (ciao baby) (uk no. 25) has become regular song @ concerts many years.

in europe, band toured aerosmith, , in us, after releasing single sun king (uk no. 42), spent 1989 touring in support of metallica before heading out on own headlining tour later same year. fourth single, sweet soul sister (uk no. 38), released in february 1990, video having been filmed @ wembley arena, london, on 25 november 1989. sweet soul sister partially written in paris , inspired bohemian lifestyle of city. released single in february 1990, song hit in uk, , reportedly reached number 1 on rock charts in brazil. after playing show in atlanta, georgia, in february 1990, band s management told astbury father had died of cancer. result, remainder of tour cancelled after final leg of shows performed in april. after tour ended, band on verge of splitting due stewart retiring , moving canada wife, , sorum leaving join guns n roses.

in 1990, astbury organized gathering of tribes festival in los angeles , san francisco artists such soundgarden, ice-t, indigo girls, queen latifah, iggy pop, charlatans, cramps , public enemy appearing. two-day festival drew 40,000 people, , inspired lollapalooza, started in 1991. in 1990, ten cd box set released in uk, containing rare songs cult s singles. cds in box set issued picture discs rice paper covers, housed in white box called singles collection , or black box called e.p. collection 84 - 90 . in 1991, director oliver stone offered astbury role of jim morrison in stone s film doors. declined role because not happy way morrison represented in film, , role played val kilmer.

ceremony , lawsuit (1991–1994)

in 1991, astbury , duffy writing again next album. during demo recordings, todd hoffman , james kottak played bass , drums respectively. during actual album recording sessions, curry recruited again play drums, charley drayton on bass, , various other performers. astbury , duffy s working relationship had disintegrated time, 2 men reportedly being in studio during recording. resulting album ceremony released mixed responses. album climbed no. 34, sales not impressive previous 3 records, selling around 1 million copies worldwide. 2 official singles released record: wild hearted son (uk no. 34, canada no. 41) , heart of soul (uk no. 50), although white released single in canada, sweet salvation released single (as dulce salvación ) in argentina in 1992, , title track ceremony released in spain.

the cult s ceremonial stomp tour went through europe in 1991 , north america in 1992. in 1991 cult played show @ marquee club in london, recorded , released in february 1993, packaged vinyl uk copies of first greatest hits release. handful of cd copies of ever manufactured originally, subsequently reissued on cd in 1999. incomplete bootleg video of show in circulation.

the band sued parents of native american boy pictured on cover of ceremony, alleged exploitation , unauthorized use of child s image. image of boy burned in video wild hearted son . lawsuit delayed release of ceremony in many countries including south korea , thailand, did not see record s release until late 1992, , unreleased in turkey until cult played several shows in istanbul in june 1993.

a world tour followed backing future thin lizzy drummer michael lee , bassist kinley wolfe, , keyboardist john sinclair returning 1 last time, , gathering of tribes moved uk. here artists such pearl jam performed. warm-up gig show, in small nightclub, dedicated memory of nigel preston, had died few weeks earlier @ age of 31. following release of single witch (#9 in australia) , performance of song 1992 buffy vampire slayer movie soundtrack entitled zap city , produced steve brown , b-side lil devil , 2 volumes of remixes of sells sanctuary , called sanctuary mixes mcmxciii, volumes 1 , two, , in support of pure cult: rockers, ravers, lovers, , sinners, greatest hits compilation debuted @ no. 1 on british charts , later went number 1 in portugal, astbury , duffy fired backing band , recruited craig adams (the mission) , scott garrett performances across europe in 1993, shows featuring mike dimkich on rhythm guitar. tour marked first time band performed in turkey, greece, , slovak republic.

the cult (1994–1995)

with same line-up still in place, band released cult in october 1994, produced bob rock. self-titled cult album commonly referred black sheep album fans of group. astbury referred record personal , revealing songs life, subject matter ranging sexual abuse @ age of 15, death of nigel preston, directionless years spent in glasgow in late 1970s.

the record achieved little success, reaching no. 69 in , no. 21 in uk. duffy remarked thought record wouldn t sell due offensive lyrics. record went number 1 in portugal also, dropped out of sight. single coming down (drug tongue) released band going on tour in support of new album. 1 more single, star , officially released live appearance on uk tv show word. star began life in 1986 tom petty , recorded @ sonic temple demo sessions starchild , being dropped band during rehearsals. in 1993 song resurrected , completed record in 1994 as, simply, star .

when band began beauty s on streets tour in winter 1994, augmented line james stevenson on rhythm guitar. ceremony record several years earlier, no other official singles released, several other songs released on strictly limited basis: sacred life released in spain , netherlands, free issued in canada , france, saints down issued in greece, none of songs gained commercial success. during tour, cult made first ever appearance in norway.

break-up (1995–1998)

during black rain tour of south america in spring of 1995, despite fact several more new songs had been recorded, tour cancelled after appearance in rio de janeiro in march, , band split citing unspecified problems on recent south american tour. astbury started garage band called holy barbarians few months later. band made debut @ 100 club in london in february 1996 , released first (and only) record in may 1996, , toured throughout north america , europe rest of 1996. band started writing material second record in 1997, band dissolved , astbury began writing , recording solo record. throughout 1997 , 1998 astbury recorded solo record, titled natural born guerilla, later called high time amplifier. record remained unreleased until june 2000 when released under name spirit\light\speed. astbury played 1 solo concert in 1999.

in november 1996, number of cd reissues released: band s american record company released high octane cult, updated greatest hits compilation released in , japan; southern death cult, remastered edition of fifteen-song compilation cd; ten-song compilation cd death cult called ghost dance, consisting of untitled four-song ep, single god s zoo , , 4 unreleased songs radio broadcast; , remastered repackaging of dreamtime album, containing ten original songs record in original playing order , different original artwork. dreamtime live @ lyceum remastered , issued on video , first time on cd, 1 unreleased song concert, gimmick .

reunion (1999–2001)

ian astbury @ live show.

in 1999, astbury , duffy reformed cult matt sorum , ex-porno pyros bassist martyn lenoble. first official concert @ tibetan freedom concert in june 1999, after having rehearsed @ shows in los angeles area. band s 1999 cult rising reunion tour resulted in sold out 30 date tour of us, ending 8 consecutive sold out nights @ la house of blues. in 2000, band toured south africa first time, , north , south america, , contributed song painted on heart soundtrack of movie gone in 60 seconds. song featured prominently , melody fused parts of score. in june, astbury s long-delayed solo record released spirit\light\speed, failed gain success. in november 2000, authorised greatest hits compilation released, pure cult: singles 1984–1995, along accompanying dvd, later certified gold in canada. cult, ian astbury, performed on separate tracks on doors tribute album, stoned immaculate: music of doors, covering wild child , touch me .

in november 2000, beggars banquet released 15000 copies of six-disc boxset (with bonus seventh disc of remixes first 5000 copies) titled rare cult. box set consists of album out-takes, demos, radio broadcasts, , album b-sides. notable including unreleased peace album in entirety. in 2001, band signed atlantic records , recorded new album, beyond , evil, being produced mick jones of foreigner, until jones bowed out tour foreigner. astbury , duffy co-wrote song jones, odd occurrence, in past, neither astbury or duffy co-write material. bob rock producer, martyn lenoble , chris wyse recording bassists, mike dimkich played rhythm guitar on tour, , matt sorum returning drummer. although sorum has toured band on sonic temple tour in 1989, first time had recorded studio album band.

however beyond , evil not comeback record band had hoped for. despite reaching no. 37 in us, no. 22 in canada, , no. 25 in spain, sales dropped, selling 500,000 copies worldwide. first single rise , reached no. 41 in us, , no. 2 on mainstream rock charts, atlantic records pulled song radio playlists. astbury later describe experience atlantic soul destroying , after atlantic tried tamper lyrics, record cover, , choice of singles record.

after first single record, band s working relationship atlantic on paper only, atlantic pulling rise radio stations playlists, , stopping promotion of record. second single breathe released radio station promo, , final single true believers on compilation sampler disc released in january 2002 (after cult s tour had ended). despite true believers receiving radio airplay in australia, both singles went largely unnoticed, , both astbury , duffy walked away project. lenoble rejoined band initial dates in 2001, , billy morrison filled in on bass majority of 2001 tour.

the european tour of 2001 canceled, largely due security concerns after 9/11 terrorist attacks, , band flew tour again aerosmith. eleven-week tour considered fans disaster, band played brief rundown of greatest hits. in october 2001, show @ grand olympic auditorium in los angeles filmed release on dvd. after tour ended in december 2001, band took of 2002 off, apart few shows in promote release of dvd, scott garrett , craig adams rejoining band.

despite commercial disappointment of beyond , evil , supporting tour, band voted comeback of year metal edge readers in magazine s 2001 readers choice awards.

second hiatus (2002–2004)

in late 2002, ian astbury declared cult on ice indefinitely, after performing brief series of dates in october 2002 promote release of music without fear dvd. during second hiatus, astbury performed member of doors (later dubbed doors of 21st century, later still renamed d21c, , known riders on storm) 2 of original members of group. d21c sued numerous times, both jim morrison s family , drummer john densmore. astbury supposedly started work on recording solo album later became backbone cult s born this.

at same time, duffy part of coloursound bassist craig adams , ex-alarm frontman mike peters, dead men walking (again peters) , later cardboard vampyres. sorum became member of hard rock supergroup velvet revolver. in 2003, of cult s records issued on cd, several bonus tracks being issued on russian, belarusian, , lithuanian versions. these eastern european releases had many printing mistakes on jacket sleeves , lyric inserts. in october 2004, of cult s records again remastered , issued again on cd, time in japan in different cardboard foldout sleeves. sells sanctuary appeared in 2002 video game grand theft auto: vice city, playing on rock station v-rock.

second reunion (2005–2007)

the cult playing @ drave rock fest in 2007.

in 2005, band reunited prepare return wild world tour in 2006, making first live appearance in three-and-a-half years on late late show craig ferguson. lineup consisted of astbury (vocals), duffy (lead guitar), john tempesta (drums), dimkich (rhythm guitar) , wyse (returning bassist). first stage show held in march 2006 in san francisco, california, @ fillmore. entire tour recorded instant live , sold after each show. in may, did 8 date tour in canada. later summer, toured central , eastern europe , played first concerts in bulgaria, poland , serbia. eleven-date uk tour followed several more dates in united states, finishing south american tour in december. year, duffy began band circus diablo billy morrison, sorum, brett scallions , ricky warwick (the cult - hollywood 2006, pictures sherry lee).

during these tours, band played extended set, including several songs band had not performed in decades: king contrary man , hollow man , neither of had been performed since 1987; also, libertine performed approximately 3 times, first time since 2000, , brother wolf, sister moon , performed 1 time since 1986 (for particular song, band played abridged version has never been performed before or since)

astbury announced in february 2007 leaving riders on storm , returning cult. stated: have decided move on , focus on own music , legacy. cult featured on stuffmagazine.com s list of ultimate air guitar players. on 21 march 2007, announced band touring europe who. first confirmed tour date in rotterdam, netherlands, in june, @ least dozen shows set follow. band played gig in london s west end @ cc club on 7 june 2007, along 2 dozen shows across continental europe during summer. tour includes first performance in romania , croatia.

born (2007–2009)

the cult performing in 2009.

on 29 may 2007, band signed deal major metal label roadrunner records. 8th studio album, titled born released on 16 october, , produced martin youth glover, bass player killing joke. born released regular single disc , limited edition double disc, second disk being bonus 5-track cd holding following tracks: stand alone , war pony destroyer , assassin (demo) , sound of destruction (demo) , savages (extended version) . prior album s release, band played festival , headline dates, , supported in europe through summer 2007, headline tour follow. band s appearance @ irving plaza in new york city in november 2006 filmed , released in 2007. cult new york city, issued fontana north , cult s first high definition dvd release. meanwhile, astbury lent vocals on 2 tracks of 2007 unkle album war stories , 1 of them being first single album, burn shadow .

the band performed uk , european tour in late-february , early-march 2008. on 24 march, began north american tour including major 13-city tour in canada. during september 2008, cult did brief series of dates in northeast united states, , toured in brazil part of south american tour in october 2008. of may 2008, according gauntlet, cult unsigned , no longer under contract roadrunner records. in october 2008, announced cult headline inaugural rock n roll marathon in san antonio, run 16 november 2008. cult announced plans tour showcasing 1985 love album across usa , uk in october play @ royal albert hall.

coinciding remastered love album , 4 disc omnibus boxed set, cult kicked off long-awaited love live tour in late summer. performing classic love album in entirety, each show played love tracks opening nirvana black angel . quick intermission followed, other cult hits played (varying venue): sun king , dirty little rock star , electric ocean , illuminated . followed favorites fire woman , lil devil , wild flower , , lastly love removal machine . in evening of 10 october 2009 @ royal albert hall in london, band performed second encore original cult bassist jamie stewart , drummer mark brzezicki, played drums band during love album recording sessions in july , august 1985. band sold love live usb flash drives each show during tour.

capsule eps (2010)

the cult entered 2010 continuing love live tour , announcing more dates in united states, new zealand, australia, , japan. band finished recording four-track capsule producer chris goss. capsule 1 said first of 3 or 4 released sometime in summer 2010. release formats include cd-dvd dualdisc, 12-inch vinyl, , digital downloads. capsule 1 released on 14 september 2010. band officially announced release of first new studio recording since 2007, every man , woman star . new single released through itunes store on 31 july 2010.

on 1 august 2010, band played sold-out music festival sonisphere, marked first uk performance since tour love album. during performance debuted new single, every man , woman star , released on 1 august 2010. on 14 september 2010 band embarked on new u.s. tour , released capsule 1 in conjunction media technology company aderra inc. , made available in multiple formats including cd-dvd dualdisc, usb flash drive, 12 inch vinyl, flac download , mp3 download. collection includes short film made singer ian astbury , rick rogers.

on 26 october 2010 band , aderra inc. announced release of new song, embers , 1 november 2010 , capsule 2 available through web store on 16 november 2010. pictures cult s tour stop in chicago on 28 october 2010 can seen @ local radio station website.

on 4 december 2010, band performed live set guitar center sessions on directv. episode included interview band program host, nic harcourt.

choice of weapon (2011–2013)

the cult performing in may 2012.

during cult s concert @ hammersmith apollo in london on 21 january 2011 ian astbury declared cult recording new album directly after tour. announced working chris goss, performed masters of reality supporting act same evening. on 11 may 2011, announced cult signed cooking vinyl records, release new album in 2012. commented guitarist billy duffy: looking forward returning our u.k. roots in many ways working cooking vinyl. vocalist ian astbury added, forward long , fruitful relationship cooking vinyl. may 2011, band had been writing , recording new demos @ witch mountain studio hideaway in hollywood hills, , began recording new album @ hollywood recording studios. in october 2011, bassist chris wyse stated album finished , expected released in april 2012. chris described zep/stooges mix of energy.

on 29 november 2011, announced album produced bob rock, provided same role on sonic temple, cult , beyond , evil. album, entitled choice of weapon, released on 22 may 2012. band partnered rolling stone premiere first song album titled lucifer on 30 january. on 5 february 2012, cult song sells sanctuary used soundtrack budweiser commercial in mashup flo rida aired during super bowl xlvi. in may 2012 cult appeared on jimmy kimmel live! , played animals .

on 28 september 2012, announced band release weapon of choice, prequel album accompany band s latest album, choice of weapon. digital-only release, available exclusively on itunes 2 months beginning 16 october, features songs included in choice of weapon @ earlier stage of development. explaining motivations behind release, singer ian astbury said these songs turned on , over, forged in long rehearsals , writing sessions, , emanated challenges both personal , professional. put our guts this; [producer chris] goss able create environment songs born through playing , turning on lyrics, through hard work , intense sessions. astbury added these songs have integrity , rawness of own. in many ways s different album 1 released , reveals foundations of choice of weapon . able close doors , begin explore spaces had not been in while. song twisted , bleeding made available free download @ band s website ahead of full digital release.

on 20 june 2013, band announced release of electric-peace comprises entire electric album plus peace album released on discontinued rare cult box set in 2000. due release in on 30 july. in 2013 mike dimkich left band , joined bad religion cover guitarist greg hetson. james stevenson, beauty s on streets tour in 1994, replaced dimkich cult s rhythm guitarist.

hidden city (2013–present)

in march 2013, billy duffy told argentina s journalist fabrizio pedrotti cult had begun work on new album 2014 release. band expected begin work on album after finish 2013 world tour, played electric album in entirety. in august 2014, billy added next album, not expected released before 2015 @ earliest, more guitar heavy .

on november 5, 2015, announced cult release new album, entitled hidden city, on february 5, 2016. album said final part of trilogy began born this, , marks fifth time bob rock had produced cult album. band announced had hired bassist grant fitzpatrick replacement chris wyse. chris chaney (jane s addiction, camp freddy) , producer bob rock performed session bass on album. in support of hidden city, cult opened guns n roses on not in lifetime... tour.

in october 2016 interview popmatters journalist j.c. maçek iii, cult guitarist billy duffy spoke of band s playlist while on tour, saying want make impactful [show], continues. there practical, pragmatic decisions made. if you’re playing crowd not familiar you, there s no point of going deep make sure play new song. on guns n roses [tour] had fifty minutes ten songs in. so, know made sure in ten songs played ordered chaos we’re proud of , makes statement. , alerts people fact that, yes, have made record in last 30 years. know , that’s thing. psychologically, s blood transfusion need. , re mindful, have loyal fan base. don’t pander know.