Stereo Warning

What would you call it?
We’re not categorizable, that’s the problem. We are unique, we don’t conform to any norm. I suppose we were post punk when we came out and we’ve been since at different times, but in total it’s impossible. How can you describe a band that put out an album like “Pornography” and also has greatest hits where every single song was top 10 around the world? It just doesn’t work. So it’s easy to just pick on one aspect of what we do and say yea that’s the Cure, they’re a goth band. They called us goth when we did “Friday I’m in Love” and I thought how does this work? I kind of gave up right about then, 15 years ago, worrying about what we were going to get called. Probably when we stop they’ll look back and think of something a little bit more apt, but I just play Cure music, whatever that is.

Do you like any of the bands who profess to be influenced by you? Who will pick up your mantle when you retire?
I like a lot of them. I’ve seen Mogwai this year and they’re still top of my list. I take my nephews and nieces out to see bands all the time. I really still like Interpol a lot. I listened to their album on the drive up tonight in my car. They really have got a fantastic sound. Most of the bands that have name-checked The Cure over the last 2-3 years I tend to like anyway. I like to think that we can give hopes to young bands that we can do something we want and still be successful. I like the idea of inspiring people to do things their own way.

Reviewers almost never fail to mention that you still wear makeup on stage, some even suggesting you’re too old for it. Does it bother you?
My makeup is pretty 80s, isn’t it? (laughs) my appearance is preposterous anyway, so it doesn’t matter how old I am. I don’t think I look that different than I did 10 years a go, with or without makeup. It puzzles me why such a big deal is made about it when everyone puts make up on when they go on stage. If I didn’t wear makeup on stage it would be very hard to discern my features. I haven’t got very strong features so I do it to accentuate my eyes and my mouth. If I wanted to accentuate my nose I’d paint a big yellow stripe on it, but I don’t. It’s part of what I do when I go on stage. I wouldn’t feel in the right frame of mind if I went on stage in bare feet on no makeup. It’s part of the ritual of going on stage and performing for people which is in essence what reviewers have missed – you’re actually performing for people. It doesn’t come that naturally to me even though I’ve done it for years. I go thru this process when I go on stage, I don’t need to wear that kind of makeup to put fuel in my car. But sometimes when I go out, when I went to see the musical “Chicago” I wore makeup just in case I was asked to go on stage for the encore (laughs).

In the past you also used to drink before going on stage to work up the courage to perform. Are you past that now?
It was more to liberate me from my natural reservations. I got past it on Curiosa. For the first time in my life I went on stage straight and I found out I enjoyed it. I always knew when we were playing stadiums that I was too drunk to be good but it didn’t seem to matter that much to people. It was more the event or the occasion and I got away with it more. I am keenly aware more than anyone of how old I am I’ve always maintained that there’s something reasonably charming about seeing a 17-year old fall over after one beer too many and very far from charming seeing a 47-year old keel over after one beer too many. So that’s another reason why I don’t drink like I used to but I still have a fair go at it when I’m with friends. I acknowledge my age, but I’m not thrilled about getting older. Nobody ever is, but it’s not as crippling as it used to be for me to understand that I’m getting older.

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Tags: the cure robert smith ashlee simpson