The Cult review: Post-punk legends wow at Auckland’s Spark Arena

Followers found The Cult full of spirit and, as they proudly told the crowd, Kiwi chocolate. Photo / Leonie Moreland, Red Raven News

Famed British rockers The Cult took the stage at Spark Arena on Thursday night. Revisiting a group that was life-changing for a “15-year-old bogan in Christchurch”, the Herald’s Liam Dann was there to see if the genre-defining 1980s band was still on the money.

REVIEW

Rock veterans The Cult weren’t afraid to challenge the crowd at a packed Spark Arena last night with a rock n roll show designed to confront and then transcend any notion that they’re just a nostalgia act.

The Cult are legends for a run of three huge-sounding rock albums - Love, Electric and Sonic Temple - through the 1980s.

If fans had turned up just to hear all the hits from those albums they might have been disappointed.

For shaman-like frontman Ian Astbury (still looking the gothic-style icon, dressed in black from his bandana through to his leather jacket, to wild billowing pants) this seemed a deliberate ploy to create tension and then release it, to lift the show beyond just a tired rendition of their greatest hits.

It worked.

Ian Astbury from The Cult during the band's Spark Arena show November 21, 2024. Photo Leonie Moreland, Red Raven News

In the 1980s The Cult straddled the divide between the indie and hard rock crowds because they were artful and cool. Thankfully they still are.

The Cult’s founding members - lead vocalist Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy - might be older, but they looked fitter and sounded more polished than they have done in decades.

You could not pick that they are now in their 60s.

Astbury’s voice was stunning, he was fit and fired up thrashing his tambourine, shaking hips, stomping feet and twirling the microphone with suitable violence.

Duffy has lost nothing. That searing electric guitar tone still cuts through the air and he can switch effortlessly between broad gothy, shoe-gaze riffs and sharp-edged 70s power rock and metal.

The Cult's Billy Duffy still shows swagger and range. Photo / Leonie Moreland, Red Raven News

It’s a reminder of how wild the band was when it landed in the mid-80s.

Before Guns N' Roses or The Stone Roses, before grunge, life was tough for old-school rock and roll fans. We mostly had to look back to the likes of Led Zeppelin and co for a fix.

Then The Cult arrived. Looking like they’d just walked out of the Mojave desert after a cactus trip that started in 1971. They were at once fresh and familiar - life-changing for this 15-year-old bogan in Christchurch.

While they landed at a classic rock sound, it was after working their way through post-punk and goth rock (as Southern Death Cult). It gave them an edge and catapulted them into stadium shows and the hearts of many classic rock-loving Kiwis.

Astbury’s style and showmanship were always part of the charm.

Last night he challenged the crowd directly, drawing on his punk roots (or maybe it was the spirit of Jim Morrison) to berate the audience for a lack of energy during lesser-known tracks.

Opening with In the Clouds and sprinkling the hits sparingly between deeper cuts that still bring them joy to play was a bold move.

But it gave the show urgency and pushed the band to work hard and win the crowd.

Astbury baited the audience.

“Are some of you just tourists?” he asked after one more obscure number and reminded us we were here for a live rock n roll show ... something that could be transcendent if we just let go of our preconceived notions.

Of course in the end it wasn’t such a wild detour. The Cult still played plenty of hits and absolutely nailed all of them.

The Cult played plenty of hits and 'absolutely nailed all of them' says Liam Dann, who was at Spark Arena with a legion of New Zealand fans. Photo / Leonie Moreland, Red Raven News

We had Wild Flower early on and then, after a fully acoustic version of Eddie (Ciao Baby) crashed into Sweet Soul Sisters, they never looked back. We had more crowd favourites like Spirit Walker, Rain, Fire Woman, Love Removal Machine...

Somewhere in the middle Astbury relaxed and started thanking the crowd. He talked about how great it’s been to spend a few days on the ground in New Zealand and how much Whittaker’s chocolate he’d been eating.

It was a small and endearing bit of warmth before he booted back up into shaman mode and stared down the crowd for a huge finale.

The Cult closed out the night with She Sells Sanctuary bringing the house down.

As the lights came up they lingered to thank the crowd, Astbury kneeling and meditative long after the rest of the band had left the stage.

Where’s the line between raw passion and stagecraft? Who cares?

The Cult were always theatrical.

They aren’t wild-hearted Native American warrior poets, despite much of Astbury’s imagery having been lifted from that world. They are originally from Bradford in Yorkshire... just down the road from Coronation Street.

But that kind of authenticity is beside the point with The Cult. They are believers in the spirit of rock n roll and the only measure of success is their ability to channel that spirit and transport the audience to another dimension.

There have been patchy performances in the past. In 2010 the Herald reviewer savaged them for sounding tired and disinterested.

Last night’s show couldn’t have been more focused or more engaged.

This was a great band in fine form and having fun. What a treat.

Liam Dann is business editor-at-large for the Herald. He is a senior writer and columnist, and also presents and produces videos and podcasts. He joined the Herald in 2003.