The Cult at The Paramount
The Cult The Paramount A Sonic Temple Tour Huntington, NY December 10, 2019
The Cult are a British rock band that was formed in 1983 and took it current name in 1984. For the past 35 years, the band has been delivering powerful musical oeuvre that covers a number of genres including classic rock, alternative, hard rock, post-punk, goth, a fusion that has been called “heavy metal revivalist” and mainstream rock ‘n’ roll.
Originally called Southern Death Cult and Death Cult, the name was shortened to The Cult and in the mid-1980s, the band gained fame with the singles “She Sells Sanctuary, “Fire Woman,” “Rain” and “Love Removal Machine.” During its career, the Cult has released ten studio albums. Its best-known and most critically acclaimed albums include: the Beggars Banquet releases Love (1985), Electric (1987) and Sonic Temple (1989), Beyond Good and Evil (Atlantic Records, 2000), and the Cooking Vinyl releases Choice of Weapon (2012) and Hidden City (2016).
The group has featured a number of different line-ups. Mainstays Ian Astbury on vocals and guitarist Billy Duffy are the band's two songwriters and have held down the fort during the length of band’s career. Currently the band is comprised of Astbury, Duffy, John Tempesta on drums, Damon Fox on keyboards and Grant Fitzpatrick on bass.
On a pleasant Tuesday evening at The Paramount in Huntington, NY, the Cult treated an enthusiastic Long Island audience to a wonderful night of brawny rock ‘n’ roll. The Cult stormed the stage in truly powerful rock ‘n’ roll fashion. They delivered an explosive and gritty version of “Sun King” (from Sonic Temple) that had the crowd charged-up from the get-go. Astbury, Duffy and their cohorts then shifted into a higher gear and delivered a tight, fun set that kept the attentive crowd bouncing around the venue enthusiastically whistling, cheering and appreciatively applauding after each song. Highlights included “Sweet Soul Sister,” “Rise,” “Honey From A Knife.” and, of course, the main set closers “Fire Woman” and “Love Removal Machine.” The encores were of the extremely high-energy variety. As expected, the band delivered tour de force versions of the songs that put them on the map--“Rain” and “She Sells Sanctuary.”
The five musicians spent the evening playing their hearts out. Astbury's vocals were spot-on. Duffy is truly an under-rated guitarist. His tasty guitar and soaring leads gave the songs depth and body. Fox’s keyboards filled the white spaces and brought the songs to life, while Fitzpatrick’s bass put the thump in each tune and Tempesta's powerful drumming provided the backbeat and the soul that made the performances special.
The audience members spent the evening singing along, especially on the band’s big four hits and had a great time. The fans were treated to a night they'll remember for some time. It was truly a celebration of the band’s career as well as the 30th Anniversary of the release of Sonic Temple.
Photos by Christine Connallon