What did The Cure play at Glastonbury 2019?

25 June 2020, 18:54 | Updated: 25 June 2020, 18:56

Robert Smith of The Cure performs on the Pyramid stage during day five of Glastonbury Festival 2019
Robert Smith of The Cure performs on the Pyramid stage during day five of Glastonbury Festival 2019. Picture: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images

Robert Smith and co performed a stunning set at Glastonbury 2019 - here's what they played.

How many times have The Cure played Glastonbury?

The Cure headline Glastonbury for an impressive fourth time in 2019 - putting them on a par with Coldplay, who have topped the Pyramid Stage bill on the same number of occasions.

Robert Smith has led his band through Glastonbury headline slots in 1986, 1990 and 1995 and 2019 marks the first time the band have appeared at Worthy Farm in 24 years.

Robert Smith of The Cure performs on the Pyramid stage during day five of Glastonbury Festival 2019
Robert Smith of The Cure performs on the Pyramid stage during day five of Glastonbury Festival 2019. Picture: Ki Price/Getty Images

Glastonbury was just one in a long line of festival appearances for The Cure in the summer of 2019. They travelled to Australia in May to perform their album Disintegration in full at Sydney Opera House to mark the LP’s 30th anniversary.

The Cure's Glastonbury set included all their major pop hits, plus a selection of deep cuts from their 40 year history, including the classics Boys Don't Cry, Close To Me, In Between Days and Friday I'm In Love.

The Cure headline Glastonbury 2019
The Cure headline Glastonbury 2019. Picture: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images

The Cure - Glastonbury setlist 30 June 2019

Plainsong (opening track from 1989's Disintegration)
Pictures of You (single taken from 1989’s Disintegration)
High (single taken from 1992’s Wish album)
A Night Like This (album track from 1985’s The Head On The Door)
Lovesong (single taken from 1989’s Disintegration)
Last Dance (album track from 1989’s Disintegration)
Burn (taken from the soundtrack to the film The Crow, 1994)
Fascination Street (single taken from 1989’s Disintegration)
Never Enough (stand alone single from 1990)
Push (album track from 1985’s The Head On The Door)
In Between Days (single taken from 1985’s The Head On The Door)
Just Like Heaven (single taken from 1987’s Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me)
From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea (album track from 1992’s Wish album)
Play For Today (album track from 1980’s Seventeen Seconds)
A Forest (single taken from 1980’s Seventeen Seconds)
Shake Dog Shake (the opening album track from 1984’s The Top)
Disintegration (title track of the 1989 album)

Encore:

Lullaby (single taken from 1989’s Disintegration)
The Caterpillar (single taken from 1984’s The Top album)
The Walk (stand alone single from 1983)
Friday I'm In Love (single taken from 1992’s Wish album)
Close To Me (single taken from 1985’s The Head On The Door)
Why Can't I Be You? (single taken from 1987’s Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me)
Boys Don't Cry (stand alone single from 1979)

The Cure - Burn (Glastonbury 2019)

The Cure first headlined Glastonbury in 1986

Following the success of their 1985 album The Head On The Door and its singles Close To Me and In Between Days, the following year saw The Cure’s first headline appearance at what was then known as the Glastonbury CND Festival. The other headliners were The Psychedelic Furs and Level 42, while also on the eclectic bill were Madness, Simply Red, The Housemartins and The Pogues.

The Cure’s Glastonbury set in 1986 was heavy with their recent “pop” hits such as Boys Don’t Cry and The Walk, but they still managed to keep the mood veering between light and dark, delivering three encores and ending the show with the emotional Faith and the downright angst-ridden title track from their album Pornography. No Love Cats.

the cure the walk live 21 06 1986 Pilton Worthy Farm England subtitulada

The Cure - 1986 Glastonbury setlist

Shake Dog Shake / Play For Today / Kyoto Song / Primary / Charlotte Sometimes / A Strange Day / In Between Days / The Walk / A Night Like This / One Hundred Years / Push / A Forest / Sinking

Encore 1: Close To Me / Let’s Go To Bed

Encore 2: Give Me It / Boys Don’t Cry

Encore 3: Faith / Pornography

The second time The Cure headlined Glastonbury was in 1990

The band’s relationship with the festival was strained after their 1990 appearance. The headline slot came off the back of the massive success of their Disintegration album the previous year. Only two encores this time, ending with a sneak preview of the forthcoming single Never Enough. No Love Cats.

However, the set was halted by one festival-goer being air-lifted hospital. Speaking about their 1990 set in an edition of The Cure newsletter from December of the same year, the Lullaby singer said: "Glastonbury was ok, but its organisation does leave an awful lot to be desired.

"There should have been crush barriers in the main field - the one particular incident down the front with the girl being given the kiss of life shocked us a bit too much to really get into the set."

The Telegraph's review of the festival mirrored Robert Smith's sentiment at the time, describing the scenes as like a "war zone," writing: "Interruption by helicopter or ambulance was the least of the problems facing the performers on the celebrated Pyramid stage: these were hardly the ideal conditions to demonstrate artistic excellence."

The 1990 line-up also included Happy Mondays, James, Sinead O’Connor and De La Soul.

Happy Mondays & The Cure Glastonbury 1990

The Cure - 1990 Glastonbury setlist

Shake Dog Shake / A Strange Day / A Night Like This / Catch / Pictures Of You / Fascination Street / Lullaby / Dressing Up / The Same Deep Water As You / Lament / Just Like Heaven / The Walk / Primary / In Between Days / A Forest / Disintegration

Encore 1: Close To Me / Let’s Go To Bed / Why Can’t I Be You

Encore 2: 10.15 Saturday Night / Killing An Arab / Never Enough

The Cure’s third headline Glastonbury appearance was in 1995

Following the international success of their album Wish in 1992 (their first UK Number 1 LP), the rest of the 90s were a bit of a grey period for The Cure. Drummer Boris Williams and guitarist Porl Thompson had both left, while bassist Simon Gallup went on sabbatical, so sessions for the next album were protracted. Glastonbury 1995 was an opportunity for Robert Smith to unveil the new line-up (featuring Jason Cooper on drums) and even premiere some new material - despite the new album, Wild Mood Swings, being nearly a year away from release. The show was an early example of Glastonbury being televised.

Amongst the new material (Want, Mint Car, Jupiter Crash) the set was a mix of recent hits (Friday I’m In Love, High) and some dark classics (Disintegration, A Strange Day). Still no Love Cats.

The Cure played Sunday night, while Oasis headlined the festival for the first time on Friday, while Saturday was the infamous occasion that The Stone Roses were due to perform. They were replaced by Pulp after Roses guitarist John Squire broke his collarbone.

The Cure Live @ Glastonbury 1995

The Cure - 1995 Glastonbury setlist

Want / Fascination Street / A Night Like This / Pictures Of you / Lullaby / Just Like Heaven / Trust / Jupiter Crash / High / The Walk / Let’s Go To Bed / Dressing Up / A Strange Day / Push / Mint Car / Friday I’m In Love / In Between Days / From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea / Shiver And Shake / Disintegration / End

Thanks to the excellent www.cure-concerts.de for setlist information.

Robert Smith in November 1985 and the original version of The Cure's Boys Don't Cry single

The Cure’s Boys Don’t Cry: why this classic song wasn’t a hit first time

Robert Smith of The Cure in 1985

The Cure's Close To Me has a harrowing back-story

The Cure and Bananarama on TV in 1985

The Cure drunk dancing with Bananarama on TV is brilliant

The Cure in 1987

Where did The Cure get their name from?

Robert Smith of The Cure in 1989

How a wedding gift gave The Cure their biggest US hit

TRENDING ON RADIO X

Heading out on tour in '24: Kasabian, The Last Dinner Party and The Libertines

The biggest gigs and tours to come in 2024

Artists with new albums for 2024: Kasabian, Kings Of Leon and The Zutons.

The most anticipated new albums for 2024

Kasabian press image 2024

Serge Pizzorno: Kasabian's Call single is "built for festivals and big shows"

Catfish & The Bottlemen's Van McCann

Catfish & The Bottlemen's 2024 dates: How to buy tickets

Liam Gallagher Performs At The Festival O Son Do Camiño In Santiago De Compostela in 2022

Liam Gallagher & Friends: Malta Weekender line-up, tickets & pre-sale info