The Curiosa Festival

The Cure knows a thing or two about putting on a good show. After touring across the globe more times than I could begin to count, they know what they want, and what works and what doesn't — and most importantly, they know what their fans want. The band's long-standing notoriety has landed them the headlining spot on large festivals; however, their moody, melancholy performances are much more suited for a more intimate environment. So it makes sense that Curiosa is more than just another overbooked festival focused on selling tickets at exorbitant prices. It’s really more of Cure frontman Robert Smith's attempt at creating an event not just for the fans, but also for the bands to really enjoy. Robert picked bands he wanted to play with for the tour, but the lineup also fairly obviously showcased The Cure's influence of the current music scene, with each band having some sort of similarity to The Cure either in sound or style.
The Cooper Temple Clause looked exhausted from touring, and I'm sure playing outside in the scorching heat didn't help; but if they were a little worn-out you certainly couldn't tell from the music. Somehow, bands have gotten the idea that you have to play simple music if you’re going to rock out, but The Cooper Temple Clause seem to go out of their way to defy that convention. The music is layered with keyboard parts, electronic sounds and intelligent vocals; but the guitar, bass and drums don't hold anything back, and on stage the band puts everything they've got into the performance.
When Interpol started playing they immediately seemed to embody the atmosphere of the entire event: passion masked with careful restraint. The measured, almost monotone, vocals were nearly swept away by the swirling swell of music, hinting at a torrent of emotion below the surface. I actually got lost in their performance and forgot I was waiting for The Cure to play.
Outside it was finally starting to cool down and the small area in front of the second stage was packed with people captivated by Cursive's performance, while others sat on the small lawn area nearby and listened — and still more remained inside, making sure they got the best spot possible for when The Cure took the stage.
The Cure's set was short compared to past tours, but apparently standard for this one. The songs were an even mix of well-known selections from older albums, with quite a few tracks from the new album thrown in. It would have been a good, but fairly unremarkable set if it weren't for a feeling that seemed to hang in the air. Robert and the rest of the band genuinely seemed to enjoy being on stage, and it came across clearly and honestly in the music. I don't think it could have been any more intimate of an atmosphere (at least not in a sports arena), which made The Cure's performance everything it should be.
The fact that it was the last stop for the tour made it even more emotional. Every band made a point of thanking everyone who came out, along with The Cure and the rest of the bands for making it such a great festival. At the end of The Cure's set even Robert, who had been relatively quiet between songs (even by his own standards), gave a very heartfelt thanks to the band's fans and all of the bands on the tour for making it so good.

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