The Cult Brings The Rock At SXSW Gig

03/21/2001 1:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Neal Weiss

(3/21/01, 1 p.m. ET) -- The Cult declared that rock is back during its high-profile comeback gig in Austin, Texas over the weekend. "It's OK...nobody's watching, nobody cares," Cult frontman Ian Astbury told the invite-only, industry-heavy crowd at the outdoor venue Stubb's on Saturday (March 17) as he held up the two-fingered hand signal often associated with heavy metal. "You are free to rock again."

The gesture, offered midway through the group's hourlong set, set a tone for a show that showcased Cult hits like "She Sells Sanctuary," "Love Removal Machine," and "Wild Flower" alongside a trio of like-minded new songs, "Saint," "War," and "Breathe."

The show, coinciding with (but not officially sanctioned by) the South By Southwest Music Conference, once again brought together the group's creative core, frontman Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy. The pair has often brought a creative tug-of-war to the group, and according to Astbury some things never change. The day after the Saturday gig, Astbury told LAUNCH, "I mean, last night they were all out at titty bars and I was at Mogwai. That pretty much puts us in a nutshell, you know what I mean?" Mogwai is an experimental-minded indie band from Glasgow, Scotland.

The 2001 version of the Cult also features former Guns N' Roses drummer Matt Sorum and former Porno For Pyros bassist Martyn LeNoble. Auxiliary rhythm guitarist Mike Dimkich also performed with the group in Austin.

The Cult is now back in Los Angeles mixing its yet-to-be-titled Atlantic Records debut album with famed producer Bob Rock (Metallica, Bon Jovi, Motley Crue), who has also produced several of the Cult's past albums. The effort will be the first to feature new material by the band since its 1994 self-titled effort. It arrives on June 5.

According to a label spokesperson, the Cult will likely kick off an American tour to coincide with the album's June release.

-- Neal Weiss, Los Angeles

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