the Dark Trilogy Concerts

Berlin Tempodrom, 11.11/12.02

    In the cold of Saturday morning we set off for the interminably long drive to Stansted airport, a place I vowed never to go again. For only one reason would I break that vow – we’re off to Berlin to see the Cure! In a happy mood we drove to the sound of the Vienna 2000 and Paris 1996 concerts.

    Our journey into Berlin was confusing. Neither of us can speak German, but we soon discovered that Berliners are the kindest, most helpful people to be lost amongst and were helped on our way! A Berlin night in November is so cold, but there are so many invitingly warm bars and restaurants. The food is delicious and the weissen beer, oh the weissen beer. Two hours after landing in Berlin I was in love with the city and its people.

    Sunday morning. Dull. Cold. No concert today, just a free day to view Berlin. I won’t go into the places we visited but have to say that Berlin is well worth travelling to. There is a very real sense of its history, but also a massive building programme of modern, beautifully designed architecture. Lots to see, both in the centre and by travelling on the excellent public transport to the edge of the city, to the forests and lakes, and the old towns.

    Sunday evening we had possibly the strangest curry ever, but accompanied by lots of that wonderful German beer.

    Monday. Cold again, but a concert to go to! We had to be at the Tempodrome for 12:00 to collect our tickets for tonight and to meet up with someone from whom I hoped to get tickets for Tuesday evenings concert. Successfully having tickets for both concerts, time for beer to celebrate. The café/bar at the side of Tempodrom was excellent, veggie food and German beer, and it was perfectly decorated for a Cure concert, with its black décor! At 12:00 there was already a small crowd gathered outside the venue, huddled close in the cold, but all happy and laughing. Preferring the warmth we set off for more sightseeing, coffee and beer and finally got back to the Tempodrom at 18:30 to find Cure fans everywhere, queuing outside and filling the bar. We choose to join those in the bar, before joining the queue an hour later, ready to be searched on our way in. Checking out the t-shirt stall I fortunately purchased what I thought the best, because it had sold out before the end of the evening – the three album covers on the front and venue details on back. Time for a tequila cocktail before joining the growing crowd in the standing area, a fairly good position not too far back. The room soon filled to capacity ready for the group to come on and lead into the most powerful version of One Hundred Years ever. I was torn between watching the stage and the backdrop as monochrome images flashed past – holocaust scenes, a mushroom cloud, dead bodies, a pile of skulls from the Paris Catacombs and an image I had viewed earlier in the Checkpoint Charlie museum. All very fitting, very moving.

    Pornography was played heavily, driven along perfectly by Jasons outstanding drumming. The backdrops throughout were impressive, as images appeared and disappeared it was hard to take them all in. I’ll be watching the DVD through at least once just to view these images.

    The crowd was enthusiastic, dancing, jumping, singing throughout the heat – and it was so very hot. Robert was very quite between songs, an occasional ‘thank you’. At the end of Pornography he said ‘see you in seven years’! There was little movement on stage. I couldn’t help recalling Tim Popes comments when he was filming for the Orange video – that nothing happens in a Cure concert, they just play, but he noticed the little looks and asides between the group. I noticed that too, but to say nothing happens - the most brilliant music, played so incredibly happened. It was the most exciting, happy event I’ve ever been at. I already felt it was going to be a DVD I couldn’t live without.

    At the end of Pornography I waited in the crowd for drinks, but hearing the opening notes of Disintegration I did possibly an incredibly stupid thing, and asked the person next to me for his drink, which he gave!

    Disintegration played heavily, precisely. At times I felt there was an over awareness of the cameras. It was hard not to be aware of them, as the lighting was brighter than usual at a concert and there were lights on the audience too. Lullaby had the crowds dancing wildly, Prayers for Rain had the longest note from Robert I’ve ever heard, piercing the room. Images of spiders webs and giant spiders, Mary from the Lovesong single cover, strange shapes, and I began to feel sicker and sicker until I had to escape the crowd and get to cooler space at the back of the room. Again Robert was quiet and ended saying ‘see you in 11 years’.

    After a little cool air and water to revive it was time for Bloodflowers, but feeling too ill to join the crowd I had to remain at the back. This was simply the most amazing rendition of these songs. I love this album so much, but hearing it played live astounded me, such power and intensity. The background images again flashed past, the most impressed on my mind from Where The Birds Always Sing, images of religious icons, and magic symbols. I guessed Robert must have been incredibly busy for some time putting these images together.

At the end Robert said ‘Sorry I haven’t spoken much but these songs say everything I wanted to say’.

    For the encore I had expected If Only Tonight We Could Sleep and The Kiss, knowing they had been played in Brussels. The Kiss sounded incredible, the best version ever. I certainly hadn’t expected a second encore, who would after so much already? But the crowd was loud, demanding more, and more we got! M, Play for Today and A Forest. The crowd went especially wild, and the group responded - sorry to say to camera crew had stopped filming.

    After the show and out into the cold Berlin night, but now it was a welcome cold. I felt way too sick even for beer, so we headed back to the hotel. Berlin trains stop running at 1a.m. and we missed our connection, but in Berlin there is always help! I have to say a great big thankyou to the two Germans who got us on our way in a taxi, even paying towards the fare – only in Berlin!

    Tuesday morning. Cold. Very cold. Still feeling sick, a little sightseeing, very little food and no beer before heading out to the Tempodrom in the evening. I decided to see how I’d feel in the crowd up front and it worked – as soon as the Cure came on stage I felt cured, my sickness went, adding meaning to the Italians fans banner ‘We Fight sickness with the Cure’! The sound quality on Pornography didn’t seem so good as the previous night, but still so great, I felt privileged to be here, to hear this, an opportunity like this will surely never happen again. The crowd seemed more energetic even than the previous evening and I felt the band did too. I sensed more movement on stage, more expression in their playing, possibly less of an awareness of the cameras.

    At the end of Pornography I held my place only to have a six footer stand directly in front of me, I felt so annoyed I told him he was ruining my view, please move or stop being so tall. He let me go in front of him and I had such a spectacular view of the stage for Disintegration, which seemed to rock heavier than the previous evening (but maybe only because I didn’t feel so ill). Dancing and singing my way through this, nothing could ever be better!

    Robert spoke little again tonight. He mumbled something at the end of the first two albums, and I thought it was purposely mumbled, not even words, maybe because he is accused of mumbling so much he thought he would do just that!

Bloodflowers again was astounding, I’m more excited to get the DVD for this set than any other.

    For the encores the first was the same as last night. The second was M, Play For Today, A Forest, Grinding Halt and Boys Don’t Cry.

    The group seemed to be enjoying themselves so much they didn’t want to leave the stage. The crowd certainly didn’t want them too. I’ve never seen such an enthusiastic crowd, singing along and dancing, Robert seemed to be enjoying watching it! And the cameras were still filming I think! The camera on the boom arm was certainly going but very madly, zooming about all over the place – was Tim Pope at the end of the boom?!

Sadly over, time for beer and to miss the last train back to the hotel.

    Wednesday. Cold again. A day for sightseeing, and checking out the local record shops, before a late evening flight home. And the flight was late. I had to face the interminably long drive home after this, no beer, lots of espresso, until I was so hyped I was jumping and running around the airport!

    Robert said after the second concert ‘see you next year’, he certainly will, after these two performances I won’t want to miss the next.

    Everyone, you’ll want this DVD. If you don’t have a DVD player buy one now, get widescreen TV, surround sound, whatever you need. Get friends around, turn the lights out, get German beer and tequila and have a great time singing and dancing your way through the greatest concert ever!

*graciously reviewed by BlackCat