By Chyrisse Tabone, Rock At Night Tampa Correspondent
Venue: Mahaffey Theater, Saint Petersburg, Florida–April 21, 2022
The Cult kicked off their 2022 tour at the Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg, Florida on Thursday night. The last time Rock At Night reviewed The Cult was in 2016—and at the same venue. Oh, how the world changed in the last six years–but at least good rock music remains the same. Based on the theater’s capacity, people are thirsty for live shows. The concert was sold-out, which does not surprise.
The Cult began their nostalgic journey to the 80s promptly at 8:30 p.m. There was no support band and the set was simple with a backdrop, lots of smoke, and mood lighting. The band consists of two original members, Ian Astbury (vocals) and Billy Duffy (guitar) , as well as John Tempesta (drums), Charlie Jones (bass), and Mike Mangan (keyboards).
Here is a play-by-play description:
The Brit “Lizard King” emerges singing the 80s classic “Sun King” with his famous locks pulled back into a bun and secured with a durag. People in the audience yell “Ian!” and he asks the crowd, “How’s it feeling, Florida?” He explains the tour is going through Florida and up toward Mississippi, asking, “Wanna’ come along?’
Even though the Mahaffey Theater provides comfortable seats, the Generation X’ers stand the entire concert. Yes, it is a 90-minute ‘stand fest’ for those on the orchestra level. Fortunately, the people in the upper level are comfortably sitting and enjoying the show. A few women in the balconies wearing sequin nightclub dresses are shaking and shimmying the whole set. Yes, it is MTV and the 1980s all over again.
During the song “Lil’ Devil” people in the audience are jumping and throwing fists in the air. The band perform the rousing “Peace Dog” and many are holding their fingers in a peace sign. After the song ends, Asbury declares, “This is a work out!”
Asbury introduces Duffy, who is killing it on guitar all evening. The tone of his guitar and skillful performance is mesmerizing. After ending the song “Revolution” Astbury says, “That’s the way, uh huh, uh huh, I like it. This is Florida? All the old timers know what I’m talking about.”
The concert continues with a crowd favorite “She Sells Sanctuary”, which takes the evening to a whole new level. Astbury pauses, saying “Most would play that and walk away. We are masochists” as the band jumps into “Love Removal Machine.”
The show appears to be ending since the band are putting down their instruments. A few patrons leave their seats to exit the side doors when Astbury remarks, “Come back into the room! It’s not a party without you. This is fucking live music. C’mon, man!”
The band exits off stage and the crowd cheers for more until they return to play “Fire Woman.” This is the song everyone was waiting for—and the band delivers. Astbury reminds the crowd, “It’s not a party without music.”
And that is what they delivered. A party of their vast hard rock hits that stand the test of time. Check out one of the concerts on their tour across North America—but don’t leave when the show until the lights come on. Wait for the cherry on top of the rock ‘n’ roll sundae.
PHOTO GALLERY
I grew up in a household full of rock music, studied journalism in college, and then became a scientist.Although my science career has served me well, music has always played a major role in my life. I grew up reading "Creem" magazine; I play several musical instruments as a "hobby";and it seems a camera has always been in my hand. Now, I am combining what I love the most--music and photography--serving as editor of Rock At Night. I travel between the US and UK seeking my dream! My motto: life is short...no regrets. Chyrisse
