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Did The Cult’s Ian Astbury get hopped up on goofballs and spill the beans about his band opening up for Led Zeppelin’s long-rumored, probably inevitable reunion tour next year while on stage in Cincinnati? If this account of Saturday night’s Cult show at Bogart’s nightclub is true, then the answer is yes! And also, he is in a lot of trouble.
“We’ll be back next year,” a breathless Astbury said midway through the band’s gig at Bogart’s nightclub Saturday night. “Because we’re opening for a band you may have heard of … the name starts with an ‘L’ and has a ‘Z’ in it.” Stunned looks bounced around the room until one sweat-drenched superfan shouted out the obvious: “Led Zeppelin!” Astbury, his eyes hidden behind dark shades, nodded affirmatively and stuck his hand in the air triumphantly before plowing into one of the band’s signature Zeppelinesque rockers.
Aww, that’s so cute! But reps for either of the bands aren’t commenting, although the news that Led Zeppelin is working on a new song for their upcoming appearance at the O2 Arena could be a sign that the band is planning on longer-term things together. Or maybe not! Either way, I think the below song probably sums up how Led Zep is feeling about Astbury right now:
A “fire(d) man,” get it? Oh, fine. I just wanted an excuse to post this video, OK?
Michael Lee, drummer of the Cult, played drums (extremely well) on both Page/Plant tours in the 90s…
@drjimmy11: John Tempesta is drumming for The Cult? He has been for almost three years now…Michael Lee hasn’t played with them for about, oh, seven years or so.
When I saw the Descendents at Bogart’s on July 4, 1987, I had an eerie feeling standing there that the Cult (then hot with “Electric”) would someday open for a reunited Led Zeppelin. AND I sort of thought that then-Descendents sticksman Bill Stevenson would be the drummer. But I can see now how, to the 1987 me, Stevenson WOULD appear to be with Led Zeppelin, when in fact he ended up drumming for a reunited LEMONHEADS, which are slightly phonetically similar and names of which could pass for another seen in the dark from 20 years in the past. Plus, although Lemonheads may have had their Taang!-era singles out by then, they were then an unknown entity to the teenage me.
Plus, it appeared that Barry Goldwater’s head was president.
I’m not familiar with Bogart’s nightclub, but I’ve never been to a show, even a small venue, where you could hear and understand what someone in the audience was shouting. (Requests for “Free Bird” notwithstanding.)
That’s cool. Then you can see two singers phone in their performances.
I’ve also heard that The Cult have been summoned to Bron-Yr-Aur for rehearsals, and were instructed to bring the “snow removal machine.”
Are we sure it’s not actually ‘The Lizard Kings’ (Chicago’s Only Doors Tribute Band)?
If you think anyone from The Cult phones in their performances, you obviously haven’t seen their latest tour and the Beyond Good and Evil trek. I’m as cynical as the next guy, but they are better live now than they’ve probably ever been.