Before there was The Cult, there was Death Cult, a darker, more gothic iteration of the group that would later become known for hits like “She Sells Sanctuary,” “Fire Woman,” and “Love Removal Machine.” And while a shadowy side existed to the modern version through the years, no matter what musical path they ventured down, it was still surprising when core members Ian Astbury (vocals) and Billy Duffy (guitar) announced in 2023 that they would be doing a very limited number of shows under the Death Cult name.
To put it in context, it would kind of be like if Joy Division were still around and decided to do a handful of shows as Warsaw. Or if Led Zeppelin had one day decided to revisit The New Yardbirds moniker. It was an unexpected manner in which to examine the deepest reaches of the rearview, in this case, 40 years later. But it worked and was so well-received that it’s again being revisited, with a bit of a twist.
On Saturday night (October 11) at The Orpheum, Death Cult will perform a set, followed by The Cult. The show, which is the second of just 13 North American dates, is a unique opportunity to see Astbury and Duffy approach not just Death Cult singles like “God’s Zoo” and “Brothers Grimm” in a live setting through a present-day lens, but to put in the same box as the songs “Resurrection Joe” and “Spiritwalker,” which were written during the same period but appeared on records under The Cult banner.
“It’s a high-wire act,” Astbury tells Vanyaland. “There’s no safety net. That’s Death Cult.”
Read the rest of my interview with Astbury over at Vanyaland, where we talk about his reconnection with Rick Rubin – who produced The Cult’s Electric – being present at concerts, and a deep dive into spirituality. First, though, here’s some Death Cult on UK television from 1984 doing “God’s Zoo.”
***
The Chronicles of Michael Christopher 
Leave a comment