The Cure - Trilogy (DVD)

The Cure Trilogy DVD features a live concert of the band playing their three darkest and emotional albums, Pornography, Disintegration and Bloodflowers, in their entirety. It was filmed on location in Berlin over two nights using twelve cameras. The performance also includes two encore songs, "If Only Tonight We Could Sleep" and "The Kiss", both from the Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me album, and an interview with the band discussing the idea behind the DVD and its execution.

The film starts at a high point with Pornography's "One Hundred Years" and remains there for the full length of the performance. The entire Pornography set is played with an anger and depression that original album was doused in. Twenty years after the release of the Pornography album, and many, many years since the songs were played live; this set is arguably the best on the DVD. The live versions of the songs found on this DVD not only surpass the original tracks but any other live versions I have ever heard. This remains true with most songs on the DVD. This phenomenal set ends with Robert Smith telling the audience he will see them in seven years.

The Disintegration set begins with the majestic keys and grooving bass of "Plainsong", with Robert Smith looking out at the audience with a look of amazement on his face. The Trilogy DVD was his idea and you can tell he is very proud of these three albums, as he should be. The highlight of the Disintegration set for me was “Lullaby” and “Fascination Street”, this pair of songs went so well together live and was highlighted with excellent backdrops and a spectacular light show. Robert Smith’s hand actions while singing the creepy lyrics to “Lullaby” set the mood perfectly and the quick camera cuts and movements during “Fascination Street” highlights a song that already sticks out among the slower, moodier songs on the album like the next two songs. The set gets another jolt with one of my favourite Cure songs and the title track, “Disintegration”. I have always loved the album track of this song and never thought it could be outdone but I was very wrong. This version easily surpasses the original, there is so much emotion in the way Robert Smith sings these lyrics that makes it really something special. Eleven years until Bloodflowers.

All three of these albums are notable for the way the individual songs mesh together to form an album, but I find this to be particularly true with Bloodflowers. It seems not like just a collection of songs but a perfect progression of despair. The acoustic guitar on Bloodflowers adds something new that wasn’t there in the previous two sets but it still retains the same gloomy atmosphere. Bloodflowers is also home to some great guitar solos, by both Robert Smith and Perry Bamonte. Perry’s solo on “Watching Me Fall” is a treat to watch and to hear. Robert Smith takes the lead guitar role on “39” and “Bloodflowers” delivering a fantastic display. Coupled with the amazing lighting display on these two songs (particularly “39”), the climax of not only this set but the entire DVD is at hand.