Originally posted by mark e smith:
Addendum for Mankie:
The Cure formed in '76. Joy Division formed after the pistols gig in '77. The cure had Killing an arab on the demo that got them signed to the record company.
While this is true, it should be pointed out that The Cure's early sound was nothing like what appeared on "17 Seconds" or "Faith"---albums where The Cure truly came into their own. Robert Smith has always talked very openly about his love of Joy Division and the influence they had on him. According to the book I have on The Cure (can't remember the title at the moment), it was Simon Gallup & Robert Smith's mutual admiration of Peter Hook's basslines in particular that led to a partnership. So it's no wonder that The Cure imitated Hook.
In response to an earlier post by Bags, it's entirely conceivable that Interpol would open for The Cure. Robert Smith is a big fan of them as he is with a lot of the bands today that ape his vocals and playing style (Hot Hot Heat, The Rapture). I read a recent interview with him where he was talking specifically about some of these newer bands, and he says he feels complemented that his music has been such a big influence...
Speaking of Interpol, I would say their main musical inspiration would be The Chameleons, a great, rather underappreciated post-punk band from the 80s. The Joy Division influence is mostly the vocals and the overall sombre tone. There's only one song ("Say Hello to the Angels") that really recalls a Smiths influence (admittedly a direct steal of "This Charming Man"). I personally recommend checking out their stuff, especially the songs "Untitled" and "NYC"---even if they're not the most original of bands, they write some damn fine songs.
