The Cure - Curiouser and Curiouser

IT WAS THE very last edition of The Tube, the most interesting pop show on British TV. After five eventful years, the program had finally succumbed to political pressure and maybe simple fatigue. Between tearful farewells and regretful retrospectives, The Cure took the stage to soothe and excite the studio audience. Presenter Paula Yates had a point when she said there was something about the Cure that made you want to dress up in a teddy bear suit and snuggle up beside them. Robert Smith didn't comment. Instead, he sang 'Why Can't I Be You', wriggling at the microphone in a shapeless suit and training shoes, rolling his eyes and pouting coyly through his bright pink lipstick. Looking at this androgynous figure, who might have been on temporary release from some sort of institution for disturbed children, it would be easy to conclude that Robert is a very strange boy. Actually, he's very shrewd, and in his own silent way, rather ruthless. Consequently, The Cure have proved more resilient than The Tube.