The Cure’s Robert Smith has been announced as the curator of the 2018 Meltdown festival. The event, which will be held at London’s Southbank Centre, is now in its 25th year.
Each Meltdown festival is curated by a different artist. In a statement, Smith said: “I am honoured and excited to be curating the 25th Meltdown Festival. More than 30 of my all time favourite artists – some of the most exciting, inspirational, intense and influential performers of the last 40 years – will make sure this 10-night extravaganza at London’s Southbank Centre is the must-see event of the summer!”
1. 10.15 Saturday Night
Nails the nervy horror of sitting by a phone that never rings.
2. A Forest
Cursed by dark magic
3. The Drowning Man
One of the Cure’s murkiest scores, all icy splashes of noise and the hiss of snaky guitars.
4. One Hundred Years
A song thick with frenzied fear that’s made for the end of days.
5. A Strange Day
Smith peers far into the future and brings back dreadful tales of the world’s end.
6. In Between Days
Warm and bittersweet, streaked with regret and remorse and lost love.
7. Just Like Heaven
Smith, far from playing the doom-mongering prophet, comes on like a lovesick hobbledehoy.
8. The Same Deep Water as You
For nearly 10 treacherous minutes Smith slides deeper into a treacherous love affair until he slowly slips under the surface.
9. Fascination Street
Like much of Disintegration, it comes from a dark place, inspired by Smith’s fatigue at the prospect of a night out on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street.
10. This Twilight Garden
A tantalising glimpse of a sound that the Cure could have followed further: dreamy and delicate, with echoey guitars and soft pillows of rippling noise.
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The first artists for Smith’s event will be announced in early March. This year’s festival will be the first to take place across the entire Southbank Centre site, including the recently refurbished Queen Elizabeth Hall and Purcell Room.
Smith joins an illustrious list of former curators including Laurie Anderson, David Bowie, Nick Cave, Patti Smith, Jarvis Cocker and, in 2017, MIA.
This year’s Meltdown will take place from Friday 15 June to Sunday 24 June. Tickets go on sale to Southbank Centre members on 13 March, and to the general public on 15 March.
