The Cult celebrate 30 years of Sonic Temple album with Portsmouth Guildhall concert

MULTI-million selling rockers The Cult are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their best-selling Sonic Temple album with a tour which is stopping off at Portsmouth Guildhall.
The Cult, taken around the time of the release of their 1989 album, Sonic Temple. They are playing a date at Portsmouth Guildhall to mark the album's 30th anniversary. Picture by Andrew MacPhersonThe Cult, taken around the time of the release of their 1989 album, Sonic Temple. They are playing a date at Portsmouth Guildhall to mark the album's 30th anniversary. Picture by Andrew MacPherson
The Cult, taken around the time of the release of their 1989 album, Sonic Temple. They are playing a date at Portsmouth Guildhall to mark the album's 30th anniversary. Picture by Andrew MacPherson

After a run of hugely successful sold-out US shows celebrating the anniversary, they return home to the UK in October.

Originally released in 1989, Sonic Temple proved to be a pivotal moment for the band, including four hit singles, Fire Woman, Edie (Ciao Baby), Sun King and Sweet Soul Sister, which all became American rock radio staples. It was the album that made the band, originally formed in Yorkshire, into superstars.

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To celebrate the anniversary, Beggars Arkive will also release The Cult: Sonic Temple 30 on September 13 in various deluxe formats packed with demos, previously unreleased tracks and live versions.

Frontman Ian Astbury explained the album’s origins: ‘We wanted to retain our core DNA as we went deeper into psych and hard rock influences.

‘It was a complete immersion for me into art, film, music, poetry and literature, weaving those influences into what was to become Sonic Temple. The band was becoming more popular. We were in uncharted waters. Most of the bands we had come up with had split up or fallen off. We were accelerating. There was no real time to breathe. We were forming new allegiances and breaking the glass ceiling of “the indie outsider.”’

Co-founder, guitarist Billy Duffy added: ‘I’d like fans to not only allow themselves a little indulgence into maybe simpler happier times of the late ’80s for a few hours at a ST19 show, but also be happy that the music is now really their possession, not ours, and to do with it what they will.’

They play at the Guildhall on Tuesday, October 29. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10am. Go to portsmouthguildhall.org.uk.

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