Top Rank Suite Brighton

14/08/2026

The Stranglers from 1981, 'La Folie'

27/07/2026

The Cure, Brighton Centre, Saturday 14th September 1985.

The Brighton Centre gig was part of the Cure's latest album tour 'Head on the Door.' The ten night tour had started in St Austell, Cornwall six days earlier, on 8th September 1985.

This was the first time I had seen the Cure since the Brighton Dome gig in March 1982, which was part of the band's 'Po*******hy' album tour. A tour that ended in a major bust up and bass player Simon Gallup leaving the Cure and the band's future in doubt.
After going through a transition period of line-up changes, the band had now settled, with drummer Laurence Tolhurst moving to keyboards, making way for former Thompson Twins' drummer Boris Williams to take over the sticks. With Robert and Simon settling their differences over a few pints in a pub, Simon Gallup was now back on bass. Original 'Easy Cure' guitarist Porl Thompson was now in the line-up. Porl had also played with 'Exotic Pandas,' who were the support act on the Cure's 1981 tour. That was another memorable Wednesday night at the Brighton Top Rank.

The support for the 'Head on the Door' tour were the London based four piece synth band 'Hard Corp,' the band featured French singer Regine Fetet on vocals and had a more European electro industrial sound, like a heavier version of Depeche Mode, who they would return back with at the Brighton Centre in January 1988. Supporting Depeche Mode on their 'Music for the Masses' tour.

The build-up to the Cure performing once again in front of a Brighton crowd was one of heightened anticipation, that swirled into awe and euphoria when the lights dropped and the Gloves' 'Relax.' (Roberts Smith's earlier side project) was belting out of the speakers. And these emotions burst like a flood when the Cure finally walked onto the stage. With the shouts and screams of excitement getting louder as Smith standing behind of the microphone spoke in his unassuming Sussex accent, "Hello."

With Porl Thompson guitar/keyboards to Smith's right, Simon Gallup's bass and Laurence Tolhurst on keyboards to his left, and Boris Williams drum kit sitting right behind, the Cure opened their set with 'Baby Scream', a song from the new album. The track's stomping beat gets the audience moving. Then straight into my favourite Cure song 'Play for today.' Lots more shouting, screaming and clapping as Smith thanked the crowd and tried to introduce 'Kyoto Song' another track from
'Head on the door album'. A animated female voice shouts "Get your hair cut," or words to that effect, confusing Smith a little. 'Kyoto Song', for me, moves the Cure both musically and artistically forward, like a jump of evolution.
Shouts rained out for personal favourites throughout the set. Smith introduces the bass-driven 'Primary' which is played at speed. Everywhere on the dance floor was moving, bumping, crashing and jumping into a frenzy. 'Hanging Garden' seemed to get the biggest cheer and was also played fast. It seemed the whole auditorium was bouncing up and down to 'In Between Days.' The show was flowing with a rush of energy.

The beautiful 'Nights Like These', I think, summed up the evening. As the room spun in a never-ending spiral, most of us lost track of the mundane days (for a couple of hours anyway).

There were three encores. The first 'Close to me' and 'Charlotte Sometimes.' The second 'The Blood' and 'Boys Don't Cry. Third was a real treat, the Cure walked back on and played 'Three Imaginary Boys,' '10.15 Satuday Night,' The Albert Cumas' inspired 'Killing a Arab," And finishing with Frank Bell, the singing postman from Horley, Simon's home town near Gatwick on vocals. The band performed 'I Dig You' under their alter ego the 'Cult Heroes'.

In the early 1980s, I was lucky enough to see the Cure four times, playing different venues in Brighton. The Centre gig would be the fourth and what the audience didn't know, it would also be the last... I think the name Cult Heroes was quite fitting in the end.

16/07/2026

16/07/2026

The Damned, Winter Gardens Eastbourne December 2024.

14/06/2026

The Damned Tunbridge Wells Assembly Rooms.
Tuesday 25th June 1985.

The Damned's Phantasmagoria album tour arrived at the Assembly Rooms Tunbridge Wells. Supported by Doctor and the Medics and the Fuzztones. I had already seen the Fuzztones support the Damned a couple of weeks earlier at the Top Rank Brighton, but this was my first encounter with Doctor and the Medics.

I remember British Rail putting on a replacement bus service from Hastings to Tonbridge, and of having to leave for the gig early. For the next couple of hours or so we toured the villages of the Sussex/Kent border, picking up stragglers for the gig. The atmosphere on our merry little charabanc on that warm summer's evening was one of excitement, enthusiasm and chatter.

Once we'd pulled on to the forecourt of Tunbridge Wells railway station, the whole contingency of the bus disembarked and made its way up Mount Pleasent Road, to the
Assembly Rooms at the top of the hill.

Inside the Assembly Rooms, the venue was filling up quickly, with punters finding their spots in the crowd to watch the support bands. The sound man was having a bit of a problem with this joker who kept sitting on his equipment. After telling him for the umpteenth time to move, the guy strolled off. Only to gravitate back and positioned himself by leaning against the equipment. The sound man gave the fella a 'Are you serious' look and the clown finally got the hint and cleared off into the growing crowd.

The first band up on stage were the Fuzztones, followed by Doctor and the Medics. It was becoming quite a memorable night. With both bands putting on impressive performances. And the phenomenal Doctor(who co-wrote the Damned's single 'Grimly Fiendish' with the band) getting the audience going. 'Molecatcher' is still my favourite Medics track.

During the interval, I noticed that the guy standing next to me had a small cassette recorder in the inside pocket of his jacket and a small microphone attached to his lapel, secretly getting ready to tape the Damned's set. As the lights dimmed and the audience started shouting and pushing in anticipation, the said gentleman to my right gave his equipment one last check and then pressed record.

The Damned opened once again with 'Curtain Call,' which morphs into 'Shadow of Love' followed by 'Neat Neat Neat.' The set list seemed the same as the Brighton gig. With Dave, the one permanent presences in the Damned, coming to the fore and holding the crowd.
At one point, a young fella with curly hair and wearing an army surplus jacket ran across the front of the stage. Two rodies quickly grabbed him, but instead of bundling the poor chap back into the audience, they decided to drag him off into the wings. As the music carried on playing, Dave kept looking toward the darkness of the wings. Then, all of a sudden, he legged it off stage and into the wings. At the time, my mind switched back to the PIL gig at the Brighton Top Rank a couple of years earlier, when the rodies took a dislike to people chucking empty plastic beer glasses at the band. With one on the stage pointing out the culprits and a couple of others push their way into the crowd at the front, dragging out the poor sods, and beating them up at the side of the stage. I must admit I lost interest in PIL after that gig.

The Damned finished once again with the last part of 'Curtain Call'. Then came back on with two encores, the first consisting of a cover of Iggy Pop's 'Lust for life,' 'Love Song', and 'New Rose.' The second encore of 'Disco Man' and finishing with the Brian James' penned 'Born to Kill.'

Once the gig had finished and the audience piled out of the Assembly Rooms, there was a mad dash down the high street to the railway station to catch the last replacement bus.There must have been a good twenty of us mingling about outside the front of the station. When the bus finally turned up, the driver decided to park just around the corner from us. So we all had to sprint to catch it. The look of horror on the faces of the people already on the bus as we came hurtling towards them. As we queued to get on board, I noticed that most of the people already seated were either in business suits or dressed up for a night at the theatre in London's West End. We all piled on and found seats where ever we could. I must admit, as we set off, the journey back seemed a curious one and a bit surreal, but we all seemed to get on, and most were either quietly chatting or asleep.
I got off the bus at West St Leonards railway station (Bo Peep) just before Hastings. And walked the four miles to my Mum's house in Bexhill.

Funnily enough I saw the same line up of bands play Eastbourne Winter Gardens in the December of 2024 and had the pleasure of chatting to the Doctor after the Medics' set.
Great memories

18/05/2026