"Bob-a-like"

I’ve been into the Cure since 1983. The first time I became aware of them was when the video for The Walk was shown on The Tube TV show. They were from that moment added to my overall “group” of bands that I liked. A few months later when “The Top” came out I was blown away by Shake Dog Shake, the whining feedbacky guitars and pounding drums where awesome; Shake Dog Shake remains in my top five Cure songs to this day. A friend, who’s house I used to go to most nights to listen to music (he was older and had more money and as such a better record collection than me!) bought The Top. I would make him play it over and over-Shake Dog Shake in particular. He eventually became so fed up with this that he gave me his copy! Our music evenings became about Joy Division and The Cramps again and I was encouraged to listen to The Top as often as I liked-at home!

When The Head on The Door came out the following year the deal was sealed! I grew my hair, bought a crumpled baggy black suit and a pair of white basketball boots and my transformation into a Smith clone was complete! Before this I had been a generic 80’s punky type, but now I was hooked. I soon began to look at Robert Smith looks from previous years and became a real 82-84 Bob-a-like, with leather trousers, smeared lipstick, rosary beads, trench coat and even a pair of spike encrusted, crepe sole “Seditionaries” boots. During this time I became the only male pupil in the history of my school to be asked to remove their make up!
Despite image variations over the years, such as dreadlock phase and more recently smartening up for work, I have always retained a certain degree of “Smithness” about me. I still love The Cure and everything they do-except Wild Mood Swings, of course!

(From Paul Wright: England)