hagleycure

Last April we called for all Cure fans, old and new, to get in touch with us. We wanted to know how they first got into The Cure and the beginning of their music love affair. Were they at school? Was it through a relationship? Did they her them on the radio? Or were they flicking through a magazine and liked the look of Robert Smith (or Simon Gallup)?

The response we got was phenomenal. Hundreds of fans from all over the world were kind enough to open up and share their stories. We received all sorts, from fans who simply took to their music after borrowing a tape from a mate, to others who told us about their life-changing experiences. Some were truly touching, the ultimate proof of how deep The Cure strike into their fans' consciousness. As it transpires from your stories, The Cure is a way of life. At the end of the day, if you're reading this, you probably know what I mean.

Quite obvious too was The Cure's cross-genereational appeal. A number of those who replied are teenagers and new recruits. Then there's the bulk of those who got into Robert Smith & Co. during the so-called 'golden age' of The Head On The Door, Kiss Me, Disintegration and Wish, the albums that handed The Cure official world stardom. But, most surprisingly, we also heard from veteran Cureheads from the early days, people who told us about their memories of seeing the band on the 1981 Picture tour, for instance. Disintegration, confirming its status as true masterpiece, came clearly on top of everybody's affection. Predictably, instead, Wild Mood Swings is regarded as the opposite end of the spectrum.

We figured that The Cure's wide and international appeal deserves to be recorded and kept for everybody's perusal. In fact, keep the stories coming...

In the meantime, here goes it.