The Cure is an internationally popular band whose hits include Friday I’m In Love, and Just Like Heaven. Lead singer Robert Smith is the only member to have been in the band from the beginning, and he recently appeared on stage with Olivia Rodrigo at Glastonbury 2025.
Formed in 1976, the band first became known as The Cure in 1978. That same year they signed to the Fiction record label.
In May 1979 the band released their first studio album titled ‘Three Imaginary Boys’ and they extensively toured the UK playing tracks from the album.
On Saturday 1st June 1979 they appeared on stage at the Carshalton Music Festival, part of the Carshalton Carnival. This event may well have been the first outdoor event for The Cure, and the first recording of them playing a live concert.
Later on, Fiction records released the fairly low-quality recording on a limited-edition vinyl. The cover shows them on stage at The Marquee, a legendary music venue in London which closed in 1996.
The back of the Vinyl showed flyers from the event, and a full set list, shown below.
01. 10.15 saturday night 02. Accuracy 03. Grinding halt 04. Another day 05. Object 06. Subway song 07. Foxy lady 08. Plastic passion 09. Three imaginary boys 10. Boys don’t cry 11. Fire in cairo 12. Killing an arab 13. Do the hansa 14. It’s not you 15. Meathook 16. 10.15 saturday night
🔊 Hear the Carshalton Park recording
Robert Smith was born in Crawley in April 1959. He was just 20 years old when he appeared at Carshalton.
People who were at the gig remember:
“I was there! Enjoyed every minute of it. Inspirational!
The following year I was there with my band supporting the Merton Parkas :}”
@StewartMoore-d6i
“I was actually at this gig in Carshalton Park in June 1979. I was just 16 years old at the time. It was great because it was in a South London park near where I lived so my friends and I didn’t have to travel to North London for once where most gigs seemed to happen and the ticket price was only £1 and when we kids of that age we had so little money….even a few Pence was something.”
@derin111
“Well. I was 15 years old. We were Skinheads and we’d come to bash the mods. When the Cure came on I knew then I had to be in a band. 21 forever”
@kennymac4714
Live bands still occasionally perform in Carshalton Park.
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