| Ian Astbury |
Image:Astbury.jpg
|
| Background information |
| Born |
May 14, 1962 (1962-05-14) (age 45)
 Heswall, Cheshire, England |
| Genre(s) |
Rock
Hard
rock
Gothic
Rock |
| Occupation(s) |
Vocalist, Songwriter |
| Instrument(s) |
Vocals
Percussion |
| Years active |
1981-Present |
| Label(s) |
Beggars Banquet |
Associated
acts |
The Cult
Southern Death Cult
Death
Cult
Holy Barbarians
The
Doors |
Ian Robert Astbury (born May 14, 1962, in Heswall, Cheshire) is
an English
rock singer and lyricist.
|
Contents
- 1 Biography
- 1.1 The
Cult
- 1.2 1990s
- 1.3 2000s
- 2 Solo
Discography
- 3 Links
|
Biography
Astbury's career began in 1981, with the gothic
rock band Southern Death Cult.
At that time, he was going by the name "Ian Lindsay."
Southern Death Cult
gigged to support its "Moya" single, and secured a slot as an opening
act for Bauhaus in 1983. Shortly
after that tour, the band split up.
Along with guitarist Billy
Duffy bassist Jamie Stewart and drummer Ray Mondo, Ian (now
going by the surname "Astbury"), formed a new band, Death Cult
and later dropped Death from the name.
The Cult
The Cult band was one of the most successful British rock bands
of the late 1980s and early 1990s. With the 1984 release of their first
album Dreamtime,
The
Cult were the darlings of the Indie post-punk
scene, their chart topping "Spiritwalker" single having held at number
one for three months. Their second album, Love,
evoked memories of 1960s psychedelia such as The Doors,
and the Pretty Things. It also featured their
now classic hit "She Sells Sanctuary", which introduced them to an
international audience. On their third album, Electric,
The
Cult made a radical transformation to hard rock reminiscent
of AC/DC
and Aerosmith
with the help of Rick Rubin. This further broadened their
audience as rock began making a comeback in the late 1980s. Guns
N' Roses, who were heavily influenced by Electric,
opened for The Cult on their 1987 North American tour, before going on
to sell millions of copies of their debut album Appetite for Destruction.
Although The Cult went on to greater heights with their
mainstream hit single "Fire Woman," (on the follow up 1989 Sonic
Temple album), they began to get criticized by
many hardcore fans on artistic merits. Soured on the band's more
commercial direction, The Cult were now characterized as pretentious
and as having sold out, particularly among their British fan legion.
Around this time, Ian Astbury relocated to Los Angeles California. He
became friends with The Fuzztones, often jumping up onstage with them
at live concerts. One such concert, at Scream in Downtown LA, was
recorded and a cover of "The Stooges" song "Down On The Street" was
released as a picture disc in the UK on Situation Two Records. It
features Ian Astbury on vocals & the "In Heat" era Fuzztones
(John Carlucci, Jordan Tarlow, Mike Czekaj & Jason Savall) as
his backing band.
1990s
The dent in their reputation was amplified by the loss of many
Sonic Temple fans, when their next album (Ceremony,
1991) delivered dissapointingly in the wake of an oncoming grunge fad.
In 1994, The Cult returned with their untitled album and a
musical change of pace. Gone was much of their overblown rock
trappings, replaced instead by Astbury's growing interest in
electronica and introspective lyrics. To support the album they set out
on tour, but in Brazil, Astbury's creative differences with guitarist Billy
Duffy reached their peak, and Astbury walked out on The Cult.
Inspired by his sudden change in direction, Astbury
immediately assembled another group of musicians and began writing new
songs. He called the group The Holy Barbarians, and
in 1996 the band released an album, "Cream". Although the Barbarians
were not a commercial success, they were well received by many who had
regained respect for Astbury as an artist.
Personal difficulties and a drive for further introspection
drove Astbury away from his new group, as he began working on a solo
album (eventually released as Spirit\Light\Speed), to mixed
reviews and low sales.
In 1999, Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy regrouped The Cult to
head one of the most financially successful tours that year. A new
contract with Atlantic Records was inked, and in 2001 came the release
of Beyond Good And Evil. Early radio success was
being had by the single Rise, until the band had a falling out with
Atlantic and they killed any and all commercial promotions and radio
play for BG&E. The fight with Atlantic was described by Ian as
'soul destroying', and a disillusioned Astbury brought The Cult to
another hiatus in 2002.
2000s
Having long been influenced by Jim
Morrison, in 2002 Ian Astbury filled his hero's footsteps by becoming
lead singer in an updated version of The Doors, with original members Robby
Krieger and Ray Manzarek, known as The
Doors of the 21st Century, renamed in 2005 to become Riders
On The Storm. In 2003, Astbury also performed with surviving
members of MC5
at the 100
Club in London,
before finally reforming The Cult with Billy
Duffy again in 2006, for a series of live dates and rumours
of reissues and another greatest hits compilation in the works.
During 2007, The Cult will enter the studio to begin
pre-production on the group's first album since 2001's Beyond
Good and Evil. Also planned for release is a DVD of the
band's November 13, 2006 concert at Irving Plaza in New
York City.
The Cult's current touring lineup includes Ian Astbury
(vocals) and Billy Duffy (guitar), alongside bassist Chris Wyse,
drummer John Tempesta and rhythm guitarist Mike Dimkich. The Cult will
be releasing a new album October 2, 2007 entitled "Born Into This."
Ian Astbury is featured on the UNKLE tracks, "Burn my Shadow" and "When
Things Explode".
Solo Discography
- Spirit\Light\Speed
(2000)
Links
| v • d • e The Cult |
| Ian
Astbury | Billy
Duffy | John
Tempesta | Mike Dimkitch
| Chris Wyse |
Former members: Les
Warner | Ray Mondo | Nigel Preston | Jamie Stewart | Mark
Brzezicki | Kid Chaos | John Webster | Chris
Taylor | Eric
Singer | Mickey Curry | Matt Sorum
| Todd Hoffman | James Kottak | Charley
Drayton | Michael Lee | Kinley Wolfe | John Sinclair | Craig Adams | Scott
Garrett | Martyn LeNoble | Barry Jepson | Haq
Quereshi | Billy Morrison
|
| Discography |
| Albums: Dreamtime
(1984) | Love
(1985) | Electric
(1987) | Sonic Temple
(1989) | Ceremony
(1991) | The Cult
(1994) | Beyond Good
and Evil (2001) | Born
Into This (2007) |
| Live albums: Live at the Lyceum
(1984) | Live At The Marquee
(1993) |
| Compilation albums: Death
Cult (1988) | Pure Cult: For Rockers,
Ravers, Lovers and Sinners (1993) | High
Octane Cult (1996) | Pure Cult: The
Singles 1984 - 1995 (2000) | The
Best of Rare Cult (2000) |
| Box sets: Singles
Collection: 1984-1990 (1991) | Rare Cult (2000) |
Rare Cult: The Demos
Sessions (2002) |
| Related
bands |
| Death Cult | Guns
N' Roses | Holy Barbarians | Jane's
Addiction | Porno for Pyros | Southern Death Cult | Theatre
of Hate | Velvet Revolver |
