Ian Astbury: The Cult still have a lot to say

Ian Astbury
Ian Astbury (Image credit: Getty)

The Cult’s Ian Astbury says the band have stayed relevant over the years because they “have a lot left to say.”

The UK outfit once again teamed up with longtime producer Bob Rock for their latest record Hidden City, and guitarist Billy Duffy announced they’d be supporting Guns N’ Roses on upcoming tour dates.

But the vocalist says the group, formed in 1983, keep their finger on the pulse of the modern world – which is key to their ongoing success.

When asked whether the band had come “full circle,” Astbury tells Canoe: “Not so much, because we’re not really taking stock – we’re just getting on with it.

“We’re trying to make choices based upon instincts. We’ve been offered a lot of opportunities to make money touring with artists who maybe had commercial and artistic successes several decades ago. But we choose not to do that.

“We still believe that we have a lot left to say. We’re driven and responding to the world we live in today. We don’t want to be a pastiche of what we did 20 years ago.”

The Cult are currently touring Canada.

The Cult tour dates 2016

Jun 11: Burlington Sound Of Music Festival, Canada
Jul 08: Quebec City Festival, Canada
Jul 09: Ottawa BluesFest, Canada
Jul 10: Montreal Metropolis, Canada
Jul 12: Lethbridge ENMAX Centre, Canada
Jul 13: Calgary Stampede, Canada
Jul 15: Winnipeg Club Regend Casino & Event Centre, Canada
Jul 16: Fort William Historical Park, Canada
Sep 17: Chester Talen Energy Stadium, PA
Sep 24: Houston Open Air, TX

Buyer's Guide: The Cult

Former TeamRock news desk member Christina joined our team in late 2015, and although her time working on online rock news was fairly brief, she made a huge impact by contributing close to 1500 stories. Christina also interviewed artists including Deftones frontman Chino Moreno and worked at the Download festival. In late 2016, Christina left rock journalism to pursue a career in current affairs. In 2021, she was named Local Weekly Feature Writer of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards.