The Cure Plays the Hits — and Robert Smith Tears Up at ‘Just Like Heaven’ — in Nostalgic, Whimsical Øyafestivalen Set: Concert Review

When the Cure took the stage at Oslo's Øyafestivalen, a visibly transformed Robert Smith greeted the packed crowd with an uncharacteristically warm smile during the five-minute atmospheric intro to "Alone," the opener from their acclaimed 2024 album "Songs of a Lost World." Standing in his signature all-black attire with hands clasped before him, the frontman radiated contentment—a stark departure from his demeanor at the Hollywood Bowl in 2023, where the band's first North American tour in seven years carried an undercurrent of anxiety. During that earlier performance, Smith had wrestled publicly with thoughts of aging, delivering somber monologues about time slipping away while debuting material that would eventually shape their 14th studio record.

Now, however, the 65-year-old singer appears to have made peace with mortality. Having previously announced the Cure would retire in 2029 to coincide with their 50th anniversary, Smith seems determined to savor every remaining moment on stage. Wednesday night's two-and-a-half-hour marathon showcased that newfound joy, opening with the 1989 classic "Pictures of You"—a perfect illustration of the band's signature blend of upbeat melodies and melancholic lyrics—followed by a whimsical "High," where Smith playfully mimed biting his fingers, and a crowd-swaying rendition of "Lovesong." The four-song opening stretch mirrored their summer festival pattern, but the band soon deviated, dusting off "Alt.End" and "The Last Day of Summer" from the early 2000s as delightful surprises for longtime fans.

The enduring quality of Smith's voice—still impossibly smooth and controlled, nearly five decades after his 1979 debut—remains something of a marvel. Backed by the same tight lineup of bassist Simon Gallup, keyboardist Roger O'Donnell, drummer Jason Cooper, and guitarist Reeves Gabrels, the band played with the ease of musicians who could perform these songs in their sleep. The emotional crescendo arrived mid-set when "In Between Days" flowed directly into "Just Like Heaven," prompting Smith to wipe tears from his eyes as the final notes faded. "It's strange, that song," he told the audience, voice trembling slightly. "Every now and then, that last bit…" He trailed off, but the smile returned quickly—perhaps these were happy tears, a sign of someone learning to embrace rather than fear the passage of time.

The darker, atmospheric material from their 1980 masterpiece "Seventeen Seconds" provided a welcome shift in tone, with "Play for Today" and a slowed-down, jam-heavy "A Forest" allowing Smith and Gallup to stand back-to-back in a moment of pure musical communion. The momentum carried through the epic "From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea" from 1992's "Wish," with Smith's theatrical hand gestures underscoring his devastating lyrics. When the main set closed with "Endsong," the final track from "Songs of a Lost World," it became evident how seamlessly the new material integrates with the band's extensive catalog—no small achievement for a group approaching half a century together. Notably, this was only the second new song played all night, a deliberate choice that framed the record's cohesion against their vast back catalogue.

The 10-song encore allowed Smith's playful side to fully emerge. During "Lullaby," he contorted his body as if the song's infamous spider was crawling over him, ending by pretending to devour it. "The Lovecats" saw him pawing and hissing at the audience, while "Close to Me" prompted him to abandon his guitar entirely, hopping across the stage like a goth fairy. Before the final number, he deadpanned: "This is a new song, it's called 'Boys Don't Cry.'" The irony wasn't lost on anyone—his earlier display of vulnerability gave the 1979 classic newfound weight, and as the crowd erupted in euphoric jumps, Smith stood center stage, a grin spreading beneath his dark lipstick. The full setlist, spanning highlights from every era of their career, served as a testament to a band still operating at the peak of their powers, embracing both their legacy and their uncertain future with equal passion.