{"id":10042466,"date":"2025-10-10T08:50:42","date_gmt":"2025-10-10T12:50:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vanyaland.com\/?p=10042466"},"modified":"2025-10-10T08:52:15","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T12:52:15","slug":"617-qa-ian-astbury-on-goth-romanticism-enlightenment-and-a-death-cult-revival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vanyaland.com\/2025\/10\/10\/617-qa-ian-astbury-on-goth-romanticism-enlightenment-and-a-death-cult-revival\/","title":{"rendered":"617 Q&A: Ian Astbury on goth romanticism, enlightenment, and a Death Cult revival"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Before there was The Cult<\/strong><\/a>, there was Death Cult,<\/strong> a darker, more gothic iteration of the group that would later become known for hits like \u201cShe Sells Sanctuary,\u201d \u201cFire Woman,\u201d and \u201cLove Removal Machine.\u201d And while a shadowy side existed to the modern version through the years, no matter what musical path they ventured down, it was still surprising when core members Ian Astbury (vocals) and Billy Duffy (guitar) announced in 2023 that they would be doing a very limited number of shows under the Death Cult name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To put it in context, it would kind of be like if Joy Division were still around and decided to do a handful of shows as Warsaw. Or if Led Zeppelin had one day decided to revisit The New Yardbirds moniker. It was an unexpected manner in which to examine the deepest reaches of the rearview, in this case, 40 years later. But it worked and was so well-received that it\u2019s again being revisited, with a bit of a twist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Saturday night (October 11) at The Orpheum<\/a>, Death Cult will perform a set, followed by The Cult. The show, which is the second of just 13 North American dates, is a unique opportunity to see Astbury and Duffy approach not just Death Cult singles like \u201cGod\u2019s Zoo\u201d<\/a> and \u201cBrothers Grimm\u201d in a live setting through a present-day lens, but to put in the same box as the songs \u201cResurrection Joe\u201d and \u201cSpiritwalker,\u201d which were written during the same period but appeared on records under The Cult banner. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt’s a high-wire act,\u201d Astbury tells Vanyaland<\/em>. \u201cThere’s no safety net. That’s Death Cult.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just prior to the tour kick-off this week in Ontario, Astbury sat down for a 617 Q&A (Six Questions; One Recommendation; Seven Somethings<\/a>) to talk about the decision to bring back Death Cult. The frontman was late to the wide-ranging interview, as he was live-streaming Daughter Minotaur, the musical project of his wife, Aimee Nash<\/a>, performing at Fashion Week in Paris. Her set was to supplant Belgian designer Ann Demeulemeester\u2019s spring 2026 collection<\/a>, which is \u2013 somewhat unsurprisingly \u2013 incredibly goth-inspired. It\u2019s just one more example of what was once an after midnight subculture being dispersed into the mainstream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow it’s the tip of the spear,\u201d Astbury says of goth in the modern day. \u201cAnd [this] generation is just beginning to wake up to romanticism, poetry, books, tactile experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sitting at their home in Los Angeles, it was evident that UK-born Astbury wished he were in Paris cheering on Nash, but Cult things had to be attended to. Rehearsals. Shows. Cross-country travel. But first, there was the Vanyaland<\/em> 617 Q&A, which is Astbury\u2019s second, making him the first artist in the long-running series who has done it twice. His first was back in 2019<\/a> when The Cult were celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Sonic Temple<\/em> LP. This time around, in addition to the topic of Death Cult, the singer discussed the evolution of his onstage spirituality, reconnecting with producer Rick Rubin, and whether audiences are entitled to a performer\u2019s aura with the purchase of a ticket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the conclusion of the interview, Astbury vowed, \u201cWe’re going to make it three times.\u201d Let\u2019s get through number two first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

:: SIX QUESTIONS<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Michael Christopher: There\u2019s some people who see Death Cult, and then they see the same band come out and do Cult songs. To the uninitiated, what do you say is the difference between the two? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Astbury: The Cult is more like a refined version of Death Cult. The DNA of Death Cult is just raw. It’s the third rail. It’s like getting into a brawl in the street because of the way you’re dressed. You have to get across town, and you’re fully made up on a Saturday night. And we came out of those places where glasses were thrown. There was fights you had to run sometimes to get past the straight soccer hooligans who were going to… I mean, it was an extension of that. And The Cult just followed the natural progression of what was compelling for us at the moment. The transition between Southern Death Cult and The Cult was Death Cult. And that was a pivotal moment for us. So, what it is, is the raw essence of what The Cult evolved into and continues to evolve into.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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