The Cureheads: Goth and Great Tunes!

The Cureheads/ Siouxsie and the Budgiees – The Factory Live 26/09/2026

The best of The Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees – LIVE

Formed in 1990 The Cureheads have toured in the UK, the USA, continental Europe, and South America, playing festivals, including opening for Echo and The Bunnymen and The Pretenders at Guilfest. The band re-create the experience of seeing a mid to late 1980s concert by The Cure, including not only the sound, but also the sights and wardrobe.

The Cureheads: Goth and Great Tunes

The Cureheads: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex.

There are tribute bands, and then there are tribute bands that make you do a double take and wonder whether Robert Smith has secretly escaped from The Cure and turned up at The Factory Live for the evening. Enter The Cureheads. It was great to see them in Worthing as they had played a gig out in Lewes the night before.

This was The Cure – or at least the closest damn thing to them without actually having to wait for Robert Smith to decide whether he fancies another world tour. The look was right, the sound was right, and most importantly, the atmosphere was right. The Cureheads managed to capture that wonderfully strange mixture of melancholy, drama and infectious pop that made The Cure such an important part of alternative music.

The Cureheads weren’t simply going through the motions of recreating a famous band’s greatest hits. They brought the energy and character needed to make the songs feel alive. The guitars shimmered, the bass rumbled, some super drumming, all linked in unison to give that unmistakable Cure sound, and the vocals captured the distinctive character of Robert Smith (Gary Clarke) without turning into a comedy impression. These guys were serious!

The Cureheads: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex.

The beauty of a good tribute band is that they remind you why you loved the original in the first place. The Cureheads certainly achieved that. They delivered the familiar songs with enough authenticity to satisfy the die-hard fans while keeping the performance energetic and entertaining for everyone else.

In Between Days had the crowd moving, while Lovesong provided one of those moments where the entire room seemed to collectively remember just how bloody good The Cure could be. The huge songs from the set list that have somehow become part of the soundtrack to several generations, Play For Today and Close To Me.

By the middle of the set, the crowd was fully committed. There were plenty of people singing along, plenty of dancing and, naturally, plenty of black clothing and makeup. The Cureheads name is taken from the Irish slang term for anyone with that “1980’s mop haired ‘Gothic’ look”.

It was all very nostalgic and faithful to the originals, without becoming predictable as the Cureheads dipped into the back history. By the final number, the audience had been taken on a proper journey through The Cure’s remarkable catalogue – from jangly indie classics to epic, atmospheric masterpieces. Other songs included the wonderful Push, Torture and Lets Go To Bed.

From the infectious energy of Boys Don’t Cry early in the performance to one of the closing numbers, A Forest, the set travelled through the many different faces of The Cure.

By now the audience was completely on board. Heads were nodding, feet were moving and voices joined in from all corners of the room. There was something wonderfully nostalgic about it all.

The Cureheads: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex.

The familiar Cure sound filled the room with The Walk and Inbetween Days – chiming guitars, driving bass, pounding drums and vocals that captured the distinctive character of the original material. This wasn’t simply a band playing Cure songs; there was a genuine attempt to recreate the sound, mood, style and atmosphere that have made The Cure such an enduring force.

Tonight, at The Factory Live in Worthing, The Cureheads set about proving that you don’t necessarily need Robert Smith when you have Gary Clarke and his band to recreate that unmistakable Cure atmosphere! Well played. The band was quite superb tonight, they had played with firstly Siouxsie and the Budgiees and then The Cureheads set!

The Cureheads: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex.

Friday I’m In Love

The Cureheads understand that a tribute act has to do more than simply reproduce the notes. It has to capture something of the spirit of the original – and tonight there was plenty of that spirit on display at The Factory Live as we had Letter To Elise and Friday I’m In Love to close down the set. The only disappointment was that eventually, someone had to turn the amplifiers off.

A VIDEO! – The Cureheads: In Between Days

This was a thoroughly enjoyable night for Cure fans, casual listeners and anyone who appreciates a great live band with a catalogue packed with memorable songs. So, if you’re a Cure fan, put on the black clothes, apply the obligatory excessive amount of eyeliner and get yourself along to see The Cureheads.

The Cureheads: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex.

KEEP IN TOUCH – with The Cureheads on the WWW – here!

Siouxsie and the Budgiees

Siouxsie and the Budgiees: Photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

The group is named after Peter Clarke, known as Budgie, the iconic drummer for Siouxsie and the Banshees. They recreate the sound, the look, and post-punk/gothic style of Siouxsie Sioux and her band. They frequently tour alongside The Cureheads (a tribute to The Cure) for joint alternative goth-rock club nights and double-headline bills. Two great tributes, one share band, one venue, what’s not too like!

Siouxsie and the Budgiees brought the dark, dramatic sound of Siouxsie and the Banshees to The Factory Live, delivering a punchy set packed with the songs fans came to hear. Siouxsie commanded the stage with effortless confidence from the get go. The band fired up the first song of the set with Israel.

Siouxsie and the Budgiees: Photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

From the brooding atmosphere to the instantly recognisable riffs, the band captured the spirit of the originals,  with classics such as Hong Kong Garden, Spellbound, Christine and the blast that is Halloween!  Tonight the Factory Live sound levels were loud and the spirit of Siouxsie is louder!

Siouxsie and the Budgiees: Photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

The vocals were top notch tonight, a great mix from the sound deck. The set highlights for me included an early Hong Kong Garden and then the furious Halloween towards the end of the session. I can confirm that the band saved some serious ammunition for that one! The tight band and “Siouxsie” had played a blinder of a session, with a dynamic set list and closing with Dear Prudence, getting the crowd moving one last time.

Siouxsie and the Budgiees: Photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

It was a nostalgic trip into the darker side of post-punk, played with plenty of energy and attitude. For Banshees fans, it was a night of familiar songs, loud guitars and wonderfully gothic nostalgia.

A Video: Hong Kong Garden

Check if they are playing near you, visit the website – here.

The Factory Live

Another night at the award winning The Factory Live where the live music did exactly what it was supposed to do: shake the room and put a smile on people’s faces. The sound mix was spot on, we could hear the instruments and vocals clearly, great job. The lighting was again very strong on the back lights, we lost the artists and musicians at times in the light haze with not much front lighting. As always a top team on site!

And Finally…

Thanks to The Cureheads and Siouxsie and the Budgiees.

Thanks to The Factory Live Team – fabulous as always!

Words, Videos and Photos for Scene Sussex by Ian “The Lens” Bourn. No AI or filters used on photos, it’s pure and straight down “the lens”!

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All original pictures / video – copyright to IANB/MEDIA WORKS/ SCENE SUSSEX – Ian “The Lens” Bourn 2026.

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