On February 16th, 2023, The Cure announced the remastered vinyl release of Show. Although this 1992 concert LP holds a special place in my heart, it reminded me of a much more potent anniversary.
Bloodflowers, The Cure’s eleventh studio album, was released on February 15th, 2000. Some rare one-off events bolstered their string of small promo gigs surrounding this release. And I was there for one of the weirdest Cure campouts ever. Let’s revisit the five-day marathon wrapped around the February 16th, 2000 Cure album signing at The Virgin Megastore.
Bloodflowers Release Signals the Beginning and The End
Believe it or not, Y2K fear in the 90s was a thing. The year 2000 problem stemmed from concern about the switch from 99 to 00 in our two-digit year system. People stockpiled food and bought backup generators in fear of a computer-induced global meltdown. Since I didn’t have a cell phone and barely used a computer, I wasn’t too fussed. That said, marking new year’s eve with a mellow night at home seemed appropriate.
So after nothing happened, and we all had a good laugh at ourselves, millennium fever soared. It was the dawning of a new era. It seemed like anything was possible. Couple this exuberance with a new Cure album and tour, and you’ve got a bunch of hyped-up Cure fans ready to take on the world.
Early January rumors on Chain Of Flowers kept us well-fed. The Bloodflowers album leaked online on January 5th, 2000. Rumored dates kept popping up, with random European dates going on sale. We never knew when The Cure would announce the next show!
Finally, The Cure listed the official full tour with promo dates on January 12th, 2000. There were four promo dates in Europe and England and six in America. These 700-2000 capacity starter shows felt special, especially since tickets were so hard to get.
But since we all thought it was the last Cure album, we had to give it our all.
When The Virgin Megastore was King
Before Napster killed the music industry, giant record stores were all the rage. It’s not like we were flipping our wigs about places like Tower Records – tiny stores were still cooler. But they were a part of our landscape. It can be soothing for music nerds to get lost in the endless rows of CDs and album, flipping through the bins.
Virgin Megastore was one of many giant music retail stores which boomed in the 90s. The San Francisco four-floor mecca sold CDs, tapes, books and vinyl records. The listening stations could keep you there until 1 am. And yes, they were open that late.
When it was announced on February 1st that The Cure would do a record signing at Virgin, a typical week leading up to a gig turned into a marathon. Here’s a timeline of the week for Cure fans:
Sunday, February 13th – tickets on sale for the February 17th gig on sale at 10 am
Monday, February 14th – fans line up outside Virgin Megastore to buy the new album
Tuesday, February 15th – fans buy the album and get wristbands at midnight
Wednesday, February 16th – The Cure sign Bloodflowers at Virgin Megastore
Thursday, February 17th – The Cure plays the first US promo gig in San Francisco
Waiting in Line Outside The Virgin Megastore, Twice
Picture the scene: 8 pm outside on the dark and foggy streets of San Francisco. It’s cold enough to need a hat and jacket over your hoodie. Although you think you’re ahead of the game by getting there four hours before sales, you already have 50 people ahead of you.
According to Virgin Megastore, fans could roll by at midnight, buy the new Bloodflowers album, and get a wristband for the signing the following day. But as any hardcore fan knows, midnight means as early as you can make it. Wristbands were limited, and they didn’t even guarantee entry on the day of the signing.
The reality meant hanging out for hours on Valentine’s day on the sidewalk. But folks came prepared. I must have seen at least six pairs of lawn chairs and two boom boxes. Friends came and left with supplies for each other, like pizza and coffee. And that was just part one.
Brandon from Chain of flowers wrote: “Just returned from the midnight sale at the Virgin in SF. I thought I had a poor spot by getting there at 11 pm, but by midnight the line stretched two full blocks. By 1:15 am, I had a CD, poster, and wristband in hand and much the happier.”
For part two, fans queued up again about a day and ½ later for the actual signing. Some got there as early as noon, knowing it would be seven hours before Virgin Megastore let fans in to meet The Cure. The wristband folks were in one line, and the non-wristband folks in another. I couldn’t find anything official about whether anyone was turned away, but I know the band stayed longer than scheduled to see as many fans as possible. Click here for some reviews.
The Cure’s Sold Out Show at The Fillmore
I was over the moon when rumors about The Cure playing The Fillmore were confirmed. The 1996 Swing Tour was almost entirely arena shows. To see them in a 1300-capacity venue in my hometown was the chance of a lifetime.
Not only that, but The Fillmore is one of those beautiful old venues that take things up a notch due to its legendary history. Even if you hate hippy culture!
But getting in wasn’t easy.
Tickets were only available through the Fillmore Box Office and Ticketmaster Charge-By-Phone (415) 421-TIXS. Yes, that’s correct; you had to be in line or get in through calling. Fans took to lining up outside pay phones if they could not use their home landlines.
Tickets went on sale at 10 am Sunday, February 13th, and sold out in under 5 minutes. At least they were only $35. I was lucky & got a press pass for the first three songs. And the four kids I filmed who ran away from home to see The Cure got in, too – but that’s a story for another day.
Is Waiting in Line for The Cure Worth it?
The answer to this question is a moving target. It’s like a choose-your-own-adventure book. Spending twelve hours out of your life, over two days to be shuttled past your favorite band for about a minute isn’t practical. But if you’re into trying new things, there’s always fun to be had. My Valentine’s night on the streets of San Francisco was spent filming fans and meeting new people. I’m still good friends with a few. In fact, one is now my downstairs neighbor.
My memories of waiting forever and ever outside The Virgin Megastore for a magic wristband mean something more now that the store no longer exists. It’s about The Cure, but it’s also about a time and place that no longer exists. I met the singer for a metal band and got heckled by drive-by jocks yelling “THE CURE SUCKS!” I marveled at the books people brought to read in the cold & hardly remember the smell of the city. And best of all, I heard some great stories.