Iconic British alternative rock outfit The Cure have smashed previous touring records during their most recent North American tour. Commencing in New Orleans, LA on May 10th and concluding earlier this month on the 1st in Miami, FL, the ‘Shows Of A Lost World’ tour has grossed, according to Billboard, a total of $37.5 million,  (£29 million), more than doubling their previously highest grossing tour figure of $18 million (£13.8 million), achieved in 2016 during another North American tour.

The ‘Shows Of A Lost World’ tour also broke the band’s previous attendance best of 402 000, a record set in 1992 during their Wish tour, with an impressive 547 000 tickets being sold for this year’s tour. And all this, incredibly, despite The Cure’s frontman Robert Smith’s campaign to keep concert ticket prices as low as possible.

Taking to Twitter to vent his obvious frustration at ever-increasing ticket prices in general but Ticketmaster in particular, Smith has previously and successfully obtained a discount on his fans’ behalf for their upcoming US and Canada tour, stating on twitter after the fact, “After further conversation, Ticketmaster have agreed with us that many of the fees being charged are unduly high, and us a gesture of goodwill have offered a $10 per ticket refund to all verified fan accounts for lowest ticket price (‘LTP’) transactions”

1 OF 2: AFTER FURTHER CONVERSATION, TICKETMASTER HAVE AGREED WITH US THAT MANY OF THE FEES BEING CHARGED ARE UNDULY HIGH, AND AS A GESTURE OF GOODWILL HAVE OFFERED A $10 PER TICKET REFUND TO ALL VERIFIED FAN ACCOUNTS FOR LOWEST TICKET PRICE (‘LTP’) TRANSACTIONS…

— ROBERT SMITH (@RobertSmith) March 16, 2023

Smith had more good news, adding, “And a $5 per ticket refund to all verified fan accounts for all other ticket price transactions, for all Cure shows at all venues; if you already bought a ticket you will get an automatic refund; all tickets on sale tomorrow will incur lower fees“.

Smith, who has had previous in letting his feelings known towards “sickening” high fees tacked on to ticket prices, and his beloved band therefore, we can all surely agree, wholeheartedly deserve these unprecedented levels of success. Three dates at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles alone grossed a staggering $4.9 million (£3.7 million) and sold 50 800 tickets, while three shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden amassed a figure of $4.1 million (£3.1 million), selling 44 300 tickets in the process.

Listen to “Killing An Arab” below:

Formed in 1978, The Cure, with frontman Robert Smith remaining the band’s only constant member, have become mainstays in the UK alternative rock music scene, having made distinct genres such as, originally, post-punk and later, new-wave, gothic rock and pop rock, their very own. The band garnered a significant cult following following the release of their first four albums (Three Imaginary Boys (1979), Seventeen Seconds (1980), Faith (1981), Pornography (1982)) but did not achieve mainstream success until the late 80’s and early 90’s, with Disintegration (1989) and Wish (1992) cementing their place in UK music history for good.

Watch the music video for “Boys Don’t Cry” below: