The Cure’s Famed Frontman, Robert Smith, Also Played Guitar for This Post-Punk Band

Plenty of musicians spend the early part of their careers in different bands before ending up with the one that led them to success. But for The Cure frontman Robert Smith, he also had a role in another influential post-punk band.

In 1979, The Cure was in its infancy when Smith met Siouxsie And The Banshees bassist Steven Severin in London. After the two hit it off, Severin invited Smith and The Cure to join Siouxsie And The Banshees on tour. The tour in question was in support of their second album, Join Hands. As the tour progressed, tension began brewing between guitarist John McKay and drummer Kenny Morris and their other bandmates. And after an argument during an in-store signing, the two left the band, just hours before a show. Smith filled in on guitar for the remainder of the tour. He’d play a full set with The Cure, then join Siouxsie And The Banshees for theirs.

When the tour ended, Smith returned to The Cure. Siouxsie And The Banshees held auditions for a new guitarist and hired John McGeoch. After he began struggling with exhaustion, alcoholism, and depression in 1982 and with The Cure on hiatus, Smith stepped in once again and remained with the band for two years, until 1984. During that time, he was considered a full-time member of the band.

Siouxsie And The Banshees’ Influence on Smith

Severin credited Smith’s time with the band with helping him find his footing as a frontman.

“I think he learnt how to be a front person, just by standing next to Siouxsie for a couple of months every night,” Severin said of Smith. “I think he completely changed his persona on stage because of that; he came out of his shell. I think that he learnt how to be a bit more flamboyant, and how it was okay, and I think he saw how, y’know… how should I put it… Siouxsie’s more ‘diva’ moments were kind of acceptable because they were the front person, and I think he learnt how to get away with stuff. And just a bit about stagecraft, and how to use the audience a bit more. Because if you look at early clips of their performances, you can see he’s sort of much more shy and retiring than he becomes a bit later on, and of course, his whole look changes as well.”

Siouxsie And The Banshees also had a musical influence on Smith.

“It was so different to what we were doing with The Cure,” Smith said. “Before that, I’d wanted us to be like the Buzzcocks or Elvis Costello, the punk Beatles. Being a Banshee really changed my attitude to what I was doing.”

Photo by Pete Still/Redferns