Another “serious personal situation” prevented The Cure’s bassist Simon Gallup from performing at Austin City Limits tonight.
Gallup, who originally joined the band in 1979 for The Cure’s second studio album Seventeen Seconds, had to return to the UK to deal with the situation. Once, again, instead of the band canceling their performance altogether, Gallup’s son Eden was enlisted to stand in for his father on bass.
Eden is father’s bass tech and currently plays in the band Violet Vendetta, and grew up with The Cure, with Cure frontman Robert Smith being his godfather.
Austin City Limits festival takes place at Zilker Park in Austin, TX, over 2 weekends October 4th-6th and October 11th-13th, with 8 stages and over 130 bands.
Details are not currently forthcoming on why exactly Simon Gallup was prevented from performing again, but Robert Smith acknowledged his absence this time by dedicating the song “Disintegration” to him, and issued a statement through The Cure’s official social media channels following the concert:
“ANOTHER SERIOUS PERSONAL SITUATION AFFECTING OUR BASSIST SIMON AROSE YESTERDAY, AND AS A CONSEQUENCE HE HAD TO RETURN TO THE UK – WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK EDEN GALLUP FOR FILLING IN ON BASS AGAIN AT SUCH SHORT NOTICE,
AND EVERYONE AT THE SECOND WEEKEND OF THE AUSTIN CITY LIMITS FESTIVAL FOR THEIR UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORT – WE HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THE SHOW TONIGHT AS MUCH AS WE DID… LOVE AS EVER – THE CURE X”
“ANOTHER SERIOUS PERSONAL SITUATION AFFECTING OUR BASSIST SIMON AROSE YESTERDAY, AND AS A CONSEQUENCE HE HAD TO RETURN TO THE UK – WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK EDEN GALLUP FOR FILLING IN ON BASS AGAIN AT SUCH SHORT NOTICE, pic.twitter.com/fZn1VAdooG
— The Cure (@thecure) October 13, 2019
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