DEATH CULT / THE CULT PARADISE NOW LIVE in LAS VEGAS at THE PEARL THEATER

Death Cult crept stealthily onto the stage at The Pearl in Las Vegas, hidden behind a white sheer curtain, mysterious strains in the air that quickly turned into frantic drum beats and the wailing, wanting "Ghost Dance" began.

The Cult made Vegas a part of the fall Paradise Now Tour, that featured a Death Cult set, followed by a Cult set, for a full circle of the band legacy, and a rare chance to hear and experience those early songs live. Not everyone in attendance was as versed in the Death Cult or Dreamtime era, but for tried and true Cult fans it was not to be missed.

The stoic, echoing beats and demanding melodies of the early Death Cult came through on "Gods Zoo" and "Horse Nation", and more recognized "Ressurection Joe", and the lengthy opening set closed with "Spiritwalker".

Without even a breath in between, Billy Duffy burst into recognizable guitar riff of "Wildflower" and a roar went up in the room, and the second set of The Cult began. Ian Astbury belted "my heart beats faster, yeah" and the crowd screamed along. The second set of Cult classics and singles had the fans dancing and singing to "Rain", and a slow burning, emotion laced "Edie" that really showed Astbury's amazing voice, and rose to a crescendo with Duffy's guitar solo and a "ciao baby'' chorus.

The Cult set brought it home with the heavy hitters, "Lil' Devil" kicking off the wild and loud finale, followed with "Fire Woman" and the power hit "Love Removal Machine" to a thunderous crowd before exiting the stage, only to return for the promise of "She Sells Sanctuary" as the climactic end to the night.

The Cult (Astbury, Duffy, with Charlie Jones and John Tempesta) are taking a hiatus from touring for an 'undetermined amount of time', to focus on writing, recording and new projects. To celebrate 40 years as together and as a pre-courser to this tour, Duffy and Astbury released recompiled tracks of their original Death Cult Ghost Dance into Paradise Now limited vinyl LP. As Death Cult, the band will release a new 16-track album Paradise Live in early 2026, recordings from the Death Cult 2023 tour. And we can't wait to see what is next in store. Stayed tuned HERE.