Ongoing History Daily: The bar bill that almost broke up The Cure
Like a lot of young bands, The Cure could get crazy when on the road. Back in 1982, while on tour they were touring with the all-female trio, Bananarama. Both groups were serious drinkers, with the women of Bananarama often putting The Cure to shame.
One night, Robert Smith and bassist Simon Gallup were part of a crew that rang up a huge bar bill, something that the barman wanted to settle up before anyone left. Gallup got into a fight with the bartender. Then Smith joined in on the bartender’s side. The result was a full-on fistfight between the two of them over what turned out to be a giant misunderstanding over who was supposed to pay for whose drinks. When the two were separated, Smith quit the band, right in the middle of that tour.
When he went home, his father wouldn’t let him in. “You sold tickets. You must honour them. Get back out there.” Not wanting to argue with his dad, that’s what he did. The Cure was saved.
