Robert Smith doesn't do things halfway. When the lights dimmed at the Troxy in East London on November 1, 2024, everyone knew they weren't just at a concert. It was a wake. A celebration. A literal rebirth of a band that many thought had said its final goodbye years ago. The Cure songs of a live world Troxy London MMXXIV setlist wasn’t just a random collection of hits—it was the live debut of Songs of a Lost World, their first studio album in sixteen years.
Imagine the scene.
The Troxy is this gorgeous, slightly faded Art Deco cinema from the 1930s. It feels like the kind of place where ghosts would hang out if they had good taste in music. Three thousand lucky fans crammed in there, some having flown across oceans, all waiting to see if the new material could actually hold a candle to the legacy of Disintegration. And honestly? It did more than that. It kind of redefined what the band is in this decade.
The Weight of the New Material
Starting a show by playing a brand-new album in its entirety, start to finish, is a massive flex. It’s also incredibly risky. Most legacy acts bury their new songs between the "classics" so the audience doesn't go to the bar. Not Robert. He forced the room to sit with the grief of "Alone" right from the jump.
"Alone" is a beast of an opener. It’s got that signature Cure crawl—long, atmospheric instrumental intros that make you feel like you’re walking through a fog before the vocals even hit. When Robert finally sang that opening line about "the end of every song," you could feel the collective shiver in the room. The Cure songs of a live world Troxy London MMXXIV performance proved that the band hasn't lost their ability to make misery feel like a warm blanket.
The middle of the set featured "And Nothing is Forever" and "A Fragile Thing." These aren't just pop songs. They’re meditations on aging. Smith has been very vocal about the losses he’s experienced lately—his brother, his parents—and that raw, bleeding-heart honesty is baked into every note played that night. The sound was surprisingly heavy. Simon Gallup was prowling the stage like a caged tiger, his bass rattling the floorboards of the Troxy in a way that felt more like post-punk than pop.
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Breaking Down the Troxy Setlist Dynamics
If you look at the flow of the night, it was basically a three-act play.
Act One was the new record. Songs of a Lost World played in full. It was somber. It was loud. It was deeply immersive. Songs like "Warsong" and "Drone:NoDrone" showed a more aggressive, distorted side of the band that we haven't seen since maybe the Bloodflowers era or even earlier. "I Can Never Say Goodbye," written for Robert's brother Richard, was the emotional peak. You could hear a pin drop during the instrumental breaks.
Act Two was the "Greatest Hits" or at least the deep-cut fan favorites. We're talking "Plainsong," "Prayers for Rain," and "Disintegration." Transitioning from the new material into the Disintegration tracks felt seamless. It’s rare for a band to write music in 2024 that sits perfectly alongside their 1989 masterpieces, but they pulled it off.
Act Three was the release. The encore. The "let's all dance and forget we're mortal" part of the evening. "Lullaby," "The Walk," "Friday I’m in Love," and "Boys Don’t Cry." After two hours of staring into the abyss, the crowd needed those major chords.
Technical Mastery at MMXXIV
Let’s talk about the sound.
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The Troxy isn't always the easiest room for acoustics, but the mix that night was pristine. Robert Smith’s voice is a freak of nature. He’s 65, yet he hits the high notes in "Pictures of You" with the same clarity he had in the 80s. There’s no backing tracks, no pitch correction—just a guy and his guitar.
The interplay between Reeves Gabrels and Robert on guitars was particularly sharp during "Endsong." That track is over ten minutes long. It’s a funeral march. In a live setting, it became this wall of sound that felt like it was physically pushing the audience back. Jason Cooper’s drumming was thunderous, providing the heartbeat for the long, droning sections that define the new era.
Why This Specific Show Matters
The Cure songs of a live world Troxy London MMXXIV wasn't just another tour date. It was a global event, live-streamed for free on YouTube to hundreds of thousands of people. It was a "thank you" to a fanbase that has stayed loyal through a decade and a half of silence.
Most bands at this stage are just a nostalgia act. They play the hits, they take the paycheck, they go home. But this show felt vital. It felt like the band was still discovering things about themselves. When they played "All I Ever Am," a track that deals with the fragmentation of identity, it felt as urgent as anything on Pornography.
There was a moment during the transition between the new album and the hits where Robert just stood there, looking out at the crowd, looking genuinely surprised by the level of affection coming his way. It was a human moment in a career defined by larger-than-life visuals and big hair.
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Key Takeaways from the Troxy Performance
- Patience pays off: The band spent years tinkering with these songs, and the live execution showed that every delay was worth it.
- The voice is intact: Robert Smith remains one of the most consistent vocalists in alternative rock history.
- Legacy is evolving: By playing the new album first, they forced the audience to view them as a contemporary band, not just a 1980s relic.
- Visuals matter: The lighting was stark, moody, and perfectly matched the "Lost World" aesthetic—lots of deep reds and cold blues.
Essential Listening from the Set
If you're trying to recreate the experience, you need to focus on the live versions of the new tracks. "Endsong" live is a completely different beast than the studio version; it breathes and groans in a way that only a live room allows. "Alone" serves as the perfect bookend to "Disintegration."
Many fans have pointed out that "A Fragile Thing" feels like the spiritual successor to "Lovesong," but with a bit more grit. Listening to them back-to-back gives you a clear picture of how Smith's songwriting has matured from romantic yearning to a more complex, weathered kind of love.
The Cultural Impact of the Event
Music critics from The Guardian, NME, and Rolling Stone were all in agreement: this was a masterclass. It’s hard to find a negative word about the night. Even the most cynical reviewers were moved by the sheer sincerity of the performance.
It also sparked a massive resurgence in "Goth" culture on social media. Suddenly, Gen Z was discovering Songs of a Lost World through the Troxy livestream. The Cure songs of a live world Troxy London MMXXIV became a bridge between the old guard who saw them at the Hammersmith Odeon in the 80s and kids who found them through TikTok.
What to Do Now
If you missed the livestream, parts of it are still circulating, and the band has officially released live recordings from the era.
- Listen to the live album: Seek out the Songs of a Lost World live recordings. The energy of the Troxy is captured much better in a live mix than in the sterile environment of a studio.
- Compare the eras: Play "Alone" and then jump immediately to "Faith." You'll see the threads of DNA that Robert Smith has kept intact for over forty years.
- Watch the full concert film: If you can find the high-definition stream, watch Robert's hands. His guitar work is often underrated because people focus on the vocals, but his atmospheric layering is what makes The Cure sound like The Cure.
- Check for tour updates: The success of the Troxy show has fueled rumors of more intimate venue dates. Keep an eye on official channels because these tickets disappear in seconds.
The night at the Troxy was a reminder that art doesn't have an expiration date. You can be sixty-something, dressed in black, singing about the end of the world, and still be the most relevant person in the room. The Cure didn't just play a concert; they claimed their throne. It was heavy, it was beautiful, and it was exactly what we needed.