Meet Robert Smith’s Flock of Midnight Marvels: The Cure Frontman’s Nocturnal Sheep Steal the Show

The Cure performed two live performances on BBC Radio in conjunction with the release of their first new studio album in 16 years, Songs of a Lost World.

BBC Radio 2 “Radio 2 In Concert” includes approximately 1 hour of sound source and live footage of “A Fragile Thing,” and BBC Radio 6 Music “6 Music Session: The Cure Live” includes approximately 1 hour of audio source and “I Live videos of “Can Never Say Goodbye” have been released.

The program also aired an exclusive interview with Robert Smith. In it, he also talks about owning “Britain’s only nocturnal sheep” and “teaching them tricks”.

“I have the only nocturnal sheep in Britain. Seriously, I teach them tricks, and still do. They say you can’t teach sheep tricks, but I do. I’m sure. I taught a sheep to shake hands. Seriously, I’ll post it again later this year. It’ll be another viral moment for me! They can’t talk, but they listen well. They are very good listeners.

I’m a night owl. The reason I started the band was mainly so I didn’t have to get up for work. Really. I didn’t think I could stand my boss, and I didn’t think I’d be able to get somewhere on time in the morning. School was also impossible. It was like my mother’s voice came up the stairs every day. “It’s only 5 minutes until the bus!” I was hoping that one day I wouldn’t have to do this. While everyone else wakes up in the morning and goes about their activities during the day, I honestly go to bed around that time… I listen to the Breakfast Show (BBC Radio 2 morning show) and watch the sun rise before going to bed. I’m not kidding, I actually do that. Around January, I start to feel really depressed. January sucks! There’s no sunlight all day in January, and that bothers me sometimes. I like going out at night.”

■BBC Radio 2『Radio 2 In Concert』

“A Fragile Thing” live video

Approximately 1 hour of sound source
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002476w

■BBC Radio 6 Music『6 Music Session: The Cure Live』

Live footage of “I Can Never Say Goodbye”

Approximately 1 hour of sound source