Bassist Simon Gallup “confirms return” to The Cure
Gallup previously announced his departure in August
By Joe Goggins
The Cure bassist Simon Gallup has apparently announced his return to the band.
In August, Gallup – who first joined the Crawley alt-rock legends in 1979 – appeared to announce that he’d left the group under a cloud, releasing a statement on his personal Facebook page where he claimed to be “fed up of betrayal.”
He said of his departure at the time: “With a slightly heavy heart I am no longer a member of the Cure! Good luck to them all …”
However, yesterday (October 14th), Gallup responded to a question from a fan on Facebook, asking “Is Simon still a member of The Cure?” by saying “yes I am.”
If confirmed, Gallup’s return to the fold would effectively begin a third stint as the band’s bass player. After a brief initial period with the group between 1979 and 1982, he returned in 1984 and contributed to some of their biggest records, including 1985’s ‘The Head on the Door’, 1989’s ‘Disintegration’ and 1992’s ‘Wish’.
Frontman Robert Smith had previously spoken of Gallup’s importance to the band, telling The Irish Times in 2018 that without him, “it wouldn’t be called The Cure.”
Elaborating upon his relationship with Gallup in 2019, speaking to NME, Smith said: “For me, the heart of the live band has always been Simon, and he’s always been my best friend. It’s weird that over the years and the decades he’s often been overlooked. He doesn’t do interviews, he isn’t really out there and he doesn’t play the role of a foil to me in public, and yet he’s absolutely vital to what we do.”
There has been no official statement from the band either on Gallup’s August departure or his apparent return. The Cure continue to work on their next studio album, one that Smith claims will be their last. Their most recent full-length release was 2008’s ‘4:13 Dream’.
Rolling Stone UK has reached out to Gallup’s representatives for comment.