ROLL OUT THE BARREL
Four hours before, the show combining Billy Idol and the Cult on the same bill was cancelled, throwing the New York rock crowd into a tizzy. Official word was Madison Square Garden pulled the plug due to incomplete construction, or an asbestos leak, depending on whose report you heard.
ROLL OUT THE BARREL
THE CULT
The Ritz, New York, NY
June 2, 1987
Ida S. Langsam
Four hours before, the show combining Billy Idol and the Cult on the same bill was cancelled, throwing the New York rock crowd into a tizzy. Official word was Madison Square Garden pulled the plug due to incomplete construction, or an asbestos leak, depending on whose report you heard. But the bottom line was that the SRO concert was definitely, positively, no bout-a-doubt it not happening. I can only imagine how Idol’s mood was affected, but the Cult tried to make it up to their fans by playing an 11th hour performance at the Ritz.
By the time tickets went on sale (literally hours before the show), the lines were way around the block. The Cult are fave raves in this town, and their fans are numbered in the multiple-digit figures. Showtime was scheduled for 10:30, and the band went on—bang—on time. Naturally, the house was packed as solid as it could be and, in conjunction with the hot, humid weather outside, there was not a dry armpit in the place.