from Garry Smout (Keyboard player Finish the Story)
We' are/were the band 'Finish the Story'. We met Cure management before the tour and originally were asked to do the whole thing but Richard Jobson, being one person and cheaper, was invited instead; he never showed up.
So to make up for this we were asked to be part of the support at the 01 May 1982 Hammersmith Odeon, alongside Zerra I.
We were given complimentary tickets to the Cure at Bristol Colston Hall - still have them somewhere if you want a scan - and met the band backstage to talk things through. All was not well with them, the band were falling apart and in fact the Bristol gig was far superior to the final Odeon gig where the rifts and the end of the original Cure (in the UK) were to happen.
We had, I think, a 30 minute slot but a little voice says just 20, and no tuning up. Smith felt sorry for us and ended up mixing our set, as well as being a 'regular' in our dressing room 'cos we had bought along a kettle and tea!
Now this man's own band was falling apart around his ears but he took time to look after us so I have a huge, huge soft spot for Robert Smith. Rock star AND a member of the human race is not something you can normally say!!
We had journalist friends (one being Mick Mercer, who has since written extensively on the Goth scene ) who were in the audience who can vouch we did play that night but so far that concert has gone into history as having just Zerra I and Cure - no mention of Finish the Story.
...
This is a BBC interview and, it explains why we existed and it talks about the gig with the Cure.
@ bbc.co.uk...
And I am sure you know that Robert Smith is a fantastic human being. After the gig i went to to the Cure dressing room and he was covered in other people's lipstick and even as a male macho bastard I had to ask him for a kiss and kissed him on the mouth.