The Cure: The Show of a Lost World: Troxy Live 2024 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.5

The Cure: The Show of a Lost World: Troxy Live 2024 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Justin Dekker January 15, 2026

Celebrating the release of their latest album, "The Songs of a Lost World", the legendary gothic-rockers took to the stage with a performance captured here in 'The Cure: The Show of a Lost World: Troxy Live 2024" which makes its Blu-ray debut courtesy of Polydor. Recorded on the first of November in 2024 at the iconic 3100-seat venue, the band's line up consisted of Robert Smith (vocals, guitar, v1 bass), Simon Gallup (bass), Jason Cooper (drums, percussion), Roger O'Donnell (keys), Reeves Gabrels (Guitar, v1 bass), and Perry Bamonte (keys, guitar, v1 bass). The band plays all of the new album's songs in order before moving on to various hits and fan favorites from their extensive catalogue in this expansive concert experience which runs nearly three hours.

The concert film fittingly begins with a thunderstorm that serves as the event's introduction. Thunder rolls through the venue and LED lighting rigs sporadically illuminate the darkened stage. Heavy rain sound effects audibly add to the gloom before the band makes their way to the stage for a performance that was long in the making. Throughout the night's concert, the band is on point. The normally rather measured and stoic O'Donnell is at his most unbridled during the first act's "DRONE:NODRONE". Gallup for his part, prowls the stage, laying down heavy bass work and looking like a man from another time in his high-collared leopard-print coat during the show's first act. After playing through "Songs of a Lost World", he'll shed the coat in favor of a sleeveless white tee. Journeyman guitarist Reeves Gabrels, who has performed with the band since 2012, trades lead guitar chores with Smith. His playing appears almost effortless, no matter the complexity of the riff or solo. The work of Bamonte and Cooper are perhaps both best appreciated in "ENDSONG", which closes out the first act. Bamonte's persistent three note runs provide song with a haunted feeling that perfectly matches the gravity and heart of the lyrics. Cooper's drums, meanwhile, guide the track form its slower melancholy, and introspective start, steadily building and propelling the others on stage to the song's wailing climax. Smith looks as if he's having the time of his life, pouring all of his energy into emotional vocals, working up a sweat with his guitar work, and going so far as to stick his tongue out at Gallup and giving him a grin as "A Forest" springs to life. They feed off each other's performance at the song's end. Smith even breaks out some of his dance moves during the spirited rendition of Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me's "Why Can't I be You?" near the end of the set's encore. Never one to be overly chatty on stage, Smith doesn't deviate from that tendency much here, however when he does address the crowd, it's usually with smile on his face. At the end of the event, he takes an extended bow that's as much for him as it is for the fans. He seems flush with gratitude and joy for having finally released these songs into the world.

Structurally, The Cure: The Show of a Lost World: Troxy Live 2024 adheres to my preferred style of documenting a live performance. Camera work is largely carefully intentional. Rapid cuts are a rarity, with the camera here typically allowed to linger on a close-up or wide shot for a reasonable amount of time before seeking another angle or vantage point. The shots used here are primarily a mix of static shots, interspersed with slow pans and zooms. Footage focused exclusively on the audience are virtually non-existent, and those that allow them to be a substantial part or subject of a shot are extremely limited. As the camera pulls out toward the rear of the house, we see their backs in silhouette as all in attendance face the band. At other times the film cuts to cameras positioned behind the band. In these moments we are again allowed a sense of the venue's scale and the size of the crowd, but those in attendance are much more background than focal point. Rightfully, that level of attention is reserved for the musicians on stage, who are exactly who those lucky enough to be at the venue showed up to see as well. By the time that the final strains of "Boys Don't Cry" fade and Smith bows telling fans, "Thank you! See you again!", it's clear that the band, now entering its 50th year, isn't slowing down any time soon.

In addition to marking the release of the band's first new album in 16 years, the concert would also serve as guitarist (and multi-instrumentalist) Perry Bamonte's last performance with the band. Bamonte worked with the band beginning in 1984 and would eventually become a member of the group in 1990. As such, he appeared on the albums Wish (1992), Wild Mood Swings(1996), Bloodflowers (2000) , Acoustic Hits (2017), and The Cure (2004). After leaving the band for a time, he eventually rejoined in 2022, playing hundreds of live shows during his tenures with the group before passing near the close of 2025.

Two play options exist for the concert film: "Full Show & 'More Alone' intro", or "Full Show". If selecting the "Full Show & 'More Alone' intro", viewers are treated to a mock thunderstorm on stage. Thunder rumbles and the LED lighting approximates lightning flashes. The enthusiastic crowd cheers and claps, beckoning the band to the stage. Shot from the back of the house, it gives viewers an accurate sense of the venue's size and the volume of people in attendance. This introduction lasts approximately three minutes. Choosing "Full Show" allows viewers to skip the thunderstorm introduction, joining in after all band members are on stage and are mere moments away from kicking things off. Interestingly, specific songs are not individually selectable via the disc's menu. Instead, viewers are only able to directly access the start of one of the four specific Acts, the longest of which is Act 2, and boasts twelve songs pulled from The Head on the Door (1985), Disintegration (1989), Wish (1992), along with "Burn" from the soundtrack of The Crow, and fan-favorite "Just Like Heaven". Once getting close the desired track by selecting the appropriate Act, viewers can then skip chapters to the desired song. However, I suspect that most fans will prefer to simply watch the entire concert from beginning to end. Not altering their presentation for the recording of this evening's performance, The Cure: The Show of a Lost World: Troxy Live 2024 provides a viewing experience that is wholly consistent with their other concerts, working their way through a dazzling 31-song setlist. To read about the album that serves as the focus of the show's Act 1, please follow this link.

Track List:

Act 1: "Songs of a Lost World"

• ALONE

• AND NOTHING IS FOREVER

• A FRAGILE THING

• WARSONG

• DRONE:NODRONE

• I CAN NEVER SAY GOODBYE

• ALL I EVER AM

• ENDSONG

Act 2: "Other Songs"

• Plainsong

• Pictures of You

• High

• Lovesong

• Burn

• Fascination Street

• A Night Like This

• Push

• In Between Days

• Just Like Heaven

• From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea

• Disintegration

Act 3: "Seventeen Seconds Songs"

• At Night

• M

• Secrets

• Play For Today

• A Forest

Act 4: "Encore Songs"

• Lullaby

• The Walk

• Friday I'm in Love

• Close to Me

• Why Can't I be You?

• Boys Don't Cry

The Cure: The Show of a Lost World: Troxy Live 2024 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Cure: The Show of a Lost World: Troxy Live 2024 looks quite fabulous on Blu-ray and captures an authentic concert experience very well. Robert Smith and the others in the band are here for the songs and not all of the "radio gaga" stuff (as Miles Hunt would say). As such, since the lads give their full attention to the playing of their instruments and singing, it is extremely easy for cameras to provide exceptional views of the their gear, their fret-work, Robert's trademark make-up, and their attire. Play wear is visible on drum heads and cymbals, tattoos are plainly visible on the arms of guitarist Reeves Gabrels and bassist Simon Gallup, and every teased and untamed hair on Robert Smith's head is likewise discernable. So too are the particulars of his liberally applied eyeshadow and lipstick. When bathed in white or light blue light, skin tones look realistic and healthy. However, as is the case in the modern concert environment with the proliferation and aggressive use of LED lighting, bolder blues, reds, purples, and their mixes, can play havoc with skin tones, leaving faces, in particular, looking rather blotchy. Again, this is not a defect of the transfer but an unfortunate impact of LED lighting which I've experienced myself in a few pictures I've snapped at various concerts. Colors are richly saturated and are best enjoyed in the images projected on the screen behind the band and in the dramatic washes that bathe the band in deep blues, purples, reds and greens. Depth is pleasing and blacks are deep and inky. Gallup's white sleeveless tee, the body of his primary bass, and the white keys of O'Donnell's keyboard can be brilliant. Fans should be pleased. As a word of caution, it's also worth mentioning that photosensitive viewers should be aware that there is significant strobe light usage in "Play for Today".

The Cure: The Show of a Lost World: Troxy Live 2024 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Cure: The Show of a Lost World: Troxy Live 2024 allows viewers to choose between three different audio options, including a Dolby Atmos track, a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track, and an LPCM 2.0 track. After viewing the concert through in its entirety with each of the tracks, I found the Dolby Atmos track to be the most pleasing to my ear. The track afforded a more expansive soundstage, giving each of the instruments more room to breathe. Smith's vocals here are crisp, clean and intelligible. Occasionally, his asides to the audience in-between songs or as songs come to a close can sometimes be difficult to understand, but this is better attributed to his casual manner of speaking and less-than-perfect enunciation coupled with the cavernously echoey venue rather than any fault of the track. Individual overlapping guitar parts are easily distinguishable, and percussion is precise, with cymbal crashes sounding brassy and bright. Importantly, Gallup's bass riffs are powerfully supported and deep, adding the persistent, propulsive, and throbbing force for which many of the songs are known, without ever becoming muddy or overpowering. O'Donnell's keys register as alternately forceful, ghostly, and ethereal. The track is perfectly balanced with a live sound that mirrors that of the studio recordings.

The Cure: The Show of a Lost World: Troxy Live 2024 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

No on-disc supplemental features are included on this release.

The Cure: The Show of a Lost World: Troxy Live 2024 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Musically, the band sounds as tight and polished as they did on their "Shows of a Lost World Tour" that wound through Europe in Late 2022, the US and Canada in the middle of 2023, and South America to close out that year, with a setlist that's equally lengthy and impressive. While it's difficult to select favorite tracks or moments from a performance by such a storied band, I was quite excited for Act 3's focus on Seventeen Seconds (1980), whose tracks feel right at home next to the groups newest offerings. Smith seemed reinvigorated on this latest tour, a feeling which persists here, and it always brings a smile to my face to see "Bad Wolf" emblazoned upon Simon's gear. While I would have appreciated an interview with Smith and the rest of the band discussing Songs of a Lost World, their previous tour, and what comes next, in a way the absence of such material is fitting. As with the cinematography for the bulk of this concert film, it keeps the focus purely on the band and their performance. And that's enough. The Cure: The Show of a Lost World: Troxy Live 2024 earns my highest recommendation.