LIVE REVIEW + PHOTOS: The Cult, Patriarchy in Boston, MA (10.11.25)
Saturday night at the Orpheum Theatre felt like stepping through a portal — not just into the shadowy depths of the early ’80s post-punk scene, but into the larger, swaggering world of rock mysticism that The Cult would come to define. For this night’s show, The Cult would play the first set as their earliest incarnation of a band as “The Death Cult”, followed by a second set as “The Cult” — a rare chance to witness their early identity collide with their arena-rock glory years in a single night.
Opening the evening was Patriarchy, an LA-based industrial metal duo who turned the ornate Orpheum into something more like a warehouse rave. With pulsing electronic beats, grinding bass, and shrieking noise textures, their set felt like an unholy marriage between Nine Inch Nails and Crystal Castles. The duo — a female bassist/singer and a male drummer/singer — traded vocals in a dizzying swirl of distortion and strobe lights. Their short but intense set left the crowd both intrigued and slightly dazed — a fitting warm-up for the ritual to come.
When the lights dimmed and The Death Cult emerged, the stage was veiled by a semi-transparent curtain, creating a haunting silhouette. The shadow play — guitars, hair, and mic stands moving like spirits — which was reminiscent of the recent Nine Inch Nails visuals at TD Garden. The atmosphere was eerie, mysterious, and utterly fitting for the band’s early era.
They launched into “Ghost Dance”, its tribal rhythm and hypnotic chants casting a spell over the room. Ian Astbury, lit from behind, looked like a shamanic figure presiding over a séance. “Gods Zoo” and “Christians” kept that ritualistic energy alive — lean, sharp-edged post-punk cuts that pulsed with urgency. When they hit “Horse Nation” and “Spirit Walker”, the curtain finally dropped, revealing the band in full and bringing the audience into full immersion in the music.
Astbury, noticeably slimmer than when The Cult opened for Bush at Leader Bank Pavilion a few years back, certainly carried himself with renewed energy. His hair was tied tightly in a man bun, a patterned scarf knotted covering the rest of his head, and, most importantly, holding the ever-present tambourine in hand. Few frontmen in rock wield that humble instrument with such conviction; every shake, rattle, and smack against his palm punctuated the songs like an exclamation mark.
The transition into The Cult portion of the night brought a shift in tone — more color, more heat, more muscle. Gone were the gauzy shadows; instead, deep reds and purples bathed the band as they launched into “Wild Flower”, that unmistakable riff tearing through the theater. The crowd — mostly middle-aged diehards who’d grown up on Love and Electric — roared their approval.
“Rain” shimmered with that familiar ’80s mysticism, while “Edie (Ciao Baby)” provided one of the night’s more emotional moments, Astbury’s voice ringing strong and soulful. On “War (The Process)” and “Lucifer”, the darker, more spiritual side of the band took center stage, all while guitarist Billy Duffy’s Les Paul sliced through the haze with molten tone.
Then came “Fire Woman”, certainly a big highlight of the evening, at least for me. That riff still hits like a thunderbolt, and the Orpheum crowd, subdued no longer, was suddenly on its feet, fists raised and voices joining in the chorus. Astbury spun, stomped, and yes, brandished that tambourine like a flaming torch. It was pure rock and roll.
The night closed, fittingly, with “She Sells Sanctuary”, their most well-known single and an absolute staple of their sound and shows. The song’s chiming intro drew cheers before the first lyric even landed, and by the final chorus, everyone in the room had their fists in the air, a reminder of how timeless that track remains.
Overall, The Cult’s Boston stop was a beautifully structured journey — from shadowy post-punk roots to full-blown rock transcendence. It wasn’t a night of reinvention, but of reverence — for their past, their power, and their peculiar magic.
And if you took anything away from it, it’s that Ian Astbury still owns that tambourine like it’s an extension of his soul.
Photos – The Cult, Patriarchy at Orpheum Theatre in Boston, MA on October 11th:
