Las Vegas Mixtape v42: Sonic Feast, NYC-to-Vegas Dumplings, and Felt Marker Creations

Track #1: The Cult and Death Cult @Pearl Theater

Ian Astbury is arguably the best tambourine player in rock. (Image: Vegas 411) 

“You’re a boisterous lot,” Ian Astbury of The Cult playfully told the audience onstage at The Pearl Theater inside the Palms Casino Resort.

The show was a sonic feast for followers of the guitar-anchored band who began as the cheerily named Death Cult in the early ‘80s before soon transforming into The Cult. They  would eventually move beyond their original post-punk and gothic rock stylings to embrace hard rock while still retaining their mystical and spiritual musings.

Tonight, The Cult opened for themselves with a set by Death Cult, reminding everyone that this was where the band’s swirling and foreboding sound took root. At the end, Astbury told the crowd: “That’s Death Cult. You may never see that again. Let that sink in.” 

The Cult’s “headlining” set was a strong career summation. It included the gothy “Rain” and “She Sells Sanctuary”; the crisp, hard rocking “Lil Devil” and “Love Removal Machine”; their anthemic smashes “Fire Woman” and “Edie (Caio Baby)”; and later period songs like “Rise” and “Lucifer.” The latter tune's heady lyrics like “In the hall of the crimson king/In the height of the poison pig" eloquently describe what life is like for many in 2025.

Count on Billy Duffy for serious riffage via his signature white Gretsch. (Image: Vegas 411) 

Astbury’s rich baritone voice and unique phrasings, along with guitarist Billy Duffy’s atmospheric and serrated guitar lines, were as magnificent as ever, anchored by a potent rhythm section thanks to bassist Charlie Jones and drummer John Tempesta. It was thrilling to see both Astbury and Duffy, many years into their career, still finding ecstasy in their “Sonic Temple,” to borrow the title of their biggest album back in 1989. They are rock gods who remain proudly left of center.