Bass player Simon Gallup has announced his departure from The Cure, effective immediately.
Gallup broke the news via a terse social media post. “With a slightly heavy heart I am no longer a member of the Cure !” he wrote. “Good luck to them all …”
Gallup joined The Cure in 1979, not long after the release of Robert Smith and co’s debut album, Three Imaginary Boys. Gallup played on The Cure’s next three albums – the canonical releases, Seventeen Seconds, Faith and Pornography – before internal disagreements led to his departure in 1982.
Smith asked Gallup to return in 1984 and he stayed with the band up until 2021. His bass playing has long been a central component of the band’s distinctive sound, with his performances on songs like ‘A Forest’, ‘The Hanging Garden’ and ‘Fascination Street’ ranking among rock music’s most iconic basslines. Along with playing bass, Gallup often played keyboards during live performances.
Gallup delivered the news in a Facebook post. In response to a comment asking whether his exit was prompted by poor health, he had this to say: “I’m ok… just got fed up of betrayal.”
The Cure’s most recent album was 2008’s 4:13 Dream.
