He Was Never the Frontman, He Was the Framework: Remembering Perry Bamonte
Former Cure guitarist and keyboardist, Perry Bamonte, died recently at age 65 after falling under a short illness over the holidays with family.
Bamonte worked with the band doing various roles from 1984-1989– from being a roadie, to being a guitar tech, to playing guitar and the keyboard with the band. In 1990, he officially joined the band when Rodger O’neil quit. Bamonte then started playing guitar, 6-string bass, and the keys. Bamonte is featured on a number of The Cure's albums, including 1992's "Wish” – a record with many of The Cure’s popular hits such as “Friday I’m in Love.”
Bamonte never had it “easy” with the band some would say. In 2005, bamonte was fired by singer Robert Smith and though no official reason was ever given publicly, many speculated that Robert Smith sought out to have a band with only 3 members instead of 4. Bamonte had stated that he never even knew the exact cause and still stayed on good terms with the band. He later rejoined the group playing around 90 more shows in 2022.
His final appearance with the band wasn’t some quiet fade-out, it was a statement. On November 1, 2024, in London, he took the stage one last time for a one-off, emotionally loaded show celebrating Songs of a Lost World, the band’s first album in 16 years. This was a heavy, deliberate goodbye.
The night was captured on film as The Cure: The Show of a Lost World, now screening in theaters worldwide and available on Blu-ray and DVD — not as fan service, but as documentation of an era closing in real time. A final imprint. A chapter sealed.
Rest in Peace Perry Bamonte
“QUIET, INTENSE, INTUITIVE, CONSTANT AND HUGELY CREATIVE,
‘TEDDY’ WAS A WARM HEARTED AND VITAL PART OF THE CURE STORY.
‘LOOKING AFTER THE BAND’ FROM 1984 THROUGH 1989,
HE BECAME A FULL TIME MEMBER OF THE CURE IN 1990,
PLAYING GUITAR, SIX STRING BASS AND KEYBOARD
ON THE WISH, WILD MOOD SWINGS, BLOODFLOWERS,
ACOUSTIC HITS AND THE CURE ALBUMS,
AS WELL AS PERFORMING MORE THAN 400 SHOWS OVER 14 YEARS.
HE REJOINED THE CURE IN 2022, PLAYING ANOTHER 90 SHOWS,
SOME OF THE BEST IN THE BAND’S HISTORY,
CULMINATING WITH THE SHOW OF A LOST WORLD CONCERT
IN LONDON 1ST NOVEMBER 2024.
OUR THOUGHTS AND CONDOLENCES ARE WITH ALL HIS FAMILY.
HE WILL BE VERY GREATLY MISSED.”
** photo curtsey of IMDb