It’s no esoteric bit of trivia that The Cure’s Robert Smith joined Siouxsie & The Banshees in 1983, stepping in on guitar after John McGeoch left in October 1982 following a nervous breakdown just prior to the release of A Kiss In The Dreamhouse. This was the second time he joined the Banshees, having previously stepped in temporarily in 1979 when John McKay quit the band while touring Join Hands.

Smith appeared on one studio album, 1984’s Hyaena, before quitting the band but those wanting to hear his playing on more classic Banshees material could also turn to the 1983 double-live album Nocturne, which documented the band’s two-night stand at the Royal Albert Hall in London in September and October 1983. A condensed set list was also released as a live VHS tape, conveniently ripped and streamable on YouTube.

For a better encapsulation of Smith’s history as a Banshee, check out this piece from Far Out from earlier this year. I just wanted to post the live video.

The fractured relationship between Siouxsie Sioux and Robert Smith @ Far Out