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Anyone who looked closely at Primavera Sound 2026 noticed a new face on The Cure’s stage alongside Robert Smith. Not a decade-long companion of the band, not a prominent guest musician from the scene – but Eden Gallup, son of bassist Simon Gallup. For some fans, the name was initially a surprise. Within hours, the same question was circulating online: Who is Eden Gallup?
The answer is more than mere nepotism. Eden comes directly from The Cure’s innermost family circle, but at the same time he has been following his own path musically for years – as a singer, guitarist and bandleader. The fact that he, of all people, is now taking over the parts of the late Perry Bamonte seems both logical and symbolic. You could say: There is family continuity here in a band whose history has always been characterized by breaks.
Perry Bamonte died on December 25, 2025 after a short illness. He was 65 years old. The Cure described him in their obituary as a “quiet, intuitive, constant and enormously creative” part of the band’s history. Bamonte had accompanied the band since 1984, initially as a roadie and guitar technician, before becoming an official member in 1990 – and can be heard on Wish, Wild Mood Swings and Bloodflowers. In 2022 Robert Smith brought him back into the band. At Primavera Sound in Barcelona, Eden Gallup took his place on stage.
The man who stepped in
So far, the band has only officially confirmed the current live line-up. But the fact that Eden Gallup appears there is by no means a coincidence. He has worked in the immediate vicinity of The Cure for years, including as bass technician for his father Simon Gallup – the longest-serving member of the band after Robert Smith. Eden probably knows the internal processes, the dynamics of the group and the material better than many outside musicians. In 2019, he stood in for his father at two concerts when Simon Gallup was unable to perform at short notice.
He said about his father’s influence in one interview: “I wouldn’t say it had a profound impact on me, except that it probably motivated me more to learn an instrument than another kid might have. I first “played” drums, then tried bass, and finally settled on guitar… because of Slash. Quickly realizing that I could never play like him, I was heavily influenced by guitarists like Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols, who could write incredible songs with just a few basic chords. That seemed less intimidating and more doable.”
Who Eden Gallup is musically
However, Eden Gallup is much more than just “the son of.” He has been pursuing his own projects for many years, primarily as singer and lead guitarist for the British alternative rock band Violet Vendetta. Musically, their focus is on punk, grunge and metal.
#TheCure Re: 2019.10.12 Austin (TX) – Zilker Park (USA) ‘Austin City Limits Music Festival’ https://t.co/rFYqITR2xB Eden Gallup & uncle Bob
[html]pic.twitter.com/4K1Af6C0Hz“>https://t.co/4K1Af6C0HzVIOLET VENDETTA (VIOLET_VENDETTA) https://t.co/4ExSyCUIuO…
— curefans (@curefans) October 13, 2019
What this means for The Cure
The Cure will play the summer of 2026 almost without a break: Nova Rock, Isle of Wight, Pinkpop, three evenings in Berlin’s Wuhlheide in July and Rock en Seine in Paris in August. With Gallup they have now found a new live colleague. It remains to be seen whether he will also be heard on new songs.
Why does Campino think that sometimes it’s good to just keep your mouth shut? Why does he sometimes feel like a drinks delivery man? He provides the answer in our cover story about the Toten Hosen’s big farewell, exclusively in issue 06/26. And that’s not all: the magazine includes the world exclusive 7-inch single “Always just loved” – on which Sven Regener from Element of Crime also contributed. You can easily order the ROLLING STONE edition here.