The Cure guitarist remembered as a “warm-hearted great friend” 💔🎸
Sad news has rippled through the alternative and goth rock world today, mun. Perry Bamonte, guitarist and longtime collaborator with The Cure, has died aged 65.
The band confirmed the news in a heartfelt tribute, describing Bamonte as a “warm-hearted great friend” whose presence went far beyond the stage. For fans who grew up wrapped in black eyeliner, delay pedals, and emotional devastation, this one hits deep in the chest.
A Quiet Architect of The Cure’s Sound 🖤
While Perry Bamonte may not always have been front and centre in the spotlight, his fingerprints were all over The Cure’s later live sound and studio work. Joining the band in the 1990s, he became an essential part of their evolving wall of atmosphere, texture, and melancholy.
Bamonte was the kind of guitarist who understood restraint. He didn’t bulldoze songs with ego. Instead, he let notes hang in the air like mist over a graveyard, adding depth, tension, and emotion where it mattered most. If The Cure sounded bigger, darker, and more cinematic during that era, Perry was a big reason why.
More Than a Bandmate 🤝
Tributes from within the Cure camp paint a picture of someone deeply loved, not just respected. A warm soul in a band often associated with cold beauty and emotional distance, Bamonte was reportedly the glue backstage. The kind of bloke who made long tours survivable and creative spaces feel human.
Fans have already flooded social media with memories, photos, and messages. Old tour shirts are being dusted off. Vinyls are being spun a little louder tonight. The Cure community, as ever, shows up when one of its own falls silent.
A Lasting Legacy 🌑✨
Perry Bamonte’s legacy isn’t measured in frontman poses or tabloid headlines. It lives in reverb trails, shimmering chords, and the emotional weight of songs that helped people survive heartbreak, alienation, and the long nights.
Tonight, somewhere, a Cure record is playing in the dark.
And somewhere in those layers of sound, Perry Bamonte is still there.
Rest easy, Perry.
Thanks for the music, butt. 🖤🎸
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene special—from legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether he’s battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, he’s always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When he’s not writing or interviewing artists, you’ll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than music—they’re about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. That’s exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
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