Eden Gallup has now played bass for The Cure at three straight Berlin shows while his father recovers

Simon Gallup was not on stage at the Wuhlheide in Berlin on July 10. He was taken ill shortly before the first of The Cure's three nights there, Robert Smith said in a statement the band posted to Instagram, and his son Eden moved over to cover the bass. He has now done it three nights running.

"Shortly before the first of our three Berlin Wuhlheide concerts yesterday, Simon was taken ill," Smith wrote. "His son Eden shifted sideways to save the show. Unfortunately, Simon is still not well enough to play, so Eden will be filling the bass breach again tonight." He asked fans to join the band in wishing Simon "the speediest of recoveries," then added, "And Eden thanks! Onwards."

The band has not said what the illness is or when Gallup expects to be back. Consequence reported he was already ruled out for the third Berlin date, which the band played Sunday.

Eden was already in the band

This is not a stranger walking on with a chord chart. Eden Gallup has been part of The Cure's touring lineup since the European run began last month, playing bass and keyboard in the slot left by Perry Bamonte, who died in December 2025 after a short illness. When his father went down, he was already standing a few feet away with the songs in his hands.

On the first Berlin night the band dedicated "Lullaby," the opening song of the encore, to Simon. Read into that what you want. It is also one of the songs his bass built.

What the part actually is

Simon Gallup has played in The Cure since 1979, with a couple of gaps. He is 66. His bass is not the floor of these records, it is the melody you actually hum. "A Forest" is a bassline with a band attached. "Fascination Street" opens with him and dares the rest of the arrangement to catch up. Whoever plays that music has to play it loud, high in the mix, and out front, which is a strange assignment for a sideman and a stranger one for the guy's kid.

Three shows in, the tour has not stopped, which is the whole point of Smith's word choice. Nobody canceled anything.

Next

The Cure are due at the Telekom Center in Athens on July 14 and 15, their Ejekt Festival dates and their first shows in Greece in seven years. The band returned to live work at Primavera Sound in June after two years off the road, and won their first Grammy earlier this year. Smith said last month that a follow-up to 2024's "Songs Of A Lost World" is finished, with a second, poppier record also in progress.