Cure is just the tonic

Robert Smith (centre) is looking forward to returning to New Zealand with the latest incarnation of the Cure.

It took two blokes from the 'Naki to convince the Cure to add New Zealand to their upcoming tour of Asia, Australia and North America - and Robert Smith couldn't be happier. The frontman for the iconic alt rock band wanted to return to the country he describes as "breathtakingly beautiful", but for various reasons it was left off the itinerary.

That's when Alastair Ross and Gordon Pitcairn of New Plymouth stepped in. Their "We Need a Cure Tour!!" petition attracted more than 3000 signatures and ultimately resulted in the band booking a spot at Auckland's Vector Arena on August 14.

"It coincided happily with our intention to play New Zealand anyway, so we could be the good guys without really trying too hard," says Smith on the phone from a London studio, where he's been working on the Cure's 13th album.

The band was under pressure to play more shows in Australia because it's a bigger market, but Smith says he couldn't ignore the petition.

"And they seemed very sweet lads as well, so I thought it's only fair. If people get motivated like that, you have to respond because otherwise you feel really bad about yourself."

It will be the band's first visit here since 1992. Smith is no stranger to New Zealand. Chris Parry, the Cure's former record label boss, is a Kiwi, and the band toured the country frequently in the early 1980s just so he could get free trips home, jokes Smith.

It was also the first country in which they had a number one single. So, in Parry's era, they found themselves touring New Zealand in 1980, 1981, and 1984. Not only was it near the top of touring list, but it also became the band's favourite holiday destination - and it didn't just stop at Auckland.

"I had a very memorable night at a farm in Dunedin with some Scottish people," Smith recalls. "Maybe you even know them."

At the time, New Zealand had a thriving music scene, buoyed by the "Dunedin Sound" and the bands signed to Flying Nun Records. Smith remembers jamming with local musicians in rehearsal spaces after the shows. "It was really good," says the singer. "I loved it, I really did. It's a fantastic country."

It's just after 4am in London and Smith is wide awake. He's coming to end of his day, after starting work, as usual, at 2pm, but he's full of energy, speaking softly but quickly, and littering his speech with witticisms and frequent references to his advancing years.

He also has an extraordinary ability to speak in paragraphs - one breathless spiel lasts a full three minutes.

The 48-year-old is upbeat about an album he thinks Cure fans will love. When it eventually emerges, it will likely be followed by a special-edition double set mixed by Smith.