“I could write songs as bad as Wham’s if I really felt the urge to, but what’s the point?”: Dreams, red wine and the desire to explode - Robert Smith’s songwriting approach in his own words

The Cure Robert Smith.

Since last year’s stunning Songs of a Lost World recemented them as a creatively potent force, the Cure have returned to their rightful place as one of British music’s most important bands.

Since their inception in the dull suburbia of late seventies Crawley, the band - captained by the make-up clad presence of Robert Smith - have been behind some of the most critically acclaimed records of the late 20th century.

Across cherished keystones like Disintegration, Wish and Pornography, the Cure demonstrated their considerable mettle as emotion-led pioneers of the burgeoning goth and alternative scenes.

Yet Robert Smith was also capable of knocking out a few timeless pop classics amid the turbulence and gloom, keeping their stock consistently high in the public consciousness.