Description

The Cure Guitar Pick from Reeves Gabrels

on the 2019 Tour, Post-punk Band, Black/White

**Reeves Gabrels is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. A member and guitarist of British band the Cure since 2012, Gabrels worked with David Bowie from 1987 to 1999 and was a member of the band Tin Machine. He has lived in New York, Boston, London, Los Angeles, Nashville, and New York’s Hudson Valley. His Nashville-based band since 2007, Reeves Gabrels & His Imaginary Friends, features Gabrels on guitar and vocals.

The Cure: Robert Smith of the Cure and Reeves Gabrels first met during rehearsals for Bowie’s 50th Birthday Concert held on January 9, 1997, at Madison Square Garden in New York. Bowie had invited Smith to sing as one of a select group of guest performers at this event, for which Gabrels served as musical director. A friendship ensued, leading to further collaborations within the year. Gabrels and Smith co-wrote a song, “Yesterday’s Gone” and recorded it, with Smith guesting on vocals, for the Reeves Gabrels album Ulysses (Della Notte). Gabrels recorded lead guitar as a guest on the Cure’s single “Wrong Number” and he also appeared on stage with the Cure for several songs (“Wrong Number” included) on selected nights of a fall U.S. tour in 1997. Further, Gabrels, Smith and the Cure’s drummer Jason Cooper (as COGASM) wrote and recorded “Sign From God” for Orgazmo, a film directed by Trey Parker.

Smith and Gabrels stayed in touch, leading some 15 years later to a phone conversation that brought Gabrels on board as guitarist for the Cure, initially as a guest for a run of summer festivals in 2012, after which he became a member of the band. Gabrels was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2019 as a member of the Cure.