Flashback: See AFI cover the Cure’s euphoric hit “Just Like Heaven” in 2007
This is Flashback, where we’re reminiscing about some of the most iconic and obscure moments in alt-rock history. This week, we’re looking at AFI’s fiery cover of the Cure’s “Just Like Heaven.”
Decades before the Cure’s Robert Smith was hailed as a godsend for having Ticketmaster refund their fans due to “unduly high” fees, he was penning pop love letters to his future wife.
Read more: AFI reflect on creating their breakthrough hit “Girl’s Not Grey” 20 years later
“Just Like Heaven” marked a breakthrough for the Cure, and their ability to transform their sound from blackened dirges to transcendent pop hits inspired countless bands, including AFI. Back in 2007, the band performed at the Virgin Festival in Vancouver, and — after running through cuts like “Prelude 12/21,” “Girl’s Not Grey,” and “Silver and Cold” — they pulled out a cover of the Cure classic toward the end of their set.
“This one is for the Vancouver boys in hot, hot heat. Canada has great bands, do they not? Skinny Puppy, Godspeed [You! Black Emperor]. Wasn’t the Cure from here?” frontman Davey Havok teases. Soon, AFI launch into a fiery rendition of the 1987 hit, with Havok’s impeccable vocals and Jade Puget’s hypnotic guitar serving as a loving tribute to the goth pioneers.
Watch the performance below.
