The constant presence and song writing genius of frontman Robert Smith has kept the post punk, new wave stylings of The Cure one of the most popular alt rock bands in the world, racking up over 27 million album sales. Singles Friday I'm In Love, Just Like Heaven and Boys Don't Cry are just a few that have seamlessly and fondly weaved their way in to the collective consciousness.

Championed by John Peel from the beginning, the boys from Crawley are known for an almost schizophrenic approach to music, from the pessimistic misery of albums Seventeen Seconds and Pornography to the jaunty pop-inspired Love Cats, their first British Top 10 hit.

To see The Cure is to watch a defining era of British popular music, responsible for influencing ground-breaking bands such as Interpol and Metallica. Their headline set at R+L this year will be a momentous occasion, especially as it's their first appearance at the festival since 1979. As Mr Smith himself said to the NME, "It's almost like we’ve gone full circle and we’re back to the point where we’re playing Reading Festival and I'm doing it solely because I want it to be a good day."