Andy Anderson

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Anderson's first studio album appearance was on 'Xitintoday' by Nik Turner's Sphynx in 1978, under the name Android Anderson. That album was produced by Steve Hillage, who then invited Anderson to perform on two of his own albums in 1979: 'Live Herald' and 'Open'. Anderson also worked as a session drummer for Mother Gong and Hawkwind. In the early 1980s, he performed as a session and live drummer for new wave and alternative rock acts such as M and Techno Twins. In 1983, he was recruited by Robert Smith and Steve Severin to play on the album 'Blue Sunshine' by their side project The Glove. Smith then invited Anderson to play on the Cure single "The Love Cats", after which he became a full-time member of the band. Anderson was the sole drummer on the 1984 album 'The Top'. While touring with the Cure in France in 1984, Anderson was accosted by a security guard in a racially motivated incident, and then destroyed a hotel room out of frustration. His behavior became increasingly erratic as the world tour progressed, culminating in an altercation with his bandmates and their road crew after a show in Japan. Anderson was fired from the Cure in October 1984.

In Their Own Story

Anderson returned to session drumming after leaving the Cure and enjoyed a successful career as an in-demand collaborator for acts including Iggy Pop, Peter Gabriel, Edwyn Collins, Isaac Hayes, and Mike Oldfield. He also explored electronic music in a project called Prime Data, and another called Front and Centre. In 2012, he was briefly a member of The Cureheads, a tribute band to The Cure, and also made a guest appearance with Levinhurst, fronted by his former Cure bandmate Lol Tolhurst. After his death from cancer on 26 February 2019, he received many accolades from former bandmates and collaborators.

Reader's Guide

Anderson's partial discography includes: with Nik Turner's Sphynx, 'Xitintoday' (1978); with Steve Hillage, 'Live Herald' (1979), 'Open' (1979), and 'Green' (2007 edition, appears on two bonus tracks); with The Glove, 'Blue Sunshine' (1983); with The Cure, 'Japanese Whispers' (1983), 'The Top' (1984), 'Concert' (1984), 'The Cure Live In Japan' (1984) VHS, 'Standing on a Beach' (1986), and 'Greatest Hits' (2001).

Did You Know?

• Anderson's first studio album appearance was on 'Xitintoday' by Nik Turner's Sphynx in 1978, under the name Android Anderson.
• He was recruited by Robert Smith and Steve Severin to play on The Glove's album 'Blue Sunshine' in 1983.
• While touring in France in 1984, Anderson was accosted by a security guard in a racially motivated incident, then destroyed a hotel room out of frustration.
• After being fired from the Cure in October 1984, he worked as a session drummer for Iggy Pop, Peter Gabriel, Edwyn Collins, Isaac Hayes, and Mike Oldfield.
• In 2012, he briefly joined The Cureheads, a Cure tribute band, and made a guest appearance with Levinhurst, fronted by former Cure bandmate Lol Tolhurst.