“Act Like You’re Alive” was something I heard many times from lead singer Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy during the Cult’s 95 minute set, in front of an oversold Mt. Clemens crowd of about 1,700.

With the earlier statement, the band was fighting through a polite, but not overly excited crowd in the beginning of the show. The band fought through that early apathy, and gave a spirited set, which had the thirty and fourtysomething fans actually crowd surfing, much to the surprise of the security guards.

With his Jim Morrison look down, complete with scruffy beard and scruffy dark hair, Astbury came out and watched into early cuts, such as “Here Comes the Rain”, and “Lil Devil”. Billy Duffy made the first comment about the crowd being quiet, asking if they were at a rock concert or at home, watching the show on TV. The band seemed almost taken back by the response, and the fans looked shocked, thinking they were giving it their all.

After that, the crowd woke up with the blistering “Love Removal Machine”, and fans began to jump on stage and jump back into the crowd. From there, Astbury thanked the crowd, and the show took a huge upswing all the way to the finish. They band took on the newer and very strong “Rise”, which most purists of the band probably hate, but fit well within the confines of the set.

As usual, the crowd responded the most to the hits, with the stellar radio hits “Wildflower”, “The Witch”, and the strip club anthem “ Fire Woman” getting the crowd pumped up.

While the rest of the band seemed very loose and focused, Astbury was the one that felt the most comfortable. Many people thought Astbury wasn't really into the 2001 album “Beyond Good & Evil”, and the touring behind it; the lead singer looked to be enjoying himself on stage. Even if this was a nostalgia trip, or a prelude to new material from the band, the Cult sounded better and more alive than most of their late 80’s counterparts. Let’s hope Astbury sticks with this for a while; and leaves the Doors wannabe band he’s been fronting FAR behind.