Pre-Cult
Ian and his family moved to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in 1973 when he was 11 years old. He lived there for five years before moving back to the UK. His father worked at International Harvester and his mother was a bookkeeper. In his short time in the country, he developed a love for Canada and has stated in interviews that he will follow the Stanley Cup playoffs, especially if a Canadian team is playing.
In 1979, while living in Glasgow, he was deeply struck by the Doors song "The End", which he heard while watching the movie Apocalypse Now. He later described this as "a religious experience". In 1980 he was in Liverpool, where he was active on the punk scene based around Eric's Club. After he was made homeless due to a dispute with a landlord over a party at his bedsit apartment, he ended up following Anarchist Punk band Crass. After a period of living in squats and sleeping rough, he moved to Bradford in late 1980. Here he was a founding member of the positive punk band Southern Death Cult in 1981. Southern Death Cult lasted until March 1983, when it was dissolved. Along with guitarist Billy Duffy, bassist Jamie Stewart and drummer Raymond Taylor Smith, Astbury formed a new band, Death Cult, released the Death Cult (EP) and later dropped Death from the name to become the Cult.
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