During the '' Disintegration '' sessions , the band gave Smith an ultimatum that either Tolhurst would have to leave the band or they would . In February 1989 , Tolhurst 's exit was made official and announced to the press ; this resulted in Roger O'Donnell becoming a full-fledged member of the band and left Smith as the Cure 's only remaining founding member . Smith attributed Tolhurst 's dismissal to an inability to exert himself and issues with alcohol , concluding , " He was out of step with everything . It had just become detrimental to everything we 'd do . " Because Tolhurst was still on the payroll during the recording of '' Disintegration '' , he is credited in the album 's liner notes as playing " other instrument " ( sic ) and is listed as a co-writer of every song ; however , it has since been revealed that while Tolhurst had contributed to the song " Homesick " , his contributions to the album were minimal as he was battling alcoholism during the recording of the album . The Cure then embarked on a successful tour which saw the band playing stadiums in the US . On 6 September 1989 , the Cure performed " Just Like Heaven " at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles
1989 MTV Video Music Awards
1989 MTV Video Music Awards
The Cure