Return of the Pixies

the 3 shows I went to were all at least decent, I was never disappointed, although I did know not to expect a great live act going in.

2004 was at a festival, it wasn't the best time or place to see them, my wife had sunstroke and my friends were pretty drunk (as was I tbf) and shouted a lot and I just wanted to watch the band, but my hazy memory is that it was good

2005 was a lot better, I was really excited to see them which helped, they seemed to be happy to be on stage then tbh, Kim & Charles didn't talk a lot but when they did they were charming, Joey did some guitar theatrics, good gig

2019 was a warm up gig so the smallest place I've seen them, again they didn't do much on stage but I guess having a new album might've got them more interested in playing, the new album isn't going to blow anyone's minds but some of the songs sounded fine mixed in with the old stuff

I think if you know what to expect, they will play the songs well but not v passionately, but they weren't known much for being a live act, hell I've been to a v boring Frank Black solo gig before and they were always better than that. Maybe I missed the worst of the by the numbers we hating being here years because I skipped 14 years?

Yeah, tbh, I've seen Frank Black live a few times, and he and his band killed it.

Ha, Emsworth, sounds like you were at the same Sydney show I was at! I thought it was pretty good, stunned at Charles’ ability to summon the screams 20 years down the track.

and yes Kim Deal is a god on par with a fundamental law of nature

Hey Matthew K! Yeh Sydney at Luna Park - I thought the show had a nice vibe, certainly relative to any dour, dialing-it-in reports above - Kim in particular I remember beaming through the whole thing

experience definitely given a sentimental boost by my high school self being v.pleased to finally see The Pixies - haven't had the slightest urge to go to any subsequent tours though - if they had made a new album with Kim then maybe, ISTR it was in the air for a while and maybe Bluefinger was the slightly disappointing result?

Colonel Poo - we might have seen them at the same gigs. I saw them at a festival in 2004 (think it was V - in the park near Chelmsford, anyway) and then at Alexandra Palace in 2005.

Exactly the same experience for me Emsworth, I was about 20 feet in front of Kim and she lit the room. I was excited for new music after I heard Bam Thwok but I was completely unsurprised when she bailed from the album sessions. I was disappointed she’d agreed to it actually.

jealous of you two, I went to V and had to bail halfway through the Pet Shop Boys making 6,000 shirtless homosexuals dance and laugh and spin, to catch an hour and a bit of 8,000 thirtysomethings standing nearly completely still watching four fiftysomethings standing completely still, one of them smiling

absolutely idiotic scheduling decision, Pixies should have been on at 6:30 pm so they and the Pixies-specific part of the audience could be in bed by dark.

and then had Soulwax close. after the PSB, not overlapping.

This band is such a bummer. In the sense that, when they were largely mysterious and faceless in the late 80s, their music sounded like it was coming from outer space or something. Everything over the last 20 years has just been depressing. I know they need money, but just.... do something else.

otm alas

I'm very much at peace with it. I think of them as two different bands.

I think they were the catalyst of literally every band who had a 80s/90s semi-hit getting back together

Hmm. I'm trying to think of other '80s and '90s bands that broke up but got back together after the Pixies. They always seemed kind of like a big fish that followed all the other reunions. Television, Gang of Four, Mission of Burma, Wire and so on.

Pixies inspired Slowdive, Ride, that generation

eh, I think the return of mbv did that.

Touche

My brain won't let me access American indie bands who may have reformed in the sights but there are a bunch

aughts

I'm very much at peace with it. I think of them as two different bands.

― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, June 3, 2020 6:09 AM (four hours ago)

this exact feeling clicked for me several years ago. i don't really think of post-reunion activities as damaging their legacy, because as far as i'm concerned the legacy of the original Pixies is set in stone. (maybe that's not fair / doesn't make sense, but that's where i'm at.)

and what they do now doesn't bum me out! i mean, those guys built a band lots of ppl will pay to see and they have bills to pay. who am i to stop them from working? it's fine ... there are a million other (newer) bands to be excited about.

Happy birthday, Kim and Kelley

wow, what are the chances of them sharing the same birthday

lol