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Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Pixies ain't dead yet!
Posted by Joel Weiss on Tue, Mar 17, 2009 at 12:45 PM
You know when you learn something pleasantly unexpected? For instance, a favorite band you wrote off as finished because its principal members blame each other for stupid shit through music blogs announces their first tour in years? What's that feeling called? Oh, yeah... hope!
The Pixies return to action this summer with a series of European concert dates, including a June 14 appearance at the Isle of Wight festival with Neil Young, Billboard has confirmed. The gigs will be the first for the alternative rock standard-bearers since 2007, dispelling doubts that the group's most recent hiatus was permanent. Further details about the additional European shows will be released soon. No North American gigs are planned, according to Billboard's sources.
The full article from Billboard provides a bit more background, but barely scratches the surface of several years of tension. Statements made by Frank Black and Kim Deal towards the end of 2007 fueled my pessimism that the reunion was over.
In an interview with Pitchfork while prepping the last Breeders album, Kim Deal landed some pretty revelatory blows about the Pixies reunion:
[When] this whole [Pixies reunion] started out, we were going to do a couple of shows. [Guitarist] Joe [Santiago] said he had one kid and one was on the way, and he said, "Do you wanna do it?" And I said, "Oh God, no, Joe!" And I told everybody this, but nobody believes me. And he said, "Kim, this is really important to me. It will change my school district, where I can put my daughter into school." And I said, "Okay, of course. Of course, I will do this."I thought it was going to be a couple of shows, and it turned out really good. I had a really good time doing it. People were just so happy we were doing it. It was just so nice, like [an] "it's over, thank you, bye," kind of thing. And so there was never any-- I don't know, I think it gets talked about whenever Charles [Thompson, aka Frank Black] has any release, which is often. I have a feeling that's when he talks about it more than anything. Because him and Joe haven't gotten together to write any songs, so I think it's kind of something to bring up whenever he needs press. That's the only time I hear about it. I have no idea, dude.
So Kim only agreed to the reunion so Joe could buy a nicer house? New Pixies albums only get discussed when Frank Black has a new release of his own to plug? Them sure sounds like fightin' words to me! Just two months earlier, Frank blamed Kim for the lack of album progress. In the meantime, this article profiled drummer Dave Lovering's magic career.
If I was in a band - I wouldn't tell the music press that my bassist is the obstacle preventing progress on a new record; and I sure as hell wouldn't tolerate my bassist saying the question of new music is only asked when I have a new solo album! Thankfully, I'm not Frank Black - and the Pixies still exist! Am I bummed they're emulating the recently announced Faith No More reunion and only touring Europe? Hell yeah, I'm bummed. But it's a start. I have hope.
"Where Is My Mind?" (live)
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"Nimrod's Son" off Come On Pilgrim
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Comments (7)
Showing 1-7 of 7
I think the reunion has gone as far as it can without the band writing some new material, and they don't seem inspired to do that, which is a shame.
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I dunno. To be perfectly honest, I'd be fine if they just kept touring and that was it. Most reunion albums suck anyways.
Yea, no need for new stuff, just play your old GOOD stuff... and come to the states..please :-)
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