Pixies 2019

[Lordofthefiles]

I sorry, I couldn't be bothered to go google the last pixies thread.

https://youtu.be/FIlWM6jpdXU

Smug Frank Black played by Jack Nicholson on cake explains all of music thus far without answering any questions.

[Shaky]

The new album is a slab of nothing as well.

[NJ Uncut]

At this point I find it clear that their incentive is entirely financial, presumably from the sheer amount of touring they do vs the sales of new material.

For a band with a catalogue like the Pixies', there is nothing worse than sounding bland. And here we are, with three albums of aural cardboard. I suppose that's a bit pat, but if you still have any listening relationship to their earlier stuff it baffles me why you'd still be interested. Surely everybody interested has seen them live by now?

And to think there was such romance there.

A recent setlist. I don't feel it sits together well, though the live animal is always different. The newer songs I have seen live have clunked and sucked the air out of the crowd, but for all I know there's a legion of fans who adore the new stuff in 2019 - but I never felt that in 2017 or 2016.  They certainly can't afford to replace the classics. But I never got the feeling they were trying to reinvent themselves. So a kludge of old and whatever's on the new album is the best you get. That's perfectly adequate and works for a lot of acts; a sentence you should never have to apply to the Pixies.

Where Is My Mind?
Here Comes Your Man
Ready for Love
In the Arms of Mrs. Mark of Cain
Nimrod's Son
Bird of Prey
Cactus
Break My Body
Wave of Mutilation
Death Horizon
Something Against You
The Holiday Song
Vamos
Catfish Kate
This Is My Fate
Gouge Away
Classic Masher
Head On
Broken Face
Isla de Encanta
St. Nazaire
U-Mass
On Graveyard Hill
Gigantic
Los Surfers Muertos
Caribou
Motorway to Roswell
Daniel Boone
Mr. Grieves
Ana
Bone Machine
Debaser
Rock Music

[Phil_A]

I'm going to see them live in a couple of weeks (my sister won some tickets in a charity auction), and I'm kind of dreading it to be honest. I haven't liked anything they've done since Kim left and the promise of set full of "recent" stuff is real downer. I don't want my only memory of seeing them to be ruined by that!

[ajsmith2]

At this point I find it clear that their incentive is entirely financial, presumably from the sheer amount of touring they do vs the sales of new material.

For a band with a catalogue like the Pixies', there is nothing worse than sounding bland. And here we are, with three albums of aural cardboard. I suppose that's a bit pat, but if you still have any listening relationship to their earlier stuff it baffles me why you'd still be interested. Surely everybody interested has seen them live by now?

And to think there was such romance there.

A recent setlist. I don't feel it sits together well, though the live animal is always different. The newer songs I have seen live have clunked and sucked the air out of the crowd, but for all I know there's a legion of fans who adore the new stuff in 2019 - but I never felt that in 2017 or 2016.  They certainly can't afford to replace the classics. But I never got the feeling they were trying to reinvent themselves. So a kludge of old and whatever's on the new album is the best you get. That's perfectly adequate and works for a lot of acts; a sentence you should never have to apply to the Pixies.

Nice long set though. I didn't know they were up there with Ken Dodd and Bruce Springsteen in terms of epic set lengths.

[NJ Uncut]

Nice long set though. I didn't know they were up there with Ken Dodd and Bruce Springsteen in terms of epic set lengths.

That's a genuine plus - as Frank Black says, these are "ditties", so two and three minutes whizz by. You could make a positive argument for that setlist in that there's plenteee of bangers from the Olden Days to perk you up. Does fly by, especially as they're not a "between song banter" kind of band.

I'm going to see them live in a couple of weeks (my sister won some tickets in a charity auction), and I'm kind of dreading it to be honest. I haven't liked anything they've done since Kim left and the promise of set full of "recent" stuff is real downer. I don't want my only memory of seeing them to be ruined by that!

If it's your only time, Phil, you might be alright! Much as I might croak about "In it for the money" the old songs have such power, they're hard to fuck up. Vamos, like - top drawer live experience, Santiago's still a goer. They'll probs deliver on the classics (I'd argue those songs live is their bread and butter and they know they're the draw). I suppose it is a good "show" - very professional. But, like, when you use words like that to describe a live act....

Ten songs from the new one in that set there though and no Monkey, by christ

[chveik]

I can't fathom how you can be enthusiastic about their last 3 albums.

[SweetPomPoms]

Never seen a shit Pixies gig. Paz is the best thing that's happened to them - Kim Deal spent over 10 years stopping them doing anything new.

[Calistan]

I've seen them about eight times since 2008ish and they're a far superior act with Paz. Way less muck ups and Black is in better form.

New album is a solid 7 out of 10. Would be higher only the awful Long Rider in the middle of the album. Cain, Boone, Fate and Bird of Prey stand up to the old classics to my ears.

[Dusty Substance]

I saw them live on Thursday and it was spectacular. One of the gigs of the year. They did more than enough classic hits to justify the lesser material from the last two records. No banter, no audience interaction, no support - Just solid playing for 1h45mins, one song for the encore and off they went. We must have heard a good 30 songs.

The "new" bassist is a fine replacement for Kim and she looks AMAZING - Maybe I need my eyes tested (although I was pretty close to the front) but I would have said she was 20 something, but she's 45.

[SweetPomPoms]

Yep, I was at Bexhill - they were on top form.

Love the no setlist thing too, they've rehearsed 90+ songs for the tour - they had the pavillion booked for the week before the first night.
The podcast is worth a listen.

[king_tubby]

Saw 'em last night for the first time ever despite liking them for, fuck, 30 years. Shit venue. Shit drunk middle aged crowd (I was sober and middle aged). Shit new songs. No Kim.

Fucking ace gig, loved 90% of it, big smile on my face as soon as I found somewhere to stand away from pricks. Two hour set!

[Cardenio I]

Saw em a couple of years ago in a little festival by the sea in Brittany. They were headlining and did a solid 2 hour set to a smallish festival crowd. I absolutely loved it - no interest in anything they've done since Trompe le Monde but they stuck by and large to the classics, and when they're coming at you thick and fast you realise just how many absolute belters they have. 

[Calistan]

Anyone heard the demo album? It's a lot of fun. Much more loose and laid back than the BTE album and Joey gets to showcase his brilliance. Hey Debussy and the Good Works of Cyrus probably should have been on the proper album.

[Head Gardener]

I collect Pixies carrier bags, got 2 so far

[Phil_A]

The Ally Pally gig on Friday was fine, I guess. Glad to I got to see them finally, even if "seeing" is a bit of a stretch given how fucking shit the view we got was. I wish they hadn't all been positioned so close together at one end of the stage.

The newer songs didn't stick out as badly as I expected, but at one point it seemed like they played four in a row which was a bit much. Bossanova and Trompe Le Monde very underrepresented - only one track off the former and two from the latter (one of which was Head On).

Was surprised how many fairweather fans there were there who apparently didn't know anything post Surfer Rosa though. Motorway To Roswell got pretty much no reaction.

No Velouria. Boo.

[king_tubby]

We got Velouria but no Motorway to Roswell.

[Twed]

Kim #2 died: https://variety.com/2019/music/news/kim-shattuck-dead-dies-muffs-1203356713/

[Glebe]

Kim #2 died: https://variety.com/2019/music/news/kim-shattuck-dead-dies-muffs-1203356713/

Oh fuck... I have to admit, I've never heard the The Muffs and I only knew of her because of her brief spell in the Pixies, but this is a bit of a shock to hear. RIP.

[Glebe]

Bossanova released 30 years ago today.

PIXIES - Velouria (Alternative Version).

[king_tubby]

Velouria was the first record I ever bought.

[Glebe]

Velouria was the first record I ever bought.

It's got that cover of Neil Young's 'I've Been Waiting For You' on there, with Kim singing.