Friday, June 11, 2010

Pixies



There are some things that should just not be allowed. Venues, for example, should not be allowed to charge £3.50 for a tiny bottle of Budweiser. I don't mind paying over the odds, you expect that, but six times the retail price is taking the piss - almost literally, in the case of Budweiser.

Another thing that shouldn't be allowed is people going to gigs when (a) they were not conceived when the band concerned became famous and (b) have made no effort over the intervening years to learn anything approaching even basic gig etiquette, resulting in me having to waste a perfectly good half pint of cola by pouring it over their head because they are behaving like a moron.

The thing that really shouldn't be allowed, though, is Pixies showing up and looking exactly five years younger than they did when I last saw them five years ago. It's wrong. Black Francis now looks younger than I do.

As for the gig, well, it is pretty run of the mill for a band who have, very wisely, realised that no-one wants to hear new songs, they want the old songs played brilliantly. And by asking their fans to pick the songs they wanted to hear, they guarantee themselves a rapturous reception. (In fact, Kim Deal regularly chides those who didn't reply to the band's email asking for suggestions).

None of which is much good if you can't still play, but in a strange way they actually seem better than ever, too. There's no messing about, just four people playing great songs very very well indeed. They even throw in the old 'Make Kim Laugh' trick, by doing something she doesn't expect. This time it is by throwing a breakdown into the middle of 'Gigantic', prompting the bass player to giggle (she's getting younger by the minute, isn't she?) "Why are we breaking this song down, we've not done for the last twenty years" (twenty years ago, Kim Deal was 186).

Anyway, I don't need to say any more. Look at this set list. Is there any song that you wouldn't want to hear? Thought not.

Cecilia Ann
Rock Music
Bonemachine
Monkey Gone To Heaven
Gouge Away
Hey
Velouria
Dig For Fire
Allison
Debaser
Planet of Sound
Alec Eiffel
Caribou
River Euphrates
Cactus
Is She Weird?
Break My Body
The Sad Punk
Head On
Wave of Mutilation
Tame
Isla De Enchanta
Nimrod's Son
The Holiday Song
Gigantic
Where Is My Mind?
Here Comes Your Man

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home