From the Olympia last night from Handjob (Good job again dude). These videos and this review by Hilary makes me wish I had bought tickets.
When lauded rock groups reform, the expectations can never be lived up to because some new element or impetus is now present. Squeezing past the grinning sweaty faces, State, now frothing, tries to make sense of how the Pixies had just pissed on those expectations from a height.
I saw them in Landsdowne Road in 2005. It was as good as a stadium gig that size could be. These Olympia gigs would have been something else though for the 15 year old in me hearing Surfer Rosa and Doolittle for the first time. If you went, hope you enjoyed..
If you’ve any thoughts or videos, stick em in the comments.
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.
Joey Santiago’s guitar really stood out for me last night.
It’s a cliche, but I was really reminded of the first times I listened to the record and how ‘out there’ it sounded.
It still kinda does.
Kim’s strength with the bass is her understatement. Strong and resonant. She never whips off some douchey, slappy flourish. Cliche #2 – sometimes it’s about the notes you don’t play.
And she handles being the stuff of countless indie boys dreams very well.
Hmmmm, maybe I can cancel that thing I have tonight…..
What the fuck?! Frank Black can talk?! I want a refund! There was none of that on Wednesday.
It was unreal though, yeah. If they weren’t so patently aged, they could put out Doolittle tomorrow and it wouldn’t be dated, it’d still be weird and brilliant. The rest of music never quite caught up. And seeing that live is not something you get to do every day.
2 more videos from Handjob added. That lad is on fire.
The best band ever and forever! I’m still in love with kim deal!!! Ciao v.
Just back from Glasgow where the Pixies were fantastic. Venue very much like thoe old Point Depot but with the stage in the middle rather than at one end. Seems very like we got the better concert. They started with the 4 b-sides, both sides of Doolittle (as numbered by Kim Deal throughout the concert) then for the first encore they played The Holiday Song and Into the White. Then as the lights came on and the crowd were moving on they came out for a second encore of 8 songs which included Nimrod’s Son, Caribou and Where Is My Mind? How bad is that?