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peter radiator
= Cult of Ray =
USA
653 Posts |
 Posted - 01/31/2014 : 19:42:50
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I rode a Greyhound bus for 14 hours to see this concert, and just wanted to say that it was, bar none, the SINGLE BEST PIXIES SHOW I HAVE EVER ATTENDED, and I've been fortunate to see them live several times since the first go around.
IT WAS FLAT OUT FUCKING SWAGGER FROM THE FIRST NOTE.
Non-stop energy, non-stop baddassery.
They played like they were all 20 years old and desperate to earn a small club full of new fans, rather than a legacy band playing to a packed house of longtime followers.
Phenomenal FOH mix.
Paz played great, and David tore it up, adding a few extraneous, tasty licks and fills that have not usually been present since 2004.
I would have loved to have heard "Another Toe" and "Snakes," but all the new songs they included sounded good and tight.
I must say that this lineup seems to really be gelling as of right now.
FBF's vocals are spot on and strong, Paz's backing vocals are plenty surefooted and bold, and, most importantly, FBF seems to be (very slightly) toying with the phrasing of the lyrics and the guitar strumming patterns of the Pixies back catalog.
These attributes have remained fairly etched in stone since the band first reunited, and I recall FBF mentioning that the band (I think specifically Kim D.) had chastised him early on in their initial rehearsals for not singing and playing them exactly as they were on record, and he recognized this and acquiesced.
Now, it finally seems that he (and they) are starting to PLAY WITH the songs, as opposed to RECREATE them.
In other words, it was a tiny bit like having "Frank Black" fronting the Pixies, which is something both refreshing and somehow comforting for those of us who dig "the total package."
This is not to say they are not faithful renditions. They are.
Damn near textbook.
But they're "putting a little English on the ball," so to speak.
They're taking a few liberties, letting the old songs breathe, and the new songs evolve into something more than the studio renditions.
In other words, they're sounding like A BAND again.
Seriously. They blew my fucking mind tonight.
I hope a clear recording of this complete show surfaces.
This was a stupendous show by a stupendous band.
Cults was a GREAT opener for their first night on the tour. They were VERY impressive, and I gladly bought their latest CD at the merch table.
But the Pixies came out and quite casually knocked the Cults' collective dicks in the dirt, without so much as a furrowed brow.
They shifted from song to song with as little as five seconds in between (if that - as many tunes found FBF strumming the introductory chords directly out of the final chords of the preceding number).
I made my way to the front of the stage after the house lights came up and asked one of the road crew if there was any way he could give me Dave's setlist as a keepsake.
He just chuckled and said, "There were no setlists tonight, mate."
It was goddamn brilliant - and I do not offer such praise lightly.
Don't miss this tour, if you can help it.
~ Peter Radiator
"Real music is out there and real people are making it." ~ Webb Wilder |
Edited by - peter radiator on 01/31/2014 20:59:14 |
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shineoftheever
> Teenager of the Year <
Canada
4307 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2014 : 20:33:40
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14 hours? there wasnt a show closer?
glad it paid off tho!!!
you're getting me stoked for my 3 shows in < a week!
"Fundamentally, all writing is about the same thing; it's about dying, about the brief flicker of time we have here, and the frustration that it creates. |
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peter radiator
= Cult of Ray =
USA
653 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2014 : 20:38:06
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quote:
Originally posted by shineoftheever
14 hours? there wasnt a show closer?
What do you mean by "show closer?"
Final song was "Planet of Sound," with the house lights full up...
~ Peter Radiator
"Real music is out there and real people are making it." ~ Webb Wilder |
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natenate101
= Cult of Ray =
USA
891 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2014 : 21:48:55
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| Cool review Pete, thanks for sharing. I agree that BF's vocals are sounding stellar this go round. |
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Arm Arm Arm
* Dog in the Sand *
1036 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2014 : 22:17:27
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I believe he meant geographically closer.
Great review. I'm also impressed you were on a greyhound bus for that long!
I really love them starting to open up the songs a bit, I hope this is just the beginning of a new way of performing for them.
Glad you had such a great time Pete.
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pixie punk
> Teenager of the Year <
2923 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2014 : 02:03:53
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Thanks for your report peter!
PUERTO RICO PIXIE |
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sdon
= Cult of Ray =
France
786 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2014 : 02:08:07
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Curious to hear how they play with the old songs
I usually don't like BF doing that: changing the pace/flow of Where Is My Mind has never been as good as the studio version, short repents in Caribou don't please me as much as the original screams, and In Heaven (though better now than the reunion versions) really lacks the frantic approach of the 80's. I much prefer them delivering new songs than toying with the classics. Just my opinion of course, as I may understand well what Kim D. could feel like.
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"Aristophanes! (gong sounds)" |
Edited by - sdon on 02/01/2014 02:08:39 |
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houstonguthrie
- FB Fan -
187 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2014 : 03:07:38
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I was there too and he's right it rocked! They were in excellent form - just nailing the songs and really into it. I agree with peter's description about "putting English on the ball". I noticed little things too - almost imperceptible really - It was more in the attitude then anything specific. They were still faithful renditions its just that they weren't cookie cutter exactly like the recorded version which was great. Just seemed like they were playing them with a spontaneous attitude - holding true to the song but not married to the recording
I thought the new songs all sounded great and they sprinkled them in there at just the right places. They were right in the pocket - mixed in real well with the old.
I loved Paz - her playing and energy were just perfect. I hope they continue to work with her - she was just great.
hey peter - did you notice or think that she had changed that bass intro to Gouge Away a little bit? I thought she had put a little pepper on it. Like when she first kicked it off in the initial seconds I didn't even recognize it as Gouge Away. She had her own style of playing it. I thought she did an excellent job blending in playing the songs faithfully enough but with her own touch.
I was right down in front - it sounded incredible - Man those songs just about knock you over at times they're so powerful!!
it was freaking great - I'm real happy to see them being a real band again - the positive vibes were there.
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Arm Arm Arm
* Dog in the Sand *
1036 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2014 : 06:57:41
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| Did Paz play violin on any songs? |
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simibaby
= Cult of Ray =
405 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2014 : 14:19:51
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| Nice review, Peter. I feel fortunate that I could see them once on October and twice last week and not have to travel more than 1/2 hr each time. True "ecstacy" /(MY LUNACY?) was in December, 2004 seeing them 8 shows in one week at their Hammerstein Ballrom 'residency'. Those 1/2 trips are sweet. I Love NYC!!!!!!!!!! |
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simibaby
= Cult of Ray =
405 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2014 : 14:22:25
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| 1/2 hr |
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pixie punk
> Teenager of the Year <
2923 Posts |
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pixie punk
> Teenager of the Year <
2923 Posts |
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houstonguthrie
- FB Fan -
187 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2014 : 07:25:22
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quote:
Originally posted by Arm Arm Arm
Did Paz play violin on any songs?
There weren't no fiddle playin :) |
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peter radiator
= Cult of Ray =
USA
653 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2014 : 10:24:30
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quote:
Originally posted by shineoftheever
14 hours? there wasnt a show closer?
Ahhh, I understand now.
Durham is about an 8 hour drive from my home.
Atlanta would have been about 4.5 hours.
However, I have family who lives 90 minutes from Durham, and so I met up with my brother there and we went together.
Opted to take the bus, so as not to put a ton of miles on my band van, and since Greyhound stops at every hamlet in between here and there, a 6.5 car ride turned into a rather uncomfortable 14-hour bus journey (or 28 hours round-trip).
Ugh.
It was worth it, though. Really enjoyable show all around.
~ Peter Radiator
"Real music is out there and real people are making it." ~ Webb Wilder |
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simibaby
= Cult of Ray =
405 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2014 : 10:33:42
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| Kudos. a real fan |
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peter radiator
= Cult of Ray =
USA
653 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2014 : 11:27:40
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BTW, two really interesting technical aspects of these new, post-"Bagboy" tours (for those who care about such things):
It has been mentioned on these boards before, but the band is now all using custom-made in-ear monitors, which is a transition they have long avoided, despite the overwhelming majority of modern stage acts going that route years ago.
These allow for much less ear fatigue, and often are said to improve vocal pitch despite the loud stage volume of amps and drums.
However, one often overlooked by-product of going the in-ear route is that messages can be conveyed to the musicians privately - meaning that the front-of-house sound engineer, side-stage monitor engineer, or anyone else with a talkback mic for that matter, can speak directly to the bandmembers through their earphones, with absolutely no chance of that dialog being overheard by those near the stage or bleeding through audibly onto ambient or soundboard recordings (which was often the case when using wedge monitors or sidefills).
What's really cool about the advent of using this technology is that starting on this leg of the tour, FBF seems to have taken things one step further. There is now a vocal mic on a stand directly to the right of David's drumkit, which faces toward the audience.
This allows FBF (during instrumental breaks and/or in between songs) to very casually stroll a few feet, turn his back to the crowd and speak directly into that mic.
Whether his comments/directions are going to the monitor guy, the main soundman, or his fellow bandmates is unclear - and it could be to all parties. But it's an extremely clever way to discretely share info and/or requests without interrupting the flow of the show.
My guess would be he's occasionally giving the other bandmembers a head's up on what song he's about to start next, as well as asking for individual tweaks to his monitor mix.
Regardless, that shit is SMOOTH.
~ Peter Radiator
"Real music is out there and real people are making it." ~ Webb Wilder |
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pixie punk
> Teenager of the Year <
2923 Posts |
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sdon
= Cult of Ray =
France
786 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2014 : 20:28:23
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Someone said there were no written setlists for these (recent?) shows. Reminds of the Bluefinger tour, where BF was yelling the upcoming song in the mic so that bandmates (and audience) could hear. In-ear monitors allow for the same "impro" effect, without disclosing anything to the audience
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"Aristophanes! (gong sounds)" |
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Discoking
* Dog in the Sand *
Belgium
1120 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2014 : 22:46:15
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quote:
Originally posted by peter radiator
most importantly, FBF seems to be (very slightly) toying with the phrasing of the lyrics and the guitar strumming patterns of the Pixies back catalog.
These attributes have remained fairly etched in stone since the band first reunited, and I recall FBF mentioning that the band (I think specifically Kim D.) had chastised him early on in their initial rehearsals for not singing and playing them exactly as they were on record, and he recognized this and acquiesced.
Now, it finally seems that he (and they) are starting to PLAY WITH the songs, as opposed to RECREATE them.
dunno, man. hasn't he always done that? this doesn't sound like anything new to me.
 it's educational |
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picpic
* Dog in the Sand *
Belgium
1874 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2014 : 00:55:51
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I don't see anything special about those videos ? They don't seem to "play" with the songs or changing anything ?
Everything looks normal, except the fact that in my opinion, Frank is singing better than ever ! And they sound very well rehearsed too. Paz is great. You can hear she's a good singer, which definitely brings something extra.
I was quite amazed by their latest acoustic performance, by the way (they didn't use in-ear monitors on that one, but they sounded just amazing. Especially Frank's voice)
___
"Service Unavailable" |
Edited by - picpic on 02/03/2014 01:00:35 |
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rivum
= Cult of Ray =
Canada
264 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2014 : 08:00:53
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quote:
Originally posted by sdon
Someone said there were no written setlists for these (recent?) shows. Reminds of the Bluefinger tour, where BF was yelling the upcoming song in the mic so that bandmates (and audience) could hear. In-ear monitors allow for the same "impro" effect, without disclosing anything to the audience
--
"Aristophanes! (gong sounds)"
toronto was set prior to the show. don't know about any of the others - may have been because that was the first proper show of this tour... |
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Arm Arm Arm
* Dog in the Sand *
1036 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2014 : 08:22:21
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| Frank does some little flourishes at the start of Gouge Away in that clip above. I think it'd be great if they really opened up the songs, stretched some out, offered up alternate versions etc. |
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picpic
* Dog in the Sand *
Belgium
1874 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2014 : 09:03:34
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quote:
Originally posted by Arm Arm Arm
Frank does some little flourishes at the start of Gouge Away in that clip above. I think it'd be great if they really opened up the songs, stretched some out, offered up alternate versions etc.
Mhhhh... i'd prefer them experimenting newer ones instead of changing the old ones...
___
"Service Unavailable" |
Edited by - picpic on 02/03/2014 09:03:54 |
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peter radiator
= Cult of Ray =
USA
653 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2014 : 09:04:39
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quote:
Originally posted by picpic
I don't see anything special about those videos ? They don't seem to "play" with the songs or changing anything ?
Everything looks normal, except the fact that in my opinion, Frank is singing better than ever !
The songs which have been linked to via Youtube clips are not particularly great examples of what I was describing, which houstonguthrie also picked up on at the show.
I was not describing distinctly different arrangements or riffs being used, merely slight differences in vocal inflection and groove that really stuck out to me as a musician and as someone who has paid close attention to the way these particular players have interacted onstage over the years.
Houstonguthrie described it as more of an attitudinal thing, and I'd agree (I called it a swagger), but I would add that there are subtle shifts in where some of the beats fell on many tunes (as opposed to the fairly regimented, right-down-the-center approach that Dave and Kim D. really perfected).
Many of the tunes "swung" more than usual, and while FBF has occasionally changed up his vocal and guitar phrasing at Pixies shows, that has always been to a bare minimum - if compared to his time as a solo artist and especially during the Catholics days, when he seemed to favor an unpredictable, playful approach to melody and phrasing that came across to me as a merging of the declamatory, in-concert vocal styles of Jonathan Richman, Jim Carroll and mid-'70s era Dylan (not in that his VOICE sounded like any of those folks, but rather his way of taking liberties with the note patterns and timing "established" on the "official" released versions of his songs).
Overall, at the Durham show, I felt the band was loosening up a bit, and moving organically away from merely regurgitating a tone that's sat in their tracks (sic) for many years.
Slight, but noticeable if you were tuned into that frequency, and, to me at least, very promising.
Hope this makes more sense.
~ Peter Radiator
"Real music is out there and real people are making it." ~ Webb Wilder |
Edited by - peter radiator on 02/03/2014 09:36:29 |
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pixie punk
> Teenager of the Year <
2923 Posts |
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simibaby
= Cult of Ray =
405 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2014 : 15:33:23
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Peter, enough already with the over-analysis. Just relax and enjoy!
and if you remind ue one more time that you're a musician, we're gonna..... How many sentences are you gonna keep starting with the words...."AS A MUSICIAN...."?!
But, "as a musician..." couldn't you have spent those 14 hours on the bus in your home studio "musicianning?
Ha.just playin with ya, dude |
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peter radiator
= Cult of Ray =
USA
653 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2014 : 19:41:59
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Points well taken, simibaby.
Believe it or not, this is how I relax and enjoy.
:)
~ Peter Radiator
"Real music is out there and real people are making it." ~ Webb Wilder |
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simibaby
= Cult of Ray =
405 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2014 : 20:14:45
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| I hear you. I do appreciate your passion & reviews lol |
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Discoking
* Dog in the Sand *
Belgium
1120 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2014 : 22:40:52
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i was slightly shocked by the "HOLY SHIT" and the "FLAT OUT FUCKING SWAGGER".
i wasn't expecting that from you, peter.
it's educational |
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peter radiator
= Cult of Ray =
USA
653 Posts |
Posted - 02/04/2014 : 07:45:35
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quote:
Originally posted by Discoking
i was slightly shocked by the "HOLY SHIT" and the "FLAT OUT FUCKING SWAGGER".
i wasn't expecting that from you, peter.
I just recently learned those words, and was excited to try them out.
Did not mean to scare anyone.
~ Peter Radiator
"Real music is out there and real people are making it." ~ Webb Wilder |
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Discoking
* Dog in the Sand *
Belgium
1120 Posts |
Posted - 02/04/2014 : 08:46:13
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yolo!
it's educational |
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Pixies - Live in Durham 1/31/14: HOLY SHIT
