THE PIXIES, one of the the greatest, and most influential, of all American alternative rock bands, and a primary inspiration to Nirvana and Radiohead, will play Galway next summer.
Pixies - Black Francis (vocals, guitars ) Joey Santiago (guitars ), David Lovering (drums ), and Paz Lenchantin (bass ) - will play the Galway International Arts Festival Big Top in the Fisheries Field on Friday July 17 2020.
Between 1987 and 1991, the Pixies released four albums, of which 1987's Surfer Rosa and 1989's Doolittle are rightly regarded as classics. The band took the quiet verse/loud chorus dynamic that had originally been pioneered by Led Zeppelin and turned it on its head. Verses could be loud and choruses soft, or there could be sharp changes of intensity and volume at unpredictable, unconventional moments. Allied to this was a sharp sense of anthemics and Black Francis's ear for a quirky melody.
Among the band's best known songs are 'Monkey Gone To Heaven', 'Where Is My Mind?', 'Gigantic', 'Here Comes Your Man', and 'Debaser' - all of which continue to be played at indie clubs and feature on soundtracks to films and TV series. The band recently reformed and have released the albums Indie Cindy (2014 ), Head Carrier (2016 ), and Beneath The Eyrie (2019 ).
For the Pixies' upcoming tour, there will be no nightly set list. Instead songs will be determined in the heat of the moment. From a live onstage mic that feeds only to the band members, sound engineer, and lighting director, Black Francis calls out what the next song will be. "The best is when you can sense what the next song should be based on the atmosphere in the room," said Dave Lovering. "That's really, ultimately what we're going for, to read the room and to be able to make the right choice.”
This is a 'GIAF and Róisín Dubh presents...' show. Tickets are €52.50 and go on sale Friday November 1 at 9am from www.giaf.ie
