Tearing it up _{by Madelaine Empson}

Pixies – formed in Boston Massachusetts in 1986 – have changed the course of alternative rock. Influencing the likes of Nirvana and Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins and Weezer, their first two albums Surfer Rosa (1988) and the platinum-certified Doolittle (1989) yielded cult classics like Here Comes Your Man, Debaser, and Where Is My Mind – which featured in the David Fincher film Fight Club – and earned high praise from one of their influences, U2’s Bono, who said they’d made “just about the most compelling music of the entire 80s”.

In the early 90s before they broke up in 1993, Pixies released albums number three and four: Bossanova (1990), featuring the singles Velouria and Dig for Fire and peaking at number three in the UK, and Trompe le Monde (1991), which Michael Bonner of Lime Lizard described as “one of the best albums that you may very well ever hear” and “a strong contender for best album of the 20^th century”.

Reuniting in 2004 on a tour that sold out within minutes and included a celebrated reformation concert at Coachella, Pixies are deep into their second act and in the midst of a creative purple patch. Their latest album The Night the Zombies Came (2024) prompted DIY Magazine to state, “Four decades in and Pixies remain one of the most consistent, influential bands on the planet.”

Earning a huge fanbase over in our corner of the world, Kiwis can rejoice as Pixies play not one, but two back-to-back concerts in both Auckland and Wellington at St James Theatre. Night one on Wednesday the 26^th of November will see the band smash out Bossanova and Trompe le Monde in their entirety, while night two on Thursday the 27^th features a cross-catalogue set and songs from The Night the Zombies Came.

I was lucky enough to catch up with Pixies founding member and guitarist Joey Santiago, who says the “fact that we’re going to be halfway around the world is psychologically thrilling. We’re just lucky – that we can play over there, that they understand us. Not many bands can really do this. We’re very thankful for that.”

So excited that you’re coming back to New Zealand. I wanted to start by asking about the unique concept of the tour – where did it come from?

Bands have done it, and I actually witnessed a band do it – Steely Dan with Aja, they did a front-to-back of that album. It was quite entertaining. I knew what I was gonna get, and I got it [chuckles]. The second night [of our tour] will just be a general set – two nights in every city is good for me! It gives me extra time to explore.

What’s on the agenda when you get to Welly?

I tend to walk around, see the sights, look at the architecture, eat good food. I basically hang out like a local. Have my coffee somewhere, look around, maybe go to a record shop. I’ve done that tramp up the hill once.

Does Mount Victoria ring a bell?

It does! Very nice!

In concert, does stacking Bossanova and Trompe le Monde up against The Night the Zombies Came highlight evolution in your sound?

Hopefully, if you do go to the second night or listen to the records, you’ll see musical growth. And also that we have retained that Pixies signature in there – a little DNA, even though it has evolved.

When playing Bossanova and Trompe le Monde, speaking for myself and in general, the songs are wacky. My guitar playing – I could appreciate how unique it was. It still is. In the new album, it translates the same way. There are weird moments there also. But revisiting Bossanova and Trompe le Monde, it’s weird! There are moments where I remember coming up with some of those parts.

I went to see you in Auckland about 15 years ago and the energy in the mosh pit at the arena was colossal. There must be nothing like the feeling of playing up there. Do some shows stand out?

Definitely some shows stand out. And it’s really the vibe of the venue and the audience. That’s very important. I appreciate how ready I am these days. I prioritise the show more than anything. I don’t do much before the show, I make sure I’m prepared and well rested and ready. It’s more professional.

Is that different to past shows – has your routine changed?

Yeah, I mean back then, pre-breakup, I was tearing it up [laughs]. Rolling into the venue just like [grunts], why did I eat that brownie!

I don’t know if you have the same term, but over here we call it ‘being a bit dusty’, if you’re perhaps not feeling your best.

Definitely, there were too many gigs where there are cobwebs.

I read a quote about the new album from MOJO that called Pixies ‘the most thrillingly deathly of bands’. How do you feel about those descriptors – accurate?

Deathly, you said? Huh. I suppose the title Zombies would harken that. Beheaded like in Chicken. I could see that [nods]. And I like it!

Do you have a song that you feel best captures your life at the moment?

Yeah! It’s by Eric Burdon & the Animals and it’s called Poem By The Sea. It’s going to blow you away. That’s basically where I’m at, where my head is. The whole song is about feeling small in the universe. Man, I’m going to sound like I’m going to be riding on a unicorn, but just feeling small and humbled by the grand scheme of things. I can’t wait for you to listen to it!