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Under the philosophical title “Who is the Sky?” David Byrne’s public again in early September with a new studio album. His last solo project “American Utopia” is now seven years ago. There is also a big tour, occasion for a look back.
Return to the stage with new material
The 73-year-old said in an interview with the American Rolling Stone that he will probably “incorporate” some Talking Heads songs into his set at the upcoming shows.
Although he is aware that this can become a “real case”. “If you play too much older material, you become a legacy band that only plays your old hits,” he explains. “You earn money quickly. But ultimately you dig a hole yourself.” Instead of further development, you become a prisoner of your own history.
The risk of becoming a “legacy band”
The “Legacy Band” model has become a mega-multimillions of business at the latest since the spectacular (live) reunion of Oasis. Of course, this only works if the legacy, that is, the “legacy”, is large enough to make nostalgia a currency and to pull the audience in the arena format in as many countries as possible.
In the case of talking heads, the chances of a common comeback around 34 years after their separation are rather low.
See you again at the Toronto International Film Festival
In 2023, Bryne and his former bandmates – Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison – performed together for the first time since 2002. But that happened at the Toronto International Film Festival to celebrate the re -publication of her concert film “Stop Making Sense”.
At that time, an offer of $ 80 million was haunted by the industry service if the quartet still decides on a (retro) tour.
“We were all very proud of this show and the film by Jonathan Demme,” said Byrne in retrospect. “Also enthusiastic about the fact that the audience still wanted to see him. So we put our differences aside. I said: ‘Ok, we won’t go on tour. But we will help to promote this film again.’
No interest in a reunion tour
Byrne admitted a common one. Nevertheless, Toronto did not make the idea of a musical reunification more attractive.
“Musically, I developed very differently. In addition, there had already been a whole range of reunion albums and tours. Some of them may have been good. But not many. It is almost impossible to find the point at which you stood in your life at the time. For the audience, this was a defining music at a certain time. They may be persuaded that they can experience it again. But from a creative point of view it is not possible.”
Why the past does not come back
However, he understands the constant requests and speculations of the fans.
“I am a music fan like others. (…) But you also notice that you can’t turn the time back. If you heard music in your life at a certain point in time, it can mean a lot. But it doesn’t work that you can return there and let it happen again.”
The history of the talking heads
As a New York original, the Talking Heads have existed since the original phase of Punk and New Wave from 1975 to 1991. Eight studio albums were created in their 16-year career. “Speaking in Tongues” (1983) was her most successful album and reached 15th place on the US billboard charts, the single “Burning Down the House” came in 9th in the USA and was also a mainstream hit internation.
Although the group only officially dissolved in 1991, the last live appearances took place seven years earlier as part of the “Speaking in Tongues” tour in 1984. Later they came back together in 2002 for a single appearance on the occasion of their admission to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.