Interpol celebrated the biggest concert of their career with a free show on Saturday (April 20) at the Zócalo in Mexico City, where the band drew more than 160,000 fans, according to figures provided by local authorities.
In the words of singer Paul Banks, it was “the most special night” and “a great honour” to perform at a historic venue for a country with which they have had very close ties for two decades. The band – which also includes guitarist Daniel Kessler and drummer Sam Fogarino (who is recovering from surgery and was covered by Chris Broome) – has toured the country just over 20 times. Banks lived and studied in Mexico when he was 17 years old. That partly explains why he feels like he's in his “second home,” as he put it. Billboard Español hours before Saturday's show.
After moving to New York for college, the singer returned in 2005 to Mexico City and gave one of his most memorable concerts. That night, at the Salón Mexica, he says he felt the “terrifying” beauty of the Mexican audience, when the venue was about to collapse due to the number of people gathered (around 7,000, according to promoter Iguapop).
This time, in the Zócalo – the country's main public square and the second largest in the world after Tiananmen Square in China – everything was perfect, including the sound, lights and logistics. The Mexico City government deployed an operation with hundreds of police officers patrolling the main square and surrounding streets, where huge screens were installed so more people could enjoy the show without joining the crowd. Although a few hours before there was a little drizzle, the spirits were not dampened.
Interpol joins a list of international stars who have performed at the Zócalo, including Paul McCartney, Roger Waters, Justin Bieber, Shakira, Rosalía, Café Tacvba and Vicente Fernández, among others.
Below, some of our favorite moments from Interpol's Mexico City concert, including the full setlist.
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“Bad” in Mariachi
Before the band's Water From Your Eyes set opened, a voice announced that there was a surprise appearance from Interpol's Paul Banks as a mariachi group took over the stage. First, “El Son de la Negra,” one of the most popular Mexican song songs, was played. Then came a mariachi version of “Evil” by Interpol, which the audience celebrated with cheers and applause. After performing José Alfredo Jiménez's classic 'El Rey', they once again played 'Evil' to set the tone for the big show.
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All greatest hits
Image credit: Courtesy of the Mexico City Ministry of Culture.
For just over an hour and a half, Interpol performed more than 20 songs, taking the audience on a journey through their seven studio albums, though mainly focusing on Turn on the bright lights (2002), Funny (2004) and Our love for admiration (2007). Hits like “Obstacle 1”, “Rest My Chemistry”, “All the Rage Back Home”, “The Rover”, “PDA”, “Pioneer to the Falls” and “Say Hello to the Angels” were all heard at the Zócalo.
Here is the full setlist of the show:
1. “Come”
2. “Say Hello to the Angels”
3. “Narc”
4. “My Wish”
5. “Obstacle 1”
6. “Lights”
7. “Pioneer in waterfalls”
8. “The Rover”
9. “All the Rage Back Home”
10. “Rest My Chemistry”
11. “PDA”
12. “Toni”
13. “Try it”
14. “Not even prison”
15. “NYC”
16. “Bad
17. “Public Pervert”
18. “Slow Hands”
(I call again)
19. “Untitled”
20. “Not Me to Three People”
21. “Stella was a diver and she was always down” -
An Early Celebration
The New York trio will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its release Funny with a commemorative tour starting in the UK in November. But during their performance at the Zócalo, the celebration arrived early with the inclusion of several songs from the 2004 album, including 'C'mere', 'Slow Hands', 'Narc', 'Public Pervert' and of course, ' Evil ”, which was undoubtedly the most cheered of the night.
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Se Habla Español
The audience was grateful that Banks interacted with them in Spanish on several occasions. “Thank you so much to Mexico City for inviting us to play in this amazing, historic place with all of you. Thank you for coming and creating an incredible memory for us,” the singer said perfectly Español. On social media, dozens of fans praised him for the gesture and for speaking the language so well.
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“We love you”
Image credit: Courtesy of the Mexico City Ministry of Culture.
“Stella Was a Diver and She Was Always Down” marked the end of the show and Paul Banks warmly thanked the Mexican audience, who never stopped expressing their love for the band by clapping, cheering and flashing their cellphones . she was especially special during the 'NYC' performance in a visually stunning moment.
“We've been coming to Mexico for 20 years and you always have a very special place in our hearts,” the singer said amid the euphoria of the crowd. “Words cannot express how we feel about you. Thank you for coming and supporting us all these years. We love you.”
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/lists/interpol-mexico-city-zocalo-concert-best-moments/
