LCD Soundsystem are set to make a major comeback with their first album since breaking up the band with a final show at Madison Square Garden in 2011 (and a subsequent film and box set documenting the supposed farewell performance). Now, in a couple of new interviews, frontman James Murphy has admitted that the grand finale was "a bit larky."
Speaking to the New York Times, the singer revealed that in the lead-up to the band's MSG show, promoters were worried about ticket sales and looking for creative ways to boost the performance's profile. He claims one of the venue's ideas was to "get a big opener for us" — even suggesting a double bill with OutKast's Big Boi.
Instead, LCD Soundsystem decided to bill it as the band's final gig.
"My theory was, if I make it our last show, we'll sell it out in two weeks," he said. "It wasn't a total lark, but it was a bit larky. But I like making decisions. I find it easy."
Of course, that particular decision worked out all right, as tickets to the show sold out in minutes.
He elaborated on the move in a conversation with Vulture. "I got mad on the phone with them about it," he said. "I was like, 'Well, how about it's our last fucking show?' And I hung up the phone. Then I was like, I guess that'll be our last show then."
Murphy later apologized to fans who felt the band's recent reunion "cheapened" the experience of saying goodbye in 2011. Last year, in a Facebook post addressing those who felt "betrayed," he wrote:
i'm seriously sorry. the only thing we can do now is get back into the studio and finish this record, and make it as fucking good as we can possibly make it. it needs to be better than anything we've done before, in my mind, because it won't have the help of being the first time. and we have to play better than we've ever played, frankly. every show has to be better than the best show we've played before for anyone to even say "well, that was good. i mean, not as good as they used to be. but, you know. it was good." we know all that.
The group's new album, American Dream, arrives on September 1.
Speaking to the New York Times, the singer revealed that in the lead-up to the band's MSG show, promoters were worried about ticket sales and looking for creative ways to boost the performance's profile. He claims one of the venue's ideas was to "get a big opener for us" — even suggesting a double bill with OutKast's Big Boi.
Instead, LCD Soundsystem decided to bill it as the band's final gig.
"My theory was, if I make it our last show, we'll sell it out in two weeks," he said. "It wasn't a total lark, but it was a bit larky. But I like making decisions. I find it easy."
Of course, that particular decision worked out all right, as tickets to the show sold out in minutes.
He elaborated on the move in a conversation with Vulture. "I got mad on the phone with them about it," he said. "I was like, 'Well, how about it's our last fucking show?' And I hung up the phone. Then I was like, I guess that'll be our last show then."
Murphy later apologized to fans who felt the band's recent reunion "cheapened" the experience of saying goodbye in 2011. Last year, in a Facebook post addressing those who felt "betrayed," he wrote:
i'm seriously sorry. the only thing we can do now is get back into the studio and finish this record, and make it as fucking good as we can possibly make it. it needs to be better than anything we've done before, in my mind, because it won't have the help of being the first time. and we have to play better than we've ever played, frankly. every show has to be better than the best show we've played before for anyone to even say "well, that was good. i mean, not as good as they used to be. but, you know. it was good." we know all that.
The group's new album, American Dream, arrives on September 1.
