Interpol celebrated the biggest concert of its career with a free show on Saturday (April 20) at the Zócalo in Mexico City, where the band gathered over 160,000 fans, according to figures provided by local authorities.
In the words of vocalist Paul Banks, it was the “most special night” and “a great honor” to perform at a historic site for a country with which they have maintained a very close relationship for two decades. The band — also comprising guitarist Daniel Kessler and drummer Sam Fogarino (who is recovering from surgery and was covered by Chris Broome) — has the visited the country just over 20 times. Banks lived and studied in Mexico when he was 17. This partly explains why he feels like he’s in his “second home,” as he told Billboard Español hours before Saturday’s performance.
After moving to New York for college, the vocalist returned in 2005 to Mexico City and gave one of his most memorable concerts. That night, in 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 (about 7,000, according to promoter Iguapop).
This time around, at the Zócalo — the main public square in the country and the second largest in the world after Tiananmen in China — everything was impeccable, including the sound, the lights, and the logistics. The Government of Mexico City deployed an operation with hundreds of police officers who watched over the main plaza and surrounding streets, where huge screens were installed so that more people could enjoy the show without venturing into the crowd. Although there was a slight drizzle hours before, spirits did not falter.
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.
Here are some of our favorite moments from Interpol’s Mexico City concert, including the complete setlist.
“Evil” in Mariachi
Before opening band Water From Your Eyes’ performance, a voice announced that there was a surprise from Interpol’s Paul Banks, as a group of mariachis took over the stage. First, “El Son de la Negra,” one of the most popular songs from the Mexican songbook, was played. Then came a mariachi version of Interpol’s “Evil,” which the audience celebrated with cheers and applause. After performing the classic “El Rey” by José Alfredo Jiménez, they played “Evil” once more to set the tone for the big show.
All the Biggest Hits
Image Credit: Courtesy of the Ministry of Culture of Mexico City.
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), Antics (2004) and Our Love to Admire (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 complete setlist of the show:
1. “C’mere” 2. “Say Hello to the Angels” 3. “Narc” 4. “My Desire” 5. “Obstacle 1” 6. “Lights” 7. “Pioneer to the Falls” 8. “The Rover” 9. “All the Rage Back Home” 10. “Rest My Chemistry” 11. “PDA” 12. “Toni” 13. “Try It On” 14. “Not Even Jail” 15. “NYC” 16. “Evil 17. “Public Pervert” 18. “Slow Hands” (Encore) 19. “Untitled” 20. “No I in Threesome” 21. “Stella Was a Diver and She Was Always Down”
An Early Celebration
The New York trio will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of Antics with a commemorative tour that will begin in the U.K. in November. But during their performance at the Zócalo, the celebration arrived early with the inclusion of several songs from the 2004 album, such as “C’mere”, “Slow Hands”, “Narc”, “Public Pervert” and of course, “Evil”, which was undoubtedly the most cheered of the night.
Se Habla Español
The audience was appreciative that Banks interacted with them in Spanish on several occasions. “Many thanks to Mexico City for inviting us to play in this amazing, historical place with all of you. Thank you for coming, and for creating an incredible memory for us,” the singer said in perfect Español. On social media, dozens of fans praised him for the gesture and for speaking so well the language.
“We love You”
Image Credit: Courtesy of the Ministry of Culture of Mexico City.
“Stella Was a Diver and She Was Always Down” marked the end of the show, and Paul Banks thanked deeply the Mexican audience, which never stopped conveying their affection for the band by applauding, cheering, and lighting their cell phones’ light, as was particularly special during the performance of “NYC” in a visually spectacular moment.
“We’ve been coming to Mexico for 20 years and you always have a very special place in our hearts,” the vocalist said amidst the euphoria of the attendees. “Words cannot express what we feel for you. Thank you for coming and for supporting us all these years. We love you.”
