Friday, October 21, 2022

"We weren't trying to suck"

It's been nothing short of torturous opening up Twitter each morning this week to be confronted with a new Pavement setlist - each one different yet all stuffed with goodies - in the knowledge that this tour is passing me by. You got to witness an eight-minute-long version of 'Type Slowly' in Leeds? They kicked off in Manchester with 'Major Leagues'? I'm so happy for you.

Of course, I couldn't prevent myself from rubbing salt into my own wounds by reading Laurie Havelock's interview with Scott Kannberg and Bob Nastanovich. The pair talk about how British music and British audiences are the secret to the band's success, while Nastanovich attempts to correct a common misconception: "Sure, we were sloppy and loose and ramshackle - whatever delightful adjective anyone wants to apply to it is fine with me - but people need to realise we were absolutely trying our best to execute the songs."

This reads like a thinly veiled message to producer Nigel Godrich, who has referred to Pavement as "delightfully shambolic" but who made the mistake of trying to tighten them up for final album Terror Twilight. While not exactly wild by most standards, they were never a band to be tamed.

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