Credit: Norman WongWith Daft Punk announcing their breakup last month, many music fans are regretting that they missed the chance to see the influential electronic duo live. But for Death from Above 1979, not only did they miss out on an opportunity to see Daft Punk in concert, they missed an opportunity to go on tour with them.
In an interview with NME, bassist Jesse Keeler reveals DFA1979 was offered a spot to open for Daft Punk during the duo’s 2006/2007 Alive tour, which marked the debut of their iconic pyramid stage setup. However, Keeler says at that time, he and vocalist/drummer Sebastian Grainger had already decided to break the band up.
“When our band broke up, we decided in 2005 to stop playing together but we hadn’t told anybody yet,” Keeler recalls. “That’s when Daft Punk’s manager Pedro [Winter] asked us to open for them on that tour with the pyramid. I told him, ‘Dude, you’re too late!'”
Not only did the Alive tour become legendary for its unique production, but it also turned out to be Daft Punk’s final full live run.
“Only the greatest tour that ever happened!” Grainger laments.
While missing out on opening for Daft Punk certainly hurts, it was the right decision for DFA1979, who were burned out from touring behind their 2004 album, You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine. The band reunited in 2011, and since then have released the albums The Physical World in 2014 and Outrage! Is Now in 2017.
And this Friday, Death from Above will drop another new record, Is 4 Lovers.
“There was a point where my guiding aesthetic was, ‘What happens if a metal band were recorded like The Beatles?'” Grainger says of working on the album. “That’s a vibe I wanted to get out of it.”
By Josh Johnson
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