Pixies announce one-off NZ gig

Pixies (from left) Kim Deal, Joey Santiago, David Lovering, Black Francis. Photo / Supplied

American indie rock legends the Pixies are heading to New Zealand for the first time.

Local fans probably thought it would never happen, because the notoriously fractious and volatile group, made up of singer/guitarist Black Francis, bass player Kim Deal, guitarist Joey Santiago, and drummer David Lovering, split up in 1993 only to reform in 2004 - and then in 2008 Francis stated that the reunion was over.

"For us, there's gotta be an angle. It can't be just playing our old songs over and over," is what Francis told NME in August 2008. But it seems, the 20th anniversary of the band's 1989 classic album, Doolittle, is the perfect inspiration for the band to hit the road again.

At the show at Vector Arena on March 12 the band will play the entirety of Doolittle. As well as iconic songs Monkey Gone To Heaven, Here Comes Your Man, and riotous first track, Debaser, they will also do related B-sides to fill out the set, and, fingers crossed, material from other albums.

These B-sides include Into the White, a Pixies' classic and live staple which is even more unique in that it was co-written by Francis and Deal, a rarity considering Francis' monopoly of songwriting duties.

Tickets on sale from Ticketmaster on September 18.