Talking Heads Last Show Was In New Zealand In 1984 - Noise11.com
Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense

Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense

Talking Heads Last Show Was In New Zealand In 1984

by Paul Cashmere on August 17, 2023

in News

As Talking Heads Stop Making Sense goes back to cinema and is getting an expanded album release, it is interesting to note that the band also had its final concert on the Speaking In Tongues tour in New Zealand on 6 February 1984.

The Stop Making Sense movie by Jonathan Demme was filmed just two months earlier in December 1983 at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood. After the last Hollywood show on December 16, Talking Heads took Christmas and New Year off and then went to Australia in January 1983 for the Narara Festival in New South Wales on 28 January followed by two shows in Melbourne 30 and 31 January, and then the two New Zealand shows for Sweetwaters Music Festival on 4 and 6 1984.

The 6 February show was considerably shorter than the previous show two days earlier. The setlist on the tour was almost identical to the running order of the show captured for the Stop Making Sense movie but at the second New Zealand show David Byrne cut the show early and walked off in a Diva moment after ‘This Must Be The Place’.

This second show dropped ‘Once In A Lifetime’, ‘Big Business/I Zimbra’, ‘Girlfriend Is Better’, ‘Take Me To The River’ and ‘Life During Wartime’.

This was the final Talking Heads setlist:

Psycho Killer
Heaven
Thank You for Sending Me an Angel
Found a Job
Slippery People
Cities
Burning Down the House
Making Flippy Floppy
Swamp
What a Day That Was
This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)

Encore:
Genius of Love

Talking Heads stopped touring completely after New Zealand and became a studio band for the last three albums ‘Little Creatures’ (1985), ‘True Stories’ (1986) and ‘Naked’ (1988). In December 1991, the band announced they had split up.

The only time they have reformed was on 18 March 2002 for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony where they performed ‘Psycho Killer’, ‘Life During Wartime’, ‘Burning Down The House’ and ‘Take Me To The River’.

All four members, David Byrne, Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz will once again reunite on stage to discuss the restoration of the movie at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2023. It will be the first public appearance of the four original and only members of The Talking Heads since the Hall of Fame induction 21 years ago.

Stay updated with your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to Noise11 Music News here

Be the first to see NOISE.com’s newest interviews and special features on YOUTUBE and updated regularly. See things first SUBSCRIBE here: Noise11 on YouTube SUBSCRIBE

Noise11.com

Related Posts

Duran Duran, SXSW. Photo by Ros O'Gorman.
Sabrina Carpenter and Duran Duran Collaborate

Sabrina Carpenter surprised her fans when she brought out Duran Duran during her BST Hyde Park show on Sunday.

2 days ago
Joe Camilleri Apia Good Times 2021 photo by Noise11
Joe Camilleri’s Vintage Guitar Collection Stolen

Joe Camilleri’s home in regional Victoria has been broken into and the thief has taken nine of his prized guitars.

4 days ago
Dog Trumpet Live Forever
Reg Mombassa and Peter O’Doherty Go Track By Track Through Dog Trumpet’s ‘Live Forever’

On 11 July 2025 Dog Trumpet will release their ninth album ‘Live Forever’.

5 days ago
Colin Hay performs at the Recital Centre in Melbourne on 11 February 2018. Photo by Ros O'Gorman
Colin Hay To Release Man @ Work Volume 2

Men at Work’s Colin Hay has made a sequel to his 2003 solo album ‘Man @ Work’ where he re-recorded his Men At Work and solo songs.

5 days ago
John Paul Young One Foot In Front
John Paul Young’s Long Out of Print ‘One Foot In Front’ To Be Reissued

‘One Foot In Front’, John Paul Young’s long unavailable 1983 album, is getting a re-release through Andrew McNeice’s MelodicRock Classics.

6 days ago
Crowded House perform at Rod Laver Arena 10 December 2024 photo by Winston Robinson
More Crowded House Red Hot Summer Shows Sellout

The Crowded House Red Hot Summer shows are doing fast work around Australia will four shows on the tour now sold out.

July 2, 2025
Jesus and Mary Chain Psychocandy
Jack White’s Third Man To Release 40th Anniversary Jesus and Mary Chain ‘Psychocandy’

A 40th anniversary edition of Jesus and Mary Chain ‘Psychocandy’ will be released through Jack White’s Third Man Records.

July 2, 2025