If you saw the news this week that all four members of Talking Heads were going to voluntarily be in the same room together in September to talk about their iconic concert film Stop Making Sense, and thought “I’ll believe it when it happens,” you were not alone. The band officially split in 1991 following a couple years of inactivity after their 1988 album Naked, and David Byrne has been estranged from the rest of the band (Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth, Jerry Harrison) since. The last time they all played together was at their 2002 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and it didn’t seem like they were too happy to be doing it. Frantz & Weymouth’s 2020 memoir Remain in Love didn’t paint the most pleasant picture of Byrne, especially of the band’s later years.
But time heals a lot of wounds, and in a new interview with People, David Byrne says he regrets how Talking Heads ended.
“As a younger person, I was not as pleasant to be around,” he told People. “When I was working on some Talking Heads shows, I was more of a little tyrant. And then I learned to relax, and I also learned that collaborating with people, both sides get more if there’s a good relationship instead of me telling everybody what to do.” He added, “I think [the end] wasn’t handled well. It was kind of ugly.”
As for how things are now, Byrne tells People, “We have a cordial relationship now. We’re sort of in touch, but we don’t hang out together.”
Suddenly, an actual Talking Heads reunion doesn’t totally seem outside the realm of possibility. Let the comeback tour rumors commence!
While we ponder on all that and compile dream setlists, the new 4K 40th anniversary restoration of Stop Making Sense premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, which will be followed by a live Q&A with the band and Spike Lee. The premiere and Q&A are being broadcast as a live theatrical event in IMAX theaters (more info and tickets here).
The film will then begin its new theatrical run across the country on September 22.
Byrne is also busy with the Broadway run of his musical Here Lies Love.
