Interpol celebrated the biggest concert of its career with a free show on Saturday (April 20) at the Zócalo in Mexico City, where the band gathered over 160,000 fans, according to figures provided by local authorities.
In the words of vocalist Paul Banks, it was the “most special night” and “a great honor” to perform at a historic site for a country with which they have maintained a very close relationship for two decades. The band — also comprising guitarist Daniel Kessler and drummer Sam Fogarino (who is recovering from surgery and was covered by Chris Broome) — has the visited the country just over 20 times. Banks lived and studied in Mexico when he was 17. This partly explains why he feels like he’s in his “second home,” as he told Billboard Español hours before Saturday’s performance.
After moving to New York for college, the vocalist returned in 2005 to Mexico City and gave one of his most memorable concerts. That night, in the Salón Mexica, he says he felt the “terrifying” beauty of the Mexican audience, when the venue was about to collapse due to the number of people gathered (about 7,000, according to promoter Iguapop).
This time around, at the Zócalo — the main public square in the country and the second largest in the world after Tiananmen in China — everything was impeccable, including the sound, the lights, and the logistics. The Government of Mexico City deployed an operation with hundreds of police officers who watched over the main plaza and surrounding streets, where huge screens were installed so that more people could enjoy the show without venturing into the crowd. Although there was a slight drizzle hours before, spirits did not falter.
Interpol joins a list of international stars who have performed at the Zócalo, including Paul McCartney, Roger Waters, Justin Bieber, Shakira, Rosalía, Café Tacvba, and Vicente Fernández, among others.
Here are some of our favorite moments from Interpol’s Mexico City concert, including the complete setlist.
