It's the reunion that fans have been waiting two decades for - even if it's not quite the one they wanted.
The four members of Talking Heads reunited in Toronto last night for the premiere of the remastered version of their 'Stop Making Sense' concert documentary film.
The Jonathan Demme-directed film was originally released in 1984, but has been restored in 4K for IMAX screens. Over the last decade or so, the film has taken on a new lease of life with regular screenings in cinemas (including Dublin's Light House cinema) that involve dancing and singing along, and is regularly hailed as one of the best concert films of all time.
Frontman David Byrne, bassist Tina Weymouth, drummer Chris Frantz and keyboarder and guitarist Jerry Harrison came together for the world premiere and participated in a Q&A hosted by Spike Lee afterwards.
Lee had previously directed 'David Byrne's American Utopia' concert film, released in 2020.
Although Lee did not push them on a reunion - the last time they played a full gig together was in 1984, although they played together at their Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2002 - but Frantz did acknowledge their influence.
“Talking Heads was such a good band, and when we had that expanded lineup [for the Speaking in Tongues tour] with Steve Scales and Bernie Worrell and Lynn Mabry and Ednah Holt and Alex Weir, they just took us into a whole nother dimension," he said. "I’m very grateful to be here tonight and to be able to watch this and to enjoy it so much."
Byrne, meanwhile - who was also dancing in the aisles with the audience during some of the songs - admitted that "While I was watching this tonight, I thought ‘This is why we go to movie theaters. This is different from watching it on my laptop."
Although Lee did not push the band on a reunion, Deadline report that they asked Byrne the question after the screening, "and the unfortunate answer is a continued 'no'."
