Billy34
Of course they would have existed. None of these bands, while being good bands, sound much like the Pixies or Frank Black. Although, Modest Mouse seems played the crap out of some Pixies records.

chung man
just wanna say:I love The Pixies for so long!they are the greatest n the coolest band to me - an ordinary girl in the small, boring city Hong Kong.

The Tirtus
They are all splattered on the same page. erase your ideas of permanence. each collection of bodybags makes the most interesting wah-wah chirp dirge destruction. Sit in the front but long for the nose bleed. eat crunch twitch moan. viva gogol bordello

Lawrence
Music would be different without them, no doubt about it. People strive to copy what they did effortlessly and from the heart so long ago now. as far as music evolution goes they are a big step on the ladder. From the guitar sound to the quiet/loud arrangements they were streets ahead of the rest, setting timeless blueprints with every album that will last far longer than they did as a group. respect.

Arbordelais
Les Pixies sont le plus grand du monde en activité, "Doolitle" l'album majeur et "Monkey Gone To Heaven" la meilleure chanson ! Viva Pixies Forever

Hopscotch
My question is this: would the Pixies exist if it wasn't for Husker Du?

Dawg
I'm in the minority here: I just don't hear the Pixies when I listen to Nirvana. It's a dotted line at best. The Pixies were creative and certainly somewhat influential, but I think too much has been made of Kurt's offhand comment about the Pixie's influence on Nirvana. Nirvana was going to happen no matter what. They were just too good. (This is no knock on the Pixies.)

Thom
Maybe they could, but they would have sounded a hell of a lot different...

hejnite
Pixies should be invited to Azkena Rock Festival (Basque Country) in Spain and also with Queens of the Stone age once again, they were brilliant in 2005!!! viva Azkena and rock&roll!

carlos tj, mexico
there are 2 periods on time before the pixies an after the pixies they're a band made by musicians not by only bandmembers they changed the way i felt music before, they play in a way that leaps my mind into the song (not only the lirycs but the extremely power-soft-surfy as well)they make vibrate my body every time i listen to them, there are lots of pixies fans in mexico and the fact that they probably will never come makes me sad 'couse it's a band you have to see alive, anyway frank,kim,joey and dave talent mix that only happens one in a million years ps:hello from mexico to all pixies' fans from around the world we're a bigass comunity

Jamie
Not sure about the mentioned bands, they probably would in some way or another. I know for a fact though that my band wouldn't exist without them! Best night of my life was watching Pixies re-union at V featival. Fantastic :)

Siri Norway
Poor Kurt Cobain would maybe been alive if it wasn`t for their influence of music from Pixies that made Nirvana so big!

islets of langerhan
1.James Brown 2.The Congos 3.The Fall 4.Captain Beefheart 12.Pixies

patrick
nirvana still would have made music probably, kurt was a brilliant songwriter and stuff even so... but would they have sounded as good or have been so big without the influence? doubtful. at the end of the day, nirvana probably wouldn't have existed (as we know them) without the pixies... but at the same time the pixies wouldn't have reformed witout the influence nirvana had

Greig Mc Donald
Fantastic to hear you guys do a documentary on a truly remarkable band. Pity mainstream Radio shows dont play more of this and queens of the stone age and less of Robbie Williams! Where are THEIR minds? I know....

Mike
All those bands are great, but they're all simply the cool, rebellious kids in school, While the Pixies are the teachers and tutors of the school that taught them everything they know....but it wasn't just the Pixies that taught them, the whole bunch of bands that were pigeonholed into the whole "grunge" genre (and many others as well) have taught todays bands their lessons, it's simple evolution baby!

Li ssandra
Never!!!!!

Danishboy
simply,No.

nat
NO! those bands could not have existed without the pixies. THE PIXIES ARE GODS!!!

son of a mother****
The Pixies are the greatest rock n roll band ever.

dalgetty
The quiet quiet quiet LOUD quiet dynamic was not invented by the Pixies, although they made great use of it. Zeppelin called it the "Fire One" technique, and used in songs like The Ocean, Bring it on Home, Over the Hills and Far Away. It's better to concentrate on things the Pixies truly pioneered, because there are so many

sam Morgan
the pixies deffinitely rock the show, there music is amazing and the dynamics between the band are quite ourstanding, especially live. however it has to be said that queens of the stone age are probably a better band than them. could they of existed without the pixies, probably not, but they have surpassed there mentors significantly. oh yeh nirvana rock to

Steve - London (no. 13 baby)
PIXIES ARE BOSS

Darryl W. Bullock
No!

JESTER2004
A band that stands out in a crowd of music will undoubtably have an influance on many. Their unique style set them aside from all around them. The Pixies gave us a new sound and without a doubt helped pave the way for others.

dbeaser78.textamerica.com
The Pixies inspire ME. That's all that really matters, as far as I'm concerned. I think that this is all that matters to most Pixies fans. I still get excited when I a Pixies tune on the radio or in a bar... regardless of the fact that I've heard it ad nauseum on my own car stereo. It doesn't get old for me. I thank the Pixies for that, if nothing else.

Pamela
Todo Mèxico quiere que los Pixies vengan en especial yo por que me pasa un viaje bien especial cuando escucho a los Pixies me encantaria poder verlos en persona

James Mckeyn
Pixies debe de venir a Monterrey NL. Mexico

fin
Excellent documentary. cheers.

kepeb
i think it's fair to say the pixies not only paved the way for these artists and similar, but the inspired countless other people to do all sorts of crazy things, famous or not.

Hey
Queens of the stone age are wicked Saw them live at the Big Day Out in Auckland a couple of years back. Even had Dave Grohl on drums 'cos Foos were playing the BDO too. Awesome. Interesting Dave being ex-Nirvana how these things all tie together isn't it? I think the Pixies should let sleeping dogs lie. Lets enjoy QOTSA and the White Stripes for now.

Tom
The Pixies PAVED the way for all of those bands...sure they all could have existed without the pixies but they propblaly wouldnt have any of the same kind of music the did have the pixies, sonic youth and sound garden gave so much insperation to all of these bands...

james rodriguez spain
When I listened Pixies first time I felt as an important moment in my life took place in the disco. Well Nirvana was clearly under Pixies influence like a pupil in school...

Roy
Frank Black is a musician, he writes songs like many other artists. But, leave that to the others..... Black Francis, combined with the creativity of the other band members is a piece of art that is unique. Many times you like it, sometimes you don't like it. No one else can even write a Pixies song you don't like. I'm talking about the songs before the break-up. I hope for more co-operation with Kim Deal, she's the one who writes the songs that remind me the most after the Pixies breakup. Add a little Santiago, the slaughtered pig-screaming from Black Francis.... I just hope it works out well :) I buy the album anyway, even if it's 60 minutes full of farting and nothing else (by the original band members of course :) )

F from France
The Pixies have given the pulse and energy to the last 15 years rock band. It was like a positive irradiation on the planet of rock sound

Saul Morales
The Pixies create a new concept and that is very important, because that is what a good band means. The ones who make a new style, Nirvana and the other bands could exist but maybe with a variation in their style. I hope the Pixies one day decide to come down here in Costa Rica,pura vida

Bangkok
I first bought their cassette copy because coercion from a record seller. I have never had any ideas of where they came from, whom formed the band, and how many records they have had. But I really love their songs at first hearing, so, for me, it doesn't matters whom they are. That is enough.

Paco pedro
you're forgetting the most obvious Pixies ape of all time: Modest Mouse. I think MM probably has the most similar dynamic to the pixies of any band since.

Sébastien
Here we come to the major point: the influence of the Pixies on rock music. Well, as anyone I think it is huge. Listen to Gigantic or Gouge Away: the bass plays a huge role in the song, and it did have an influence on Nirvana (listen to Smells like teen spirit, Silver and so on). The very simple lead guitars were very new in the 80s and their well-known guitar heroes (and are sometimes anti-melodic but still great: Vamos). And well, the format of rock changed also: rather calm couplets and overwhelmingly violent choruses (ex: Monkey gone to Heaven, compare it to Smells like teen spirit!), strange rythmic guitar patterns (beautiful Ana)... The choirs between Francis and Kim are so original (I bleed, I'm amazed...), they are worth those of Lennon-McCartney. Of course the screams had an influence on Nirvana and so on, and Black Francis came to this idea because he was a great fan of screaming Jay Hawkins! (The Pixies were true artists, so no one would ever think of him as an influence hearing the Pixies). And, last but not least, brilliant lyrics (do you know many rock groups who put references to the Bible in their songs -Nimrod's song, Dead, Gouge away-, and can have such a great sense of (black) humour (Something against you, and of course Cactus and I've been tired)? By the way I saw them at Rock-en-seine in July and they were... BRILLIANT (I almost broke my vocal chords too!) And I don't think Nirvana are bad, either. The difference is: they aren't good musicians to me, but their music rocks and, above all, the lyrics are often beautiful and powerful (in a totally different way from the Pixies, whose music is often funny, whereas Nirvana is over-depressing... I think there Nirvana had a real identity). As for QOTSA, I know they love the Pixies, and of course theymay have been influenced in some way... But their music is so original that I dare not say to what extent, cause they too are great artists though I prefer the Pixies. PS:sorry for my awkward English (I'm French) and for not knowing 9 Black Alps. PS no2: A friend of mine pointed out that the title of the Pixies albums is always quoted in a song of theirs (except of course for Trompe le monde which itself is a song). If you didn't notice, well... have fun!

Olaf
I dont think so, but I think every one of them have his own style... Nothing but Þ¡x¡e§ ...

Ben
Mudhoney + Pixies = Nirvana thats badly blended aswell, nutty.

AsChIa
the pixies were and still are an unbelievably good and unigue band who definitely open the gates for superb bands like Nirvana and Queens of the Stone Age. You can't beat the Pixies though.

elcottero
Of course nirvana, 9ba, qotsa could have existed without the pixies..thats a dumb ass question. It's like saying could man ever have flown if it wasn't for the Wright brothers...yes of course. All of these bands have more influences than the pixies..all of us who love the pixies listen to other music as well, and the pixies themselves have loads of influences. Sure, some riffs, hooks and melodies get recycled along the way and new bands will try to capture their influences style somewhat and therefore these bands may not have sounded exactly as they do if the pixies had not existed, but they would be around today for sure.

Maz
I saw The Pixies at the move festival in manchester last july. They kicked ass! and put stereophonics and all the other bands who played that day to shame!! PIXIES RULE!!!!!

Underwater guy
Obviously not. But better still, like a good wine, they just keep getting better! Reading 2005 was brilliant and at 34, I can still remember them in the 80s.

Ian Haddock
Every artist(s) have people or bands that inspire them perhaps... Cobain was inspired to copy as he said. Others are inspired perhaps to sound like, be like, or be as good as and better than. This is left to your opinion though which all are entitled to. However, as a matter of fact, and not opinion, I have never been as emotionally overwhelmed at a gig before when I saw Pixies live. Relentless... Track, after track, after track. I'm Amazed

gerard t
I find everybody's gushings about the Pixies quite hypocritical. It was reviewers at the NME themselves who in 1998 were saying whilst reviewing the first frank black + the catholics album that they never really liked the voice of black francis. Fast forward to last year and the same publication is now saying they are and always were one of the best bands (bit of a contradiction on your part boys)and now fairweatherfans like them these days because it is quite cool to like the Pixies. It must be a bit annoying for Charles inparticular who was shunned for so long to have all these industry types and media darlings to suddenly start hailing them again just on the strength of a faded tome like the NMEs say so.

bailey's walking
yes they could have....their music might have sounded different though

Wardigan
Soy español y tengo 15 años!Solo queria decir que los Pixies es el mejor grupo de la historia y que esta claro que si ellos no hubieran existido, tampoco Nirvana lo hubiera hecho.El mismo Kurt afirmaba su importante influencia.Eso es todo.Vamos!!xD

Nyx
Who are 9 black alps and queens of the stonehenge? The Pixies rule! Isn't Nirvana that new band from Seattle? They're cool, but they're no mudhoney

Julie
No way man the pixies like they said have to be one of the most influential bands of alternative rock!

aoddie - Clonmel - Ireland
I saw the band in Dublin the other night (23rd August), and screamed every word to every song. Think I broke my vocal chords. Anyone have any spares. Missed the Pixies in Brixton Academy last year. Josh any chance of ye coming back to play a small venue.

Ian, Dublin, Ireland
The Pixies are a "Musicians Band". Queens of the Stone Age are a "Musicians Band". If you're a musician, they're the band you'd love to join. End of story.

marko
just a shame they are american really....one of the best gigs I've ever been to though...Manchester International 2 Surfer Rosa tour...come on!

manda
i just recently started getting into nirvana because my boyfriend gave me a bunch of mixes from old nirvana stuff... all of a sudden it really started reminding me of the pixies, i had doolittle, and it really rang a bell! so when i came by this interview... it made my giggle! so ha ha...

lowlander
Ok. But could the pixies ever existed if captain beefheart, frank zappa, the doors, the byrds, the beatles and so on, were there before? Or is that a bit farfetched?

Enemeat
The Pixies pioneered and perfected the "quiet, loud, quiet" dynamics that made Nirvana, Weezer, Smashing Pumpkins and Radiohead famous. While the success of most modern bands is built on their "marketibility" to tatooed, salivating alterna-youngsters, The Pixies' success was the result of Black Francis' quiet, dignified songwriting genius. If The Pixies had not influenced the popular rock bands of the 1990's and today, somebody else would have.It seems to be a matter of time before music grows stale, or becomes homogonized. It is the bands who stand apart during these dull times, that set the new standard for future music. The Pixies stood apart then, and still to this day.

danny diggins
I love the Pixies, I caught their opening shows in Portland. But to be honest I would much rather see The Catholics play again. People always talk about the Pixies but seem to be missing out on some of the best albums ever made. And talk about a tight band. Best live shows I've ever seen. I hope and pray it isn't the end for the Catholics!!!

The Surfing Shark
Well, I first saw them on Snub TV on BBC2 playing 'where is my mind' and that was it. One song, a few minutes of sublime genius and I was forever converted to real music. The first gig I ever went to with my mate Mike Reynaud (now GMTV hunk fame!!) at the T&C in London, bought tickets off touts after the gig was supposed to have started and after the first song I was beaten to a pulp in the mosh pit and looked up to see mike flying in the air above me. For me, only the pixies achieved this before and since. Perfect songs, every single one, perfect performers, just stick on surfer rosa and BELIEVE!! I even eventually converted my younger sisters who preferred Kylie and Prince.... Comparisons with the Beatles are pretty valid I reckon, although so many people will never even realise the influence of the Pixies on their own musical journeys.... I will always be grateful that it happened at my time and I realised it!!

whore at the door
Not really answering the above question because it doesn't matter either way - what's really special about the pixies is that feeling they incite in you. You know, like you may buy a new cd a week or month or whatever, listen to it and think 'yeah, so-so', but as soon as you chuck on the ol' Pixies vinyl or cd - you're instantly transported to a higher more exciting place and you're feelings of rebellion and individualism or belongingness, whatever are ignited. It doesn't matter what decade it is or what mood you're in, you'll always have that special feeling from the past to get you feeling really refreshed again. It's like they are the antidote to everything. You're parents will still be listening to the Beatles in their old years - we'll be listening to the Pixies.

Craig
Whether or not The Pixies were original, they made incredibly diverse music, which I find more interesting with each listen. Surfer Rosa is an amazing album, not forgetting the production on it which adds another dimension

Craig Tesler
So when do we see the Pixies in Australia...I lay and wait... The interview was fantastic..may they live long.. Cheers

Kim Dillbeck
That summer when I first heard of the Pixies a friend gave me a tape of Surfer Rosa/ Come on Pilgrim and it was all that I wanted to listen to. It played over and over again on my car stereo and everytime I tried to listen to anything else it wasn't as good and I had to go back to the Pixies. I still am going back there...

JohnG
The Pixies were a big influence on many a band. You only have to listen to current music (strokes, killers) to hear that. They never quite got the credit though they deserved. Come back Pixies and give us some more "bad ass songs".

kaos
as frank black himself stated: there would have been no pixies if not for the sake of Husker Du. nuff said.

Simon G
Just got to wonder how many of those dismissing The Pixies influence were actually about gigging and clubbing in the late 80's and early 90's... I used to help run indie clubs during that time and thought I'd heard it all till the Pixies came along and kicked it all over... if they weren't original then I have no idea where their influence came from.... everyone else from Nirvana & Dinosaur Jnr to UK shoegazers, Ride and Radiohead included, got there second.....Death to the Pixies... Again ;)

barnesy
some bands make music because they WANT to, the pixies seemed to do it because they HAD to. sublime catharsis.

Rachyl
The Pixies will and forever will be the greatest band in my book. Even my five year old daughter begs to listen to the Pixies. She has most their songs memorized. Pixies kick ass!

dud
Could the Pixies ever have existed without Black Sabbath?

Ollie
Yes, but their (I exclude Nirvana) music seems to be revisiting a patch in time with a certain Nostalgia which is missing from both the Pixies and Nirvana. Making it fresh and unique, not laboured, manufactured and retro in the crap way that the others do.

Beat 69
Pixies did not start the movement, they just had an idea about making music, just a little different. They had influences too.

Uchi
My dream is to see the Pixies playing in Mexico. They are such a great band I almost cried when they cancelled the Mexico concert. I'm sure I´ll see them soon. I hope so....VIVAN LOS PIXIES!!!

nath uk
They would be around but not as good. Most people hear teen spirit and love Nirvana. Teen spirit would not be here if it wasn't for the Pixies so all the fame and money gotten is thanks to Pixies. Queens of Stone Age sound alot like them for example very loud chorus's and quiet verses!!!!pixies rule

nath v
I think Pixies are one of the greatest bands of all time: everyone might not have heard about them like people have about Red Hot Chilli Peppers/Muse etc, but it doesn’t mean they the don’t rock out and kick ass hard. If you never heard their stuff download or better, buy the albums. I mean my dads heard of ‘em so you should have! PIXIES RULE and they can scare the s*** out of fans at concerts, what other bands can do that?

Tom Devriendt
Sure, but the Pixies will still rule!

Daniel shutt, Horsham west sussex
The Pixies are without doubt one of the most influential bands in the history of rock music. It wasn’t till a hundred years after Bach died that people began to acknowledge his influence. I doubt that a fraction of the people who have marvelled at Orbital’s live set know who Derrick May is. In a way I think it’s always happens to the true pioneers, they are the architects and their prize is in the gift they have. They aren’t there for adulation they’re there for a purpose and those who know will always salute them. Thank you Pixies.

eric s
Such a good band: If you’ve never heard their stuff buy all their albums and embrace it. Best night of my life October 19th, when I finally saw them live in Dallas-Greatness!

PAUL
Yes they would have existed but maybe not in the form we know. The influence of the Pixies is immense.

Ivan Carrasquel- Venezuela
Pixies is one of the greatest bands in all the history. The Pixies was the Beatles of the generations of the 80s and 90s...

blann
Could the Pixies have existed without 'The Kinks', 'The Troggs', 'Gun Club', 'Big Black' ,'The Beatles' or the 'Velvet Underground'? The Pixies are great but who cares?

cliffy biro
Nirvana admitted themselves that they had blatantly ripped off the pixies; nine black alps love QOTSA and claim to have ripped off pj Harvey too. At the end of the day these bands will in time find or have already found their own "sound", and it's fair to say that they HAVE been influenced by the pixies - comparisons can be drawn between their music - but I'm sure the bands would've existed without the pixies. ALL music is influenced by other music - the pixies simply have really diverse tastes themselves which resulted in the eccentric and amazing music they made. These bands aren’t impostors, they just appreciate and admire the pixies like you and I. And remember, for every Nirvana there will be a crappy rip off - a Bush, if you will - we should embrace the good ones (QOTSA, 9BA) in order to eradicate the bad.

Clive
No

Very Excited girl
I'm just about bustin with excitment....can't wait till Edinburgh gig :-)

jimme
I know, but its great they are together again and enjoying it. I became a fan after they broke up so its a dream they got together. Just waiting for my Smiths reunion. The above bands were inspired of course with some influence but talented enough not to sound like them. No band has sound like the pixies since.

nick the pixies fan
why stop at nirvana and QOTSA - nine black alps are infants by comparison.... the difference between new bands like that and the originals is the honesty with the artistic/emotional expression, rather than sourcing it in influences... no doubt they'll cross over into their own place soon.... BUT what about RADIOHEAD, BREEDERS, PAVEMENT, and just about everyone who played a quiet verse and a loud chorus.... NOW THERE'S A CONTRIBUTION TO ROCK AND ROLL!!!!

JJ
Its monday morning and where is my mind? I think The Pixies have a huge influence on the birth/progression of grunge in the early 90's (is it that long ago?) and deserve so much respect. If you listen to "Tame" you realise where Kurt got his violent vocal style from!

ppz
Nothing could have existed without the Pixies. They are the beginning of time and space, they are the end. Amen.

Craig Mann
Who knows? But I think my story is evidence of their sublime greatness as a rock band. I was in college forom 85 -90, a fan of Husker Du, Elvis Costello, U2, REM, Zeppelin, Clash, Doors, Smiths, etc. Then I heard Doolittle. I saw Frank B. do a solo show at a bar I think in 89, and the Pixies at the H'wood Palladium in around 91. Then I went to law school and the Pixies broke up. I had previously been a big fan of music, buying albums, going to shows, etc. But I stopped because, although I really liked Smells Like Teen Spirit, nothing lived up to what I felt listening to the Pixies. I'm now a partner in a big firm, have 2 kids and leave on the beach. I'm still convinced they are/were the best band of the generation. Who else could write a perfect song capturing "the" sense of a greek myth. It's hard to even explain. Anyway I saw them at UCSD a few months and it was as perfect as ever. Perfect, sublime, living.

McCool
I wanna grow up and be a debaser. Never underestimate the power of a base player! Kim ... you rule! ps. i realize i didn't answer the question. the world is full of too many comparisons.

Matt
Yep

james
i lived in australia the first time round and never got to see them, which is something i always regretted. now since reforming i've seen them 3 times (we even flew to dublin last year) to see the greatest band of all time. Great to see so many old and new fans flocking to the gigs. can't wait to see them again at Reading this year.

ertia
I have built friendships around Pixies appreciation. 'Hey' is to my mind the finest song of all time. btw, tickets for Ally Pally gig late August go on sale tomorrow (Sat 30) at 9am...

Jorge Posada
Probably too tough to say if any of those bands could have existed... any band can exist, being successful is another matter. The Pixies never really found $$ success until this reunion, and they deserve every penny. Someone please start lobbying for a Husker Du reunion, then I'll have died and (monkey) gone to heaven...

Mook
Let's not forget that Josh Homme's previous band, Kyuss, come from a different tradition of music altogether - one that is very different to the Pixies. I think that shows through in the Queens work. But Nirvana - definitely.

un chien andalou
no, but not only these three bands who have been influenced by the Pixies were trying to fill the gap left by the greatest band of the late 80's decade, there´s a lot more bands out there trying to reach the sky..........

Budfrog23
Allthough my Pixies Cds take pride of place in my collection and get played on a regular basis I would not want the band to be re-formed on a permanent basis. This is not only because I feel that this incarnation of Frank Black has just about run it's course and new releases may prove to be a disappointment but also because I hold in equally high regard Frank's work with the Catholics. The FB and the Catholics' gig at the Empire Shepherds Bush was simply awesome.

you're so pretty when you're unfaithful to me
Saw the Pixies in 1988, on their Doolittle tour, in Aberdeen...they played a fast damn set...was it really that long ago?

Pixiessp
I'm sure all those bands would have existed but they would be missing something.I don't know what but thank god for The Pixies.

DJ Psychomike
First saw them at Metro in Chicago with a babe dressed in a cheerleader outfit. Deal can be heard on the bootleg saying "Did your team win?" to her. Nice to have a date memorialized. They spoke to each other on stage in those days. Saw them on the reunion tour at the Aragon- they no longer spoke to each other, but what a great show. The big surprise? The crowd was 3/4 in their early 20's. They could not have even been teens when the band was last in Chicago. I'm glad they are getting the respect that they missed when they were together. Now, if they would only do a new album........

Torq
The Pixies were great, but they themselves were a synthesis of many things that came before. They may have influenced bands that came after them, but they didn't make those bands POSSIBLE. The ingredients for those bands to become what they did were out there before the Pixies.

Oblong
Where were all you Pixies fans when I was young? When I went to their gigs in the late 80's, they only sold half of their tickets in venues that held about 1,000!? Hey, Joey Santiago and the beer-can, it got a bit predictable!

Surfer Rosa
No album ever made can top BossaNova. Will frank become Black Francis again?

Jop
Pixies are my Beatles

ooooooh
i got no lips i got no tongue, whatever i say is only spit....genius! he's a genius!

Listener
Pixies are great! But what is their best album? Trompe le Monde takes some beating!

Jo
The Pixies rule! And the others need not exist for the Pixies are just so goddamn good.

Evel Knievel
After discovering Big Black aka Steve Albini during the eighties it took one night hearing "Bone Machine" on a John Peel week night to seek out the second album by the Pixies you could hear his touch and then some years later to hear it again on In Utero, defined a decade.

scott
It's good to see that Husker du have been given some credit for influencing The Pixies. Both are (were in the Huskers case)brilliant bands in their own right and both are important in rock history

Alec Eiffel
I was hoping to see them at Reading this year but couldn't get tickets boo-hoo!

carl
no

peter c.
the pixies invented the term "college rock" and everyone, from the sonics to james brown, should thank them for all they have brought the music industry. and, who would have ever guessed a chubby, bald lead singer could become such a well known chubby, bald lead singer....

Dr. Acula
if it weren't for the pixies, i'd still be listening to matchbox 20 and sugar ray.

i
yes

Millergirl
Nirvana certainly copied the quiet verse and REALLY LOUD CHORUS thing from the Pixies

Randal - Brasil
I do not speak English, however I find that the Pixies was a super influence for music in the world; the mixture, the experimentalismo, the "anger." Certainly other bands had caught this message!

Dave
There's no doubting the influence of the Pixies, however no-one should overlook Husker Du. Without them even the Pixies might not of existed!!

David Hetherington
The bands would have more than likely existed regardless of what came before them, whether they would have been as successful, influential or as accepted as they are is another matter. The Pixies have few obvious influences but all members of the band admit to having a wide range of musical tastes. I think that the fusion of these musical backgrounds expressed through their own sound is what makes the Pixies so unconventional and special. Their music grabs your attention, confuses, delights, offends, enlightens and shimmers all at once. The fact that they rock is just a bonus......

Jay
Both the Pixies and Sonic Youth shaped an innovative attitude to making rock music that is undeniable. The bands of today have taken this and made their own sound. Hey, look at Radiohead!

rock and roll chicken
Hell no, and while part of me would welcome the non-existence of the above bands, as they are all second rate in my opinion, I couldn't sacrifice the amazing music the Pixies have given us no matter how many no good bands try to up their status by name-dropping the Pixies as an influence.

Ray
All artists have their influences, as I'm sure Pixies would freely admit that their sound evolved from somewhere. One band that's constantly overlooked when these debates surface is Sonic Youth. They were one of the most original and innovative of the time.

der Don
I don't know whether those bands would have existed without the Pixies, but that's a question of no importance since the Pixies are THE superior band of the 80s and are finally getting the attention they have always deserved. It's hard to talk about the influence of one band on another, especially in this case, because I can't see great similarities among them. Maybe it was just their music that inspired lots of people to make music themselves. I'm grateful for having heard of them, even though it was only last year. And I'm even more grateful for having seen them play live. And I'm most grateful for getting the opportunity to see them again in August.

asjb
They're unique. Peerless even.

Fred Jazzmaster
Yes, of course. They just would have made different music. How different? Who knows. QOTSA suck.

Fartbone
God made a third son and his name was Charles Thompson.

Doog
Great documentary! (the) Pixies still amaze and entertain me after all these years, nice to see them back on the scene.

recoup
We'll never know.All I know is that I have never heard a band that do for me what the Pixies do. Not before, not since. They are like a magic-eye picture, you either get it or you don't.Nobody else can touch them.

olly bell
I love all The Pixies Albums, they're special.

stig180
Lets face it, who cares and does it matter, the fact is that they are all fantastic groups regardless of who came first. It should not matter.

Biscuitboy
Not sure about the Pixies influence on 9 Black Alps, but they certainly couldn't have existed without 3 Colours Red.

*Nics*
May i also add that i don't think Nirvana, Nine Black Alps or QOTSA sound anything like the Pixies....as a teenager The Pixies are one of those bands you reckon your dad would like..but in a non embarrassing way.

Aoidhan McGuinness
No, simple as that.

*Nics*
It's always hard to say how much one band influences another....of course they do in some ways - you can't make a sound without it sounding a little like another, reflected on a taste or admiration of another you had... making you think.."i wanna make music like that" and putting your own egde n spin on it. I think Nirvana, 9 Black Alps and QOTSA would have existed with The Pixies, it was always gonna happen - all revolutions have a breaking point, be it a music revolution, political etc...Well that's what I think anyway :-p And I just can't wait to see The Pixies at Reading this year!

Coyote
Pixies' influence flows through so much many bands it's unbelievable. They rule. A further question though: Could Pixies have existed without the Talking Heads? There are striking similarities in David Byrne's and Frank Black's styles. Both are excellent story tellers.

Carl
They definitely paved the way for music today! I'm thankful that they can now revel in the worldwide accaim they so rightly deserve.

Simon
Speaking as someone who was a teenager in the 80s (listening to 60s 'punk', e.g. Velvet Underground, Stooges etc, to escape 80s' pop) what a breath of fresh air when the Pixies appeared!! Nirvana, 9 Black Alps and Queens Of The Stone Age I wasn't interested - too busy @ illegal raves in fields in the late 80s and 90s. Sorry guys, you just didn't quite match what the Pixies did for me when I was a teenager - I was out trying to find some more of that new 'jungalist' sound.

Rebecca Talbot
Without the Pixies there would definitely be none of the above bands, they influenced the best music to come out of the 90s and have shown their staying power by still influencing bands in the millenium. Listen to the Stripes and Interpol recent albums you can hear subtle Pixieness as you can in many other alternative bands. The Pixies B-sides is my favourite album by far - it's a true gem!

Matt S
Bands like the Pixies do not come along too often. They were probably the most important band when I was growing up, and their music still sounds so fresh and full of energy. It is no surprise to me that so many bands name them as a big influence. Many people say Nine Black Alps sound like Nirvana, but forget that Nirvana drew heavily from the Pixies sound. Truly one of the bands of my life time. If anyone has not heard much of the Pixies, go and listen to the back catalogue - you will not be disappointed.

James White
Of course they would have.....it's no doubt however that the inspirational mix of beautiful harmonies and screaming vitriol had an influence on Cobain inparticular.

Enigma!
The Pixies showed me that there was more to music than heavy metal and opened me up to a whole new wave of nice little sound bites. God if we have a band like the Pixies now there would be a hope for rock music. All the modern stuff like the Killers, doesn't appeal to any part of me. The Pixies were the band of the 80s, beside the Smiths.

Amn23
Josh Homme rocks.

Carl
Queens of the Stone Age are the best band in the world and we in England need to recognise that!!

JohnnyBagg
I think they would all have existed but they definitely wouldn't sound the same because Pixies had so much for those bands to feed from. Everyone can learn something from those guys no matter who you are. Can't wait for QOTSA followed by Pixies at Reading this year!! It's going to be special!!

If God is six
Not a chance.. Kurt Cobain even admitted that the Pixies were a major influence in his writing... they deserve the accolade.

Nick, Whitley Bay
No, 9BA would be nowhere without Nirvana and Nirvana & QOTSA would be nowhere without the Pixies.

Ed
Of course not. The Pixies have been an inspiration to not only Nirvana and the Queens of the Stoneage but we would have never had the likes of the Strokes and the Kings of Leon more recently.

Debaser
The Pixies were and still are an unbelievabley good and unique band who definitely opened the gates for superb bands like Nirvana and Queens Of The Stone Age. You can't beat The Pixies though.