R.I.P. M.I.A.???
The amazing musician M.I.A. performed on Day 2 of the 2008 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, TN yesterday … and announced that it was her “last gig”. Uh, yeah. When I first read the report from The New York Times, I assumed that M.I.A. meant this was her last US show or her last show on this tour. Upon a closer reading of this report, it now appears that M.I.A. was announcing to the world that she is retiring from performing. Here are a few pics from her supposed “last show”:
“This is my last show,” the rapper M.I.A. announced from the stage of That Tent, “and I’m glad I’m spending it with all my hippies.” If, as she announced at least three times, it was M.I.A.’s last gig ever, she went out with a boom. The seismic riffs of her songs, which sound like they’re made on the world’s cheapest equipment, puffed bass notes at everyone’s chest, and M.I.A. was all of her interlocking selves: fighter, lover, immigrant, instigator, party girl. Wearing an outfit that included shiny streamers as tails, she shook every part of her body sooner or later, yelping her hooks and spitting out her rhymes, dense with allusions and snappy enough for slogans. She brought “girls” and then “boys” onstage, surrounding herself with happy dancers, and brought the Nigerian rapper African Boy onstage for her encores, rapping about how immigrants have to hustle. For her finale, “Paper Planes,” the audience that spilled far outside the tent pumped fists happily at the gunshot sounds that are also one of the song’s hooks. “Thanks for coming to my last gig,” she said, amid noise that continued well after she was gone.
Now, I simply refuse to believe that yesterday’s performance at Bonnaroo was M.I.A.’s final performance ever — whether I’m in denial or part of me just can’t believe that she would stop putting on the live performances that she seems to love so much, I just refuse to accept it. That being said … if she really did just peace out on live performances, I PRAY that doesn’t mean that she will stop making music altogether … cuz, I’ll just flip my shizz. M.I.A. has to be one of the most electric and inventive music makers around right now and it would be a travesty if she stopped making music after only 2 albums. I’m hoping that she was either just playing around yesterday or she misspoke. Time will tell if M.I.A. the musician is really dunzo for good … I hope she was just messin’ around.
Tags: Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, M.I.A.
RSS
Feedburner
June 14th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
I have to admit. I have no clue who M.I.A. is.
June 14th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
isn’t she “retiring” because she’s engaged and possibly pregs?
June 14th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
I’m gonna be realllly sad if M.I.A. is really dunzo :-( I loveeee her!
June 14th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
It’s the last gig for that record. She cancelled her Euro tour & said she was going to take a chill pill & go into the studio for another record. So for Kala, it’s her last gig.
June 14th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
When I saw her in San Francisco a few weeks ago, she said that it was her last gig for a long time because her U.S. visa was expiring. That’s probably what she meant .. it’s her last show in a very long time (in the U.S. at least).
June 14th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/51226-mia-cancels-european-tour
there’s an article about what she’s talking about.
June 15th, 2008 at 12:08 am
One of my fav artists of the last few years.She take’s risks and her music has a lot of meaning.Bird Flu is such a crazy song.I really don’t believe that it’s her last show and I agree with above comments.
June 15th, 2008 at 3:34 am
who is she, anyway?
June 15th, 2008 at 9:10 am
Meh, I’m supposed to be seeing her at Exit Festival (Serbia) next month :(
June 15th, 2008 at 10:43 am
Okay people, Pitchfork is saying that MIA actually only cancelled her UK part of the tour because she is overwhelmed and needs to be around people for a while and live normally. She said that while she’s off, she’s going to work on a NEW ALBUM. I had heard earlier this year that she was retiring from music - so to speak- however, an article on Pitchfork from a magazine informed me otherwise. Thank god, because I LOVE her. Dash your curry like you ain’t in a hurry!
June 15th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Well she is marrying into a very rich family….VERY RICH!!
June 16th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
i was there. she said she was being deported, but i dont know if she was serious. i have video of this. :)
June 17th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
either way, she was great at bonnaroo.
June 18th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
[...] MIA’s last show ever was flat-out insane, especially immediately following !!!. I danced my ass off and was sweat on by a variety of people. [...]