Interpol played a secret warm-up show in Madrid before their Mad Cool Festival appearance, according to NME. The intimate gig was announced on Thursday under the name Iron City, which is also the title of the band’s latest single.
At the show at Sala But, the New York band were joined by Matt Barrick of Muzz and The Walkmen on drums. NME reported that Barrick appears to be filling in while regular drummer Sam Fogarino steps away from the tour to recover from surgery.
The band did not perform “Iron City” at the secret concert. Instead, they focused on songs from Turn On the Bright Lights and Antics, including “Untitled,” “Obstacle 1,” “PDA,” and “Slow Hands.”
Interpol followed that performance with a set on Mad Cool’s Orange Stage early Friday morning, July 11. Their festival set was nearly the same as the warm-up show, with “The Rover” added in place of “Roland.”
In a recent interview with NME, Paul Banks said “Iron City” is about a conversation between a human narrator and future artificial intelligence. He also said he does not fear AI replacing art, arguing that human creativity will continue to lead the way.
