Failure - Full Performance (Live on KEXP)

KEXP.ORG presents Failure performing live in the KEXP studio. Recorded August 28, 2015.
Songs
Hot Traveler
Another Space Song
Atom City Queen
The Nurse Who Loved Me
Host: Cheryl Waters
Audio Engineer: Dave Gaume & Kevin Suggs
Cameras: Jim Beckmann, Scott Holpainen & Christopher Meister
Editor: Justin Wilmore
Photo thumbnail by Alan Lawrence
kexp.org
www.failureband.com

[@traceyouontome]

I dig his bass tone so hard

[@pattonPwr]

+Fabrizio Marra easy to recreate

[@pattonPwr]

+An4LDr1p616 you won most in The lottery

[@mactireliath2356]

The legend of the Wal Bass was born here. I believe it was Edwards who originally suggested to Tool bassist Chancellor that the Wal Bass sound would be perfect for the Tool sound.

[@diegodefante]

@@mactireliath2356 geddy lee and jeff ament give wall basses popularity on rock n roll dude, because some jazz and fusions bass players played on wall basses in the beging of 80's

[@zachiswayposi1]

I like to think that Caleb from Cave In found his bass tone after listening to Failure

[@justjash]

Another Space Song is still my favourite

[@umcsk8]

I was transported somewhere else immediately once the bass/guitar came in

[@musicdump7795]

0:30 - Hot Traveler 5:32 - Another Space Song 19:03 - Atom City Queen 23:32 - The Nurse Who Loved Me

[@musicdump7795]

@Callum Atlas yeah guys flixzone is totally not a scam or some dumb shit lmao

[@cactus-mcjacktus]

@@musicdump7795 not at all lmao

[@lindseynchloe9572]

I just realized that a perfect circle covered this!! Wtf, never knew! (The nurse who loved me)

[@crazyjoe1540]

I don't understand why faliure weren't bigger in the 90's, they're waaaay more technically advanced than any other 90's band and are just so proficient at their instruments

[@simcardo777]

i guess that's exactly why lel, they're way ahead of their time

[@sheldonbenton5278]

DeathlyHall0w try listening to hum

[@chronic_johnson_a.r.a.b]

At first glance, they sound kind of like a discount Nirvana/Early Tool type band. Which is unfortunate, because they do have some great songs, and severely underrated albums. I'm not surprised that they didn't get big back then, but now is a better time than ever for people to discover them.

[@marniestewart]

“Discount tool/nirvana” That is so fucking untrue it’s not even funny. Please

[@Jeffero28]

@@marniestewart I don't think he meant it as a knock on Failure. I can understand as well why they weren't big in the 90's also, because well...I'm 39 and by the late 90's had never even heard of them. This was pre widespread internet and unless radio played you nobody knew you. Failure were/are a great band. But they didn't have the MTV flashiness of some of the other bands..they were more album oriented and cerebral. I first discovered them around 2001 from a Tool fan forum. And tried to get a friend into them but his response was along the lines of "they sound like a 90's band". But anyway, surprised I typed this much. This band ROCKS

[@elioavila]

Their sound, just their sound....space, cosmos, drugs, space, PURE 90s vibe! just perfect sound!

[@christopherdaugherty9344]

Blessed to see Failure open for TOOL in '94 in a tiny club in West Palm Beach, Fl. Blessed again to see Failure "open" for TOOL again in 2016 in Denver, Co. They played the night before. Fantastic Planet in it's holy entirety. Sometimes I don't realize how lucky I am.

[@gabriest]

Bring Hum to a session, please!!

[@popeyedoyle6360]

Hum on my nuts for session

[@synthoelectro]

A band you can actually feel. The first time I heard them was on my radio in the morning during the 90's before I went to school. Instead of an alarm it was the radio, and Stuck on you was playing - I'll never forget it.

[@jarrettmartinez4233]

Thats such a dope way to discover them 🤘

[@synthoelectro]

@@jarrettmartinez4233a good memory

[@mondrian5620]

Strangely beautiful... awkwardly calming... weirdly welcoming... hauntingly poetic.. So glad these guys are back...

[@adamdawson2016]

The host did a great job asking questions. Props to her.

[@zknarc]

This is just gorgeous, I love every song more than the original recording.

[@Velopod]

This engineer deserves a fucking award. WOW this mix sounds fantastic! One of my favorite bands ever, too!

[@astronauta5605]

maybe not engineer/s but the band :)

[@nicermog]

a lot of the stuff is done by the band. literally the best live guitar tones of any band ever.

[@jonshoegaze6032]

Its the band actually.

[@CreeplessOfficial]

They are doing it easy to the sound engineer, watch any of his shows.

[@simaojoseph]

Definitely one of the easiest bands to mix. I could bet the vocal effects are brought by the band.

[@AdamSmithNES]

Fantastic Planet helped me so much when I was strung out on painkillers. During the addiction, and after I kicked and got clean. When I was using, I was trying to deal with a bad breakup, and the album was just such a great escape while I was escaping the world and trying to find my own meaning in life. Then after I got clean, it serves as something of a reminder that I hope to never be in that place again. It's such a joy to have Failure back in the present day!

[@keixoun]

Flawless blowing hair.

[@itsageyser]

For a radio studio, the sound-techs did an amazing job. This shit sounds incredicle

[@AlSeg]

Extremely underrated band honestly, they should be waaaay more famous, their latest album became one of my favorite of all time

[@Bmanritchie]

0:00 KEXP Intro 0:31 Hot Traveler 5:33 Another Space Song 10:28 Interview (2014 Comeback) 19:03 Atom City Queen 23:32 The Nurse Who Loved Me Edit: For those that do want to hear the interview segments

[@garyarms9647]

Finally it is now time for the rest of the world 🌍 to take notice. The greatest f'king band on the planet. 😳 💥 -FAILURE- 💥😳

[@Errcyco]

We're all kind of blessed all these guys are still around and healthy.. A lot of this Era is just dead and gone. I'm excited to see where this goes, awesome show!

[@indieclock]

this might be one of the best KEXP sessions in history - not just b/c of Failure but the sound/video engineering. so spot on.

[@MouthlyKnives]

in my opinion this is one of the best mixed KEXP sessions ! !! ! it just sounds so awesome

[@C3saruribe]

+MouthlyKnives Totally agree!

[@Charlyfromthenuclearcity]

+MouthlyKnives I think these guys provides excellent sources, that helps. But yes, I totally agree, it is a really good mix. I guess KEXP are pretty good at this generally speaking.

[@gavin2489]

It might have something to do with Ken Andrews. He IS and audio engineer

[@joeyrudeashell]

i am pretty sure Ken had something to do with it! when they came to my town it sounded better than that anything came before! i am sure they brought gear and or sound man

[@hateyouhumans20666]

they brought their own soundboard! haha

[@ChrisChin37]

"I've got no Houston to wind down to, I've got no protocol.". man this band is incredible.

[@austinhunt4260]

Amazing performance. This band just reeks authenticity and understated brilliance. New record WILD TYPE DROID is spectacular. They're 3 for 3 since reuniting. I'm grateful for their gifts.

[@sethburdick1061]

Mike Skinner from The Streets very publicly lamented that getting rich and famous made him lose his connection to the life that let him write so well. Failure definitely hasn’t had an easy road with serious addiction, as the guys have all spoken at length about. That shared trauma no doubt lends them some real strength and cohesion these days. Adversity can inspire, if you survive the adverse event. Lucky for us, the guys all pulled through. Opiates have taken too many musicians already.

[@SurfingBullDog]

The guitar and bass outro at 9:36 is phenomenal. I love how some of the notes sound off pitch yet the exits in absolutely harmony with the song.

[@jamesfarmer6878]

Beautiful dissonance my friend

[@soanonso]

It's so good.

[@michaelschriner9889]

Kevin Suggs, you deserve so much more recognition! Whenever I see a set with solid sound, I open the description and your name is right there, great stuff!

[@RisqueBrusque]

SO MANY PEOPLE don't recognize Magnified, not even this "educated" radio host. It's probably Failure's most experimental, but most creative, album. It's so fucking amazing. Stop saying Fantastic Planet is like, the best thing evar. GO BUY MAGNIFIED. Appreciate it for the transcendent, whimsical stop-gap between punk and post-grunge that it is.

[@NanoverseProductions]

+William Crafton Small Crimes.....nuff said! I love both albums equally and I agree with you 100%! I'm gonna see these guys on Saturday in Ft Lauderdale. I have to ask myself if I'm dreaming. I never thought this day would come!!!!

[@MBloke]

+William Crafton There's just something about that record that I love. It just draws me in, it's so good.

[@Drrrtclod]

+William Crafton I was but a wee bean of 54 days old when that album came out. I've listened to it online a few times & bought a copy a few weeks ago. It has this incredible washy yet punky sound on the guitars along with the warm harmonic bass sounds. I think it & FP take turns as my favorite failure album, depending on my mood (haven't really made my mind up about THIM yet, and Comfort kinda sounds like a discount version of Tool to me). I saw them later that night the show was maybe 40/40 FP & THIM songs but they also had some stuff like Bernie & Undone in the set too.

[@RisqueBrusque]

I'm glad you got to see them live! I saw them back in August in Denver, it was pretty fucking great. I got to hear Bernie and Wet Gravity from Magnified on that tour set, and honestly, the only other track I would've asked for is Small Crimes. :) Although, I disagree with you on Comfort - it sounds a lot like Steve Albini's early bands (he produced Comfort), and I think that's why the band was originally disappointed with how it turned out. Recently, when they played 'Macaque" live, it sounded a lot deeper, with more resonating layers, than the studio recording. But, I still really enjoy Comfort. The lyrics on that album are really simple, but dark. The musical composition on 'Submission' is just such a badass arrangement. Comfort feels just like all of their really early, self-produced recordings, and those have a special place in my heart - I'd rather listen to the original live recording of 'I Can See Houses' from the Golden DVD than the recording on The Heart is a Monster! That fretless bass gets me every time.

[@Drrrtclod]

If I may ask, where do you hear Big Black in Comfort, because I really do not hear it? I think it's that I associate Big Black with those hammered out drums, those rabid guitars somewhere between The Cure & Void, Albini hollering; I just don't hear that in Comfort. Sonically Comfort reminds me much more of something from Opiate or the Undertow era of Tool- somewhat chuggy crunch guitar, mids-high picked bass, stuff like that. As for I Can See Houses- I think both versions have their merits- the bass sounds so much better on the live version, it's watery, reverberating stuff, it sounds like it's recorded in a partially waterlogged warehouse (like... in a good way). The treatment it gets in THIM is a much more bland result. However Fabio's awesome parties do kinda take away from the live version. It's also nice to hear it in a studio setting where you can overdub stuff, making the song much more lush sounding. Although lushiouness can be both a plus and a negative. I dunno, I think I'm with you in preferring the original, I just wish it could have been better recorded.

[@bitffald]

Some of their tracks sound like alt metal mixed with space rock, some others are like grunge mixed with space rock... I don't even know their entire discography but I can already notice how versatile and good they are as a band, wow! I can totally understand why so many people love them.

[@jdessell]

26:57 When Ken shakes his head in agreement while singing the "pharmacy keys" part.... kinda says it all.

[@MrFamulaw]

Weak sauce. Not cool.

[@whothennow24]

I don’t get it. What do you mean?

[@joshmartins560]

Love this band so much! Failure ..along with Quicksand should of been huge in the 90's.

[@friskyrain4162]

Josh Martins and Hum. Failure and Hum go great together

[@21innocentbystander]

Wow I'm french and I never heard of this band before, this is one of the biggest discoveries in recent years.

[@SHINOBIKAZ]

what does being French have to do with anything?

[@quasimoto5656]

shinobikaz the band was mainly popular in America at its peak dumbass.

[@21innocentbystander]

Quasi Moto ahah thanks

[@ilyas_elouchihi]

I'm Moroccan and I'm a massive fan!

[@tsnovak20]

My friend told me about this band. I enjoyed it very much

[@veerchasm1]

The 2 albums they’ve made since reforming are just as great as their early stuff IMO

[@RudeDudeVooDoo]

Oh shit, so happy right now seeing failure.

[@DaveLampton]

It's great to see Ken Andrews and the guys together again, and releasing new music as well. I never understood why *Fantastic Planet* didn't get more attention when it was released.

[@richardroberson2564]

Dave Lampton bad marketing

[@mangogoat4691]

@@richardroberson2564Yeah and a bit late to the alternative rock scene, it peaked in 94-95

[@kbar9273]

How did I miss this band? Amazing talent.

[@spinyvegeta1]

I found MAGNIFIED at my local music store when it released. Thought the cover was badass, track list looked good, so gave it a shot. Blown away ever since!!!!

[@mactireliath2356]

Oh "The Nurse Who Loved Me". Thanks a million, great to hear!

[@scs7790]

Saw these guys at Lollapalooza 97 in Kansas City. Most underrated band ever

[@martimoliveira9155]

When I found this guys, and saw all the comments going like "Failure the most underrated band ever" etc. I thought fans were overreacting. Now that I've listened to all albums and tracks, I can deeply understand what me and so many have been missing. Even after they came back in 2021 with Wild Type Droid, a great album, and some of the best musicians like Maynard Keenan, Dean DeLeo, Troy Van Leeuwen showing so much appreciation and respect for them, they still don't have the recognize they deserve. I think they belong to that class of artists ahead of their time whose art will only be really recognized in a distant future.

[@martimoliveira9155]

came back in 2014* my mistake, i meant the last album in 2021

[@xxczerxx]

They're often mentioned in tandem with HUM and Swervedriver, it's interesting that so many people agree those three bands were so underrated and yet... they're still underrated!

[@martimoliveira9155]

@@xxczerxx exactly, how the fk are they still underrated xd

[@PatrickTK21]

Great to see these guys back in action and giving the younger acts a run for their money. If you can see them live, I highly recommend it!

[@brunorootsbr]

Another Space Song, man..... great song!

[@mcoopcoop]

+Bruno Lopes Always been one of my favs

[@mcoopcoop]

@@CosmicConnection968 I need a code book to decipher that message

[@tomcatt7159]

Failure was so far ahead of their time I listen to them a few time s when I got the CD and shelved it thinking what the hell is this Played it years later and thought boy this is great stuff . Why did I not listen to this earlier .

[@creekandseminole]

Wish I saw them when they toured with Deftones. Failure are reminding me of all sorts of awesome 90's bands I'd forgotten.HelmetSmoking PopesQuicksandOrange 9mmHandsomeGarden VarietyChavezShinerSmall Brown Biketons more...

[@makeshift26]

totally agree- so many great bands that deserve a second coming

[@THXbox]

Quicksand are incredible.

[@nicgarcia497]

Don't forget HUM, also swervedriver who just released a brilliant new album last year also.

[@creekandseminole]

Nic Garcia yep yep! Swervedriver!!! Also Lush reunited and are about to drop a new ep.

[@JW75383]

Nic Garcia holy shit, Swervedriver! 👍🏻

[@oneworld3709]

They are one of the best bands in LA. They change my life.

[@numchucks34]

i love how clean it sounds

[@ultimatebdp1038]

I wish this was an hour longer!! Soooo happy they're back!!

[@snorgisborg2]

how come I never fucking heard of them in the 90's?! I discovered them in 2012.

[@stevesimpson7566]

Wanted to add my voice to the "I can't believe it took me so long to find these guys". Some of my favorite bands over the years...Led Zeppelin, Rush, Van Halen, Queensryche, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, Live, Smashing Pumpkins, Tool, Muse, others...feel like it's all been leading up to Failure. Discovered them with the talk of taking off the recent albums off Spotify. I believe Fantastic Planet is now my favorite album ever. These guys are so talented...

[@pronginator]

What a GREAT mix..thanks Dave Gaume & Kevin Suggs

[@robguffanti]

Great example of what modern amp modelers can do. I believe both are playing through Axe FXs. XLR straight to the panel. For those who commented on the mix, that's why it sounds so good.

[@BrettTalleyMusic]

Yes, sir. Amazing how those units sound. Jimmy Eat World is now using them as well after seeing what Failure has done with them. Amazing units. $$$

[@riblets1968]

Greg Edwards is underrated. Holy shit, he's good!

[@daveco1270]

I used to see these guys play all around LA back in the 90's. They were so good. Glad they're making music again. I had to stop listening to their first two albums, the songs made me wanna do heroin again. Enough time has passed, now I can enjoy them and not worry that it'll trigger a relapse. I can even listen to Dirty Blue Balloons. : )

[@gavin2489]

+Condiment Refraction lol

[@kaylareddoch6221]

Dirty Blue Balloons was the first song I ever heard. While cooking up a shot. Made me cry. I love failure so muh because I remember what it was like being addicted listening to their old stuff and then Dark Speed came along and I was like yes this is what it's like to be clean

[@serjeick]

Not a bad performance for being the first time in my life I come to listen to these bloody monster musicians. Thanks god (or whatever exists beyond our limited senses) for bringing shuch a wonderful new musical discover to my existence. But, most of all, thanks to Failure for coming back

[@DmiPet]

One of the best bands of our time.

[@robertx571]

So sad to be underrated, but also so great to be that far ahead of your time. I’d never forgotten Replicants’ cover of Cinnamon Girl which got played a little on my local radio station. As I was only 14 at the time in 1996, I had no real way of finding out who was behind it. Now I know! (My station never played Failure that I can recall.)

[@syncopatedglory]

when it ends and you hear her go "oh my God" 😂

[@EoghanJB]

Such a huge sound from just a three piece rock band. God bless those sound engineers!

[@tara2262]

Ken's voice has always been one of my favorites in rock, he still sounds great - the whole band does

[@kentrey]

This was just unbelievable. Was going to bed but now it's gonna be hard to...

[@niels-de-leeuw]

I love Failure, Fantastic Planet is one of the best albums of all time

[@monoboyjay]

i wish this version of atom city queen was on spotify

[@dinglebleenus]

This band actually scream 'Anemoia'. Being born in 96 I feel like they perfectly encapsulate some cosmic nostalgia I never really experienced, but it keeps me coming back to them again and again.

[@jamesatchison6329]

Kelli always has the perfect, most musical fills. The transition out of the bridge is masterful.

[@joeyrudeashell]

without a doubt the one of the best bands ever!!! the sound is just so perfect!!

[@TheBenthos]

I keep coming back to this. Beautiful.

[@ANoDYNUSjosh]

So incredible seeing them. Another Space Song will always have a special place in my heart. I would love to see them do Heliotropic during one of their radio station sets and they should totally put Moth into their live set.

[@KraffZava7350]

+ANoDYNUSjosh they played both in Vancouver unless im totally mistaken, but they played a lot of music that night!

[@ANoDYNUSjosh]

+Guy Guarino I mean for something like this.

[@seeingeyegod]

+ANoDYNUSjosh [phone] for Moth

[@kriskenmonroe1]

"How about an old one" Loved it! One of my favorites off that album!

[@smellyou]

23:30 Don't miss out this song beginning to end - the best ever KEXP performance

[@taycoma6770]

Sad apc version has more views 😔

[@postmortemritual]

I still have the video for Stuck On You recorded on VHS.... This live its brilliant !

[@D3adKruzer]

I saw them in SF on Monday. I'm so glad these guys are finally getting their due after all these years.

[@oneminutefixed5003]

soooooooooo glad i've found this band, better late than never !

[@RockOfGreece]

The bass and guitar tone with that SNARE is a powerhouse

[@photonfartsqueeze6694]

Failure is the Big Star of the 90’s. So under appreciated during their first run.

[@federicorodriguezlopez6905]

2021 and they still kick ass

[@MyReturningNightmare]

these songs are even better live! great performance 10/10.

[@TempleOfTheMartyrs]

this band inspire us so fucking much. absolutely love them.

[@greeksalad4783]

These three are excellent musicians! Thus is my first time hearing of this band! ❤

[@jiznak2000]

6 short years ago and not a single grey hair to be seen. Crazy how fast that happens. Loved you guys in SF a few days ago!

[@hammalammadingdong6244]

I was at that show. It was just fantastic.

[@sgt.politeness1677]

KEXP please bring hum too....great host

[@drunkensolution7329]

Another Space Song sends me exactly there...... Space.... Love it.

[@schwarzblatt]

Failure didn't quite get the recognition they deserved in the 90's. Their fanbase grew by leaps and bounds in their initial absence and now they've come back with some of their best material. So happy to see them active.

[@dobby240]

The Bass tone is phenominal. and the drumer concentration (and skill) is awe inspiring.

[@xrodarte82]

Amaze Balls. Great quality and sound. Sick set list to play too. Discovered this band a year ago. Changed my World.

[@derekbreeders1841]

KEXP is awesome for having bands. this is an awesome band!!

[@cyoung7127]

Thank you for this KEXP! And thank you, Failure! Can't wait to see Autolux on the show when their album drops!

[@mrtetanner]

Cory Y. Are you high? Autolux! Are you serious?

[@internationalypimpin7821]

Failure + KEXP = WOOOOOOOO Why are there little drips of water on my keyboard? Huh.

[@Superanima7]

their cover of enjoy the silence by Depeche Mode is exceptionally well done and chunky and beautiful failure sound and it is very close to perfection

[@adsensedd]

This sound is huge. Nice.

[@GeoLumen]

This band is criminally underrated.

[@longships9373]

Incredible sound mix on this. That bass tone is seriously cool

[@MrSoundJUNKIE]

Love KEXP and love Failure. I thought she had fantastic questions (no pun intended), a lot of great q's around recording and their process to deliver such sonically interesting music. Fucking great to hear they still focus on the album and record songs as a whole and avoid multi-tracking. So much music today is overproduced, one track at a time. Even great artists's from the 90's (cough cough... Trent Reznor) have let that have a noticeable impact on their sound. Another comment about their new younger following: great to hear i'm not the only young music listener with a brain... I grew up in the 90's, but i'll admit, I wasn't on the failure-crack-pipe until about 5 years ago. Great all around...

[@SHREDDERMG]

i love failure everything they ever did was gold! i wish i had got the chance to see them.... oh wait i did and got them to autograph my cassette cover in vancouver bc

[@jimlevinthal3880]

Fantastic Planet...was my Highschool years. So many times, i listened to tthat album, and magnified HIGH AS BALLS. love Failure

[@elcuartitorecords3465]

What a great performance and the sound mix is amazing as well!

[@joshflugel]

We can all agree Failure succeeded.

[@georginaK21]

I really want Troy Van Leeuwen to rejoin. He's damn good, I can imagine the writing process with him included would elevate the band. I mean they're great now, but Troy's a great writer and his popularity from Qotsa could bring in more fanbase too. Edit: There's no way of wording this at 4am without it sounding like an insult to the band, but you know what I mean!

[@iano4342]

Goosebumps still. Amazing. Caught em once at a weird little "showcase" gig at the Viper room when Fantastic Planet came out in 96'. The room was filled with industry suits checking out their viability, me my buddy Max and like 5 other fans. The 7 of us were going apeshit and grooving while the suits looked on in wonder. I brought a camera to that show and just rocked out. Kinda wish I snapped a few now. Stoked to see you guys still thriving.

[@rippindrummer666]

Saw them live last night and they might be the best “sounding” bands I’ve ever live

[@YouLikeBosch]

Basslines soooo goooood.

[@drumtravelfun]

Failure has some of the most underrated bass lines EVER. It's a crime that they're not talked about more.

[@EMPextinction]

drumtravelfun would you say it was a.. "small crime". No seriously though best bass tone to date

[@drumtravelfun]

Good one ;)

[@THXbox]

Your right Ken. Significant appetite for new material.

[@tweekturtle170]

Fantastic band Fantastic planet