David Byrne has finally performed Talking Heads‘ ‘Psycho Killer’ for the first time in 19 years to kickstart his solo 2025 tour – check out footage of the performance below.
Earlier this week (September 16), Byrne kicked off the North American leg of his solo world tour in Pittsburgh with an eclectic mix of Talking Heads hits, solo material, a handful of live debuts and even a Paramore cover.
The biggest surprise of the set, however, came towards the end of the performance when Byrne played ‘Psycho Killer’ – something he famously hasn’t done live for the first time since 2006. For the acoustic performance, Byrne ditched his iconic oversized Talking Heads-era suit for blue overall, as he was backed by a throng of dancers.
Footage of the performance is currently scarce, but Pigeons & Planes have uploaded one clip that’s since been making the rounds on social media. Check it out below.
@David Byrne kicked off his ‘Who Is The Sky?’ tour in Pittsburgh last night with a career-spanning setlist that included a pleasant surprise for fans: a performance of Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer” for the first time in 19 years. The show featured tracks from his new solo album alongside classics like “This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)” and “Burning Down The House.” Byrne also covered Paramore’s “Hard Times,” reflecting his recent collaboration with Hayley Williams on their new song, “What Is The Reason For It?” __ 📹 via @rival9500/IG #pigeonsandplanes #davidbyrne #talkingheads #psychokiller #hayleywilliams
♬ original sound – Pigeons & Planes
Elsewhere during the set, Byrne played Talking Heads hits like ‘Heaven’, ‘And She Was’, ‘Houses In Motion’, ‘Once In A Lifetime’ and set closer ‘Burning Down The House’. Among his solo tracks were ‘Everybody Laughs’, ‘What Is The Reason For It?’, ‘Like Humans Do’, and the live debuts of ‘Don’t Be Like That’, ‘I Met The Buddha At A Downtown Party’ and ‘My Apartment Is My Friend’.
He also performed a cover of Paramore’s ‘Hard Times’ live for the first time.
David Byrne’s ‘Who Is The Sky?’ setlist on September 16 was:
‘Heaven’ (Talking Heads song)
‘Everybody Laughs’
‘And She Was’ (Talking Heads song)
‘Strange Overtones’
‘Houses In Motion’ (Talking Heads song)
Unknown (new song, live debut)
‘(Nothing But) Flowers’ (Talking Heads song)
‘This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)’ (Talking Heads song)
‘What Is The Reason For It?’
‘Like Humans Do’
‘Don’t Be Like That’ (live debut)
‘Independence Day’ (first time since 1992)
‘Slippery People’ (Talking Heads song)
‘I Met The Buddha At A Downtown Party’ (live debut)
‘My Apartment Is My Friend’ (live debut)
‘Hard Times’ (Paramore cover)
‘Psycho Killer’ (Talking Heads song, first time since 2006)
‘Life During Wartime’ (Talking Heads song)
‘Once In A Lifetime’ (Talking Heads song)
‘Everybody’s Coming To My House’
‘Burning Down The House’ (Talking Heads song)
As for a Talking Heads reunion, Byrne in August once again dismissed the idea of getting the band back together, calling it “a fool’s errand”. Talking Heads have not performed together since 1984, and while they had a brief reunion in 2023, they have consistently denied rumours of a full-blown comeback for years now.
Prior to those comments, Byrne reaffirmed that Talking Heads would not be touring again, as they wouldn’t be able to recapture the magic of their early days. However, he did confirm that he’d be revisiting the band’s music for his own tour
Fans’ hopes of a reunion were raised when the band teased a huge announcement back in June. It ended up being the first ever music video for their iconic hit ‘Psycho Killer’, which starred Saoirse Ronan, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of their first live performance.
The band have all unanimously said at various points that a full-blown reunion was not on the cards, and reports said that the members rejected an offer of $80million from Live Nation to get back on the road.
Byrne’s solo tour will carry out across North America through December, followed by a tour of Australia and New Zealand in January and February. February will also see him kick off a stint across the UK and Europe until March, with several shows set for London – check out the full list of dates and get your tickets here. He was also most recently announced for Coachella 2026.
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