Song · The Bends era (1994–96)
Maquiladora
Named after the duty-free factories on the Mexican border, and one of the hardest things the band ever released.
1993–95
america, seen from a van
A maquiladora is a factory on the Mexican side of the United States border, assembling goods duty-free for the other side. The song takes that as its title and uses it to look at touring America, with the band cast, unflatteringly, as useless English rockers passing through.
It is loud, guitar-heavy and much rougher than anything on The Bends, and fans have argued for thirty years that it should have been on the album. It went out as a B-side on the “High and Dry” and “Planet Telex” single in February 1995. A live version later appeared on the Astoria EP.
on stage
Live, reading 1994.· slowdaylightwatch on youtube →
Live history
| Times played | 21 shows |
|---|---|
| Live debut | Wednesday 13 January 1993 · Egham |
| Last played | Monday 10 November 1997 · Hanover |
First played live in 1993, 2 years before it was released.
Nights played include broadcasts; opened and closed count gigs only. A cancelled night has no setlist. All setlist stats →
Tabs (2)
sources1
- The site's own catalogue note, based on Discogs and fan archives.