Phish Set 2,051-Show Bustout Record With XTC Cover
Phish performed XTC’s “Melt The Guns” at Boston’s Fenway Park on 31 July, ending a 2,051-show absence and setting the band’s longest-ever “bustout” record. The performance matters to fans because it surpassed a record Phish had only set the previous week, highlighting the group’s unusually deep and changeable live repertoire.
The song, originally from XTC’s 1982 album English Settlement, had last been played by Phish on 29 April 1987. Their Fenway rendition reportedly lasted about 15 minutes, with guitarist Trey Anastasio playing percussion during the middle section; it overtook the 1,469-show gap before the band’s recent cover of Foreigner’s “Cold As Ice” at Madison Square Garden.
- Phish revived an XTC song after 2,051 shows.
- The performance set the band’s longest bustout record.
- It reportedly lasted around 15 minutes.