Brian Jonestown Massacre

Bands don't come much odder than The Brian Jonestoswn Massacre, or The BJM as they are affectionately known by their hardcore of clearly devoted fans. Formed in San Francisco in the early 90s, and undergoing more lineup changes than Chelsea's back four, Anton Newcombe's band made a surprising return to Newcastle, after their last appearance was labelled by many as a debacle after some less than positive crowd interaction caused Newcombe to let his legendarily short temper get the better of him, leading to the show being cut short in a wave of vitriol. Thankfully the hecklers didn't show up tonight, and we were treated to a full length show.

Pitching themselves somewhere between 70s prog rock and 90s grunge, The BJM have a unique sound, which won't suit everyone. Their music is an emotional rollercoaster which has the power to move from languid self-deprecation to soaring, joyous grandeur in an instant. There is no doubting the quality of the songwriting on show, but sadly it does not translate well to the live arena, and the band seem unable to hold a crowd for any length of time.



The problems seem apparent immediately. A vocalist who stands towards the back of the stage with his back to a large proportion of the crowd is going to have a hard time endearing himself to the crowd. Any attempt to alter the usual band dynamic should be welcomed, but when your de facto frontman is an apparently mute behemoth whose sole job is to shake a tambourine and affect a bored 'indier than thou' snarl, you should really have a think about crowd interaction.

Musically, The Brian Jonestown Massacre are superb. There is no denying that - it is exemplary, and this is shown to its fullest in crowd favourites 'Nevertheless' and 'Not If You Were The Last Dandy On Earth', which both stand out a country mile in this set. Sadly though, it is impossible for the material to come across well when the band don't make any effort to look like they even want to be there.


I wish I could say more good things about The Brian Jonestown Massacre, because as a concept, they are fantastic. They are clearly intent on breaking down barriers and challenging the de-rigeur dynamic which comes as standard in a band situation. It's just a shame their apparent disregard for the fans' live experience gets in the way of what could be a great show. Overall this was a disappointing experience, which could have been phenomenal, with just a little thought on the part of the band.

FUTURE GIGS