"Anything can happen at a Brian Jonestown Massacre show. And it usually does. A guitarist may be shoved off the stage; a bottle might get trhown onto the stage by a so-called fan; the last gasp of a vintage amp could delay the show longer than you might think. Bandleader Anton Newcombe - a child of 1967's Summer of Love, may in fact storm off in a rage after one song and disappear into the streets" (from the BJM Retrospective album liner notes).
Virtually unknown here in Italy, the BJM performed a show here last friday and it was probably one of the top five show i ever seen in 30 years of concert going. I went expecting some riots - a week before in London a riot erupted on stage with band members fighting with the roadies, but here the band performed two hours of terrific music (even if at a certain moment Newcombe and a fan exchanged some nice 'why dont you fuck off asshole' words).
It was like witness a young Syd Barrett on stage with the Velvet Underground; no, it was like if the young Byrds were performing with the Joy Division... fuck, it was just a fantastic show. 7 members on stage, including a perfect stoned guy - hey, he was great! he should have eat about a dozen acid pills before the show, looking like a fat smiling liam gallagher... - in front of the stage where usually the band leader stand, just playing a fucking tambourine for two hours and never singing...
great audience too: 16 years old kids, a lot of models-look-a-like girls and some americans too. at the end of the show, Anton came into the floor, invited everyone out in the street and surrounded by about 50 fans he spent about an hour talking with everyone.
He is a genius and a nice fella, like there are no more in today's music scene.
More about this band in the next blog episodes.
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