The Brian Jonestown Massacre

Camden Roundhouse | 1 July

Fourteen albums in and The Brian Jonestown Massacre still can’t be toppled from their perch as one of the greatest psychedelic revivalists of their generation. Anton Newcombe is now in his mid-forties, and those iconic sideburns have turned a cloudy grey – but latest record Revelation proves above all that he’s lost nothing of the prodigal talent that founded the band’s cult status in the ‘90s.

There’s always something quite remarkable about The Brian Jonestown Massacre on stage. There always seems to be far too many of them, cramped together and all standing in the wrong positions – vocalist and band leader Anton Newcombe tucked away on the left hand side whilst talismanic tambourine player Joel Gion assumes the ‘frontman’ role with his simplistic percussion. As soon as the set begins it all makes perfect sense, though – they are a troupe of men who do it the way they wanted to, and through years of hardship (as documented on the film Dig!) they have inevitably triumphed. They are now immortal in their field.

We’re treated to a selection from the majority of the band’s extensive discography – from the euphoric melt of Anenome to the ‘60s sing-a-long anthem Not If You Were The Last Dandy On Earth, the yearning Wisdom, and rock-and-roll riot Oh Lord. All are marked by that dreamy jangle that can only be provided by the band’s signature onslaught of vintage guitars and major chord strums. The set ploughs at low and mid-tempo throughout, ensuring that the crowds are smothered by the colours and tones, rather than incensed by them.

The tracks from latest album Revelation fit in seamlessly, and are amongst the best of the night. Days, Weeks and Moths works towards a hypnotic, circular scale at its climax, while a solo Goodbye (Butterfly) provides a tender respite to the amorphous bliss. Best of all is album opener Vad Hände Med Dem, wherein the band are joined by Les Big Byrd vocalist Joakim Åhlund, whose Swedish verses provide the most animated stimulus of the whole concert.

The night is capped after a mammoth two-hour set with a superb climax in When Jokers Attack – with a panoply of 12-strings uniting in celestial tones as the lights burn a heavenly white. Another album, another tour, another triumph; The Brian Jonestown Massacre remain unstoppable.

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brianjonestownmassacre.com/
Words: James Balmont
Photo: Stuart Leach