Photos: The Jesus and Mary Chain at the Fonda Theatre
Kevin Bronson on
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The Jesus and Mary Chain celebrated 30 years of “Psychocandy” on Wednesday night at the Fonda Theatre, halving their concert and playing their 14-song debut front to back as the second part. After kicking the show off with a seven-song set including highlights “April Skies” and “Reverence” and lesser-known tunes such as “Some Candy Talking” and “Upside Down,” the Scottish rockers took a short break and then returned for the main fare. At the time of its release, “Psychocandy” was groundbreaking for its marriage of abrasive, distorted guitar in pop songs. On this night, however, it was upstage in volume by the ferocious shoegazing of support band A Place to Bury Strangers, who raged for almost an hour, after which bassist Dion Lunadon grabbed his amp, hauled it back through the crowd and back to the soundboard and, joined by his bandmates, made some noise using bass and electronic kits. Willow Robinson opened the night with a solo set played to a restless crowd.
||| Live: The Jesus and Mary Chain reprise their “Psychocandy” show tonight at the Fonda, and play FYF Fest on Saturday.
Photos by David Benjamin
It was late 1985 and I was in the I-Beam in San Francisco to see Jesus & Mary Chain on what I must think was the initial USA tour behind Psychocandy. I had a cassette of Psychocandy for a few weeks having bought a import cassette (how hip). I thought it was a good album not great like NME or Melody Maker would say but it was something that made me listen and then listen again. I had heard nothing like it before. There was pop and hooks behind the noise. Waiting in the smoke filled I-Beam till some ridiculous hour for four black dressed darkened figures to come out and play what I knew and what I wanted to hear and that they did for some short amount of time, I remember thinking during the show I GET IT—” It’s Phil Spector, It’s the Wall Of Sound” but I also knew it was 2D and not 3D like Spector. After 20/30 minutes I walked out of the completed set into a very cold San Francisco night happy I had been there (not screaming at the band like some for only playing a few minutes) knowing it had filled me up with something new, but knowing I would likely not need to go again. Almost 30 years later and no JAMC shows in between I am in the Fonda Thursday night thinking lets get to it I don’t have all night—Bang Bang Bang into Just Like Honey here we go and it is…just…not …there, for me or the band. I listened through the entire set and I paid attention and it was fine but just because you were/are an influence does not mean you are still relevant now. Just because you kicked in the door doesn’t mean you were the best or lead the way through the door. I walked out of The Fonda into a not so cold Los Angeles night sad I had been there, It left me empty and I honestly sensed the band was at that point during the set themselves. Psychocandy was of it’s time I guess. I am just not sure it’s time is still 2015.
[…] and scratches between my brother and myself.” Other festivals and tour appearances (including last year’s celebration of the 30-year anniversary of “Psychocandy”) followed, but scant news about a new album until now. “Damage and Joy” was produced […]