The Brian Jonestown Massacre sailed their psychedelic shoegaze mothership into Brum’s O2 Institute, captained by chief psychedelic warrior Anton Newcombe.
With a reputation that’s as fierce as their sound is expansive, I did not know exactly what to expect from a BJM show. Tales of a band that feature fights, tantrums and walkouts in their setlist alongside their musical offerings, this feeling of uncertainty enveloped me as I took the trip to Digbeth that night.
Spaciest of Space Cowboys
And I have to say, I was excited! Their music was always recommended to me by the coolest of cats in school, with the guaranteed surprise reaction playing out as I confessed I had not heard all that much. It was clear to me that this is not just a legendary band, but a cult that was only joined by the spaciest of space cowboys and girls. Or at least that is what I thought as a 16-year-old, embarking on my own expansive mind’s journey.
Sonic Marriage
First up though was supporting act for the tour, Stockholm’s Les Big Byrd. And wow, I
had never heard of these guys before but the really impressed the BJM faithful. And with good reason. They introduce their set with a slow electronic drone, with a 60s psychedelic sense of harmony and a sonic marriage of trip hop and shoegaze. Wah wah ridden guitars and delay pedal mastery unfurled from the amplifiers, as the most stoic and steady of drummers battered away, sometimes gracefully other times with pure scandinavian power. Giving off vibes of King Giz and The Velvet Underground as well as synth heavy alternative electronica, we were off to the races! I had to note that they managed to acquire a very similar synth sound to what is used in The Warriors movie soundtrack, that gloomy often frightening but always thrilling soaring synth. Oh yes. This is a band I will be following as of now, what a discovery.
Infectious Chill
And so the crowd patiently awaited the arrival of Newcombe and his brooding associates, as the sunglasses wearing squad greeted the eager watchers on. Backed with an arsenal of 
vintage guitars and amplifiers, my inner guitar geek got jealous towards the tools at their disposal. And the music began. Oh the music, I gradually got pulled into its grasp as the warm glow of psychedelia swallowed the Institute whole, as my head bopped along to the steady flow of Californian stoner beats. I felt at home!
This is a band who take their time on stage, questioning changing keys of a song right before playing it, or stalling the intro of another in order to change guitar to get the right feel. And usually I’d get impatient waiting around, but these lot get away with it. Their level of chill is infectious, as a distant tambourine guides us through our journey.
Super-Sonic
I was surprised that the only slight outburst from Newcombe came when he abruptly kicked his monitor to adjust its position, and when one of his guitars malfunctioned, resulting in the only time his glasses came off. This atmosphere was beautiful, and had the vibe of an MTV Unplugged session, spontaneous in a chilled way. As a newbie, I was impressed by Newcombe’s lead guitar playing, which was stylistic of Neil Young’s playing (the vibe is supported by his cowboy hat and boots) and with the vulnerability the present on stage as they played some tracks which are more of an acquired taste. They ended their set with one of the most ethereal tracks at their disposal, Super-Sonic. The Indian inspired piece was introduced by a 5 minute long guitar intro, which was a lesson in how to play guitar like a sitar! The track left me meditating in the crowd, leaving me forgetting briefly that I was even at a gig. I entered the realms of my mind, or something like that anyway. And I have to admit, those cool cats were right. This band are awesome, and honestly I can’t say I have ever seen a rock ‘n’ roll show play out the way it did. Oh no, I think I have joined the cult afterall…
My expectations of a band who’s co-operation is threadbare were shattered, this is a band who are enjoying their craft and is truly authentic in their approach to rock ‘n’ roll. In a world filled with wannabees and try hards, The Brian Jonestown Massacre still prove to be one of the main driving forces in rock and psychedelic culture, forever etched into the history books as rock ‘n’ roll legends…
