Chaotic Entertainment
Brian Jonestown Massacre are one of those groups whose reputation precedes them; in their case it's a reputation for chaotic and downright unpredictable live shows ranging from brief to epic. Tonight's set at The Forum is a good 90 minutes long with the band packing in psychedelic jangling guitar tune after tune. There are the gloriously shambolic elements about the show; the band take about 10 minutes to actually play anything after they've stepped on stage, leaving the crowd hanging on desperately before they launch into, 'Whoever You Are'. Their leader, and the only real constant in the band's long history, Anton Newcombe, apologies for the fact that they're not a "professional" band, but professional bands come and go, unlike the Brian Jonestown Massacre who have been going for almost 2 decades. Although the most charismatic and talkative member of the band, Newcombe is stationed towards the end of the stage and tambourine man Joel Gion gets an equal amount of limelight in the centre stage and intersecting brooding basslines with fierce tambourine jangles, and baiting the crowd with a cry of, "Eat tambourine Englishman!"
Newcombe expresses a fondness for England and interest in political affairs, repeatedly telling the crowd not to clap, but to put their knives in the bin instead, referring to the "knife epidemic" in the capital; he even jokes that he's looking forward to returning to the US as you only get shot there.
"Who?" sets the crowd off with "who"'s ringing round the venue for minutes afterwards. The tambourine spangled rock is the kind of music that might not grip you throughout the set, but there are moments of brilliance for everyone and the band play with so much vigour and energy that you can't help but feel like joining in the dancing. 'Vacuum Boots' is another high point with its lazy but busy guitar line and catchy feel. Guitarist Frankie takes the mic for 'Golden Frost', flailing wildly around once freed from his instrument, although he later causes a fracas after heading offstage while Anton teased a member of the crowd with playground rhymes and being admonished by the frontman for dropping an expensive mic. It's these moments of chaos that make Brian Jonestown Massacre seem like the most real and down to earth band out there, they jam happily away and although they're very much aware of the audience and keen to please them, it's more like they just want everyone to join in their mellow, musical party than they're trying to wildly impress. Newcombe expresses his gratitude and the fact that he is "blown away" by the crowd several times, which raises a round of applause. The singer's poetic rambling is an enchanting sign of incomprehensible genius and very much endearing.
The set lasts at least 90 minutes with a few impromptu jams, one with half of the band leaving the stage and the three remaining members carrying enough of a tune still to please the crowd and prevent them erupting into too much chatter. Yes, they're chaotic in nature but Brian Jonestown Massacre just can't fail to entertain with uplifting tunes and plenty of charisma.