When the Jesus and Mary Chain played their first gigs forty years ago, they played with their backs to the audience, refused to talk to them and played for a total of 20 minutes. Fast forward forty years later to 2024, their disdain for their audience has dissipated and shows last considerably longer, much to our relief.
Marking their 40th anniversary tour at the Forum, The Jesus and Mary Chain take their spots on stage. Brothers and founding members Jim and William Reid, are bathed in a mixture of blue light and white smoke almost obscuring their identities. If anything, it adds to the theatre and atmosphere of the show. Flanked by Primal Screams’ Simone Butler on bass, Aussie Scott Von Ryper (The Black Ryder) on guitar and Justin Welch (formerly Elastica and Suede) on drums, they launch into “Jamcod” off 2024 release Glasgow Eyes, to cheers and screams of approval from the adoring crowd. The new song is a nod to discordant soundscapes of their heyday. Upbeat post-punk gem Head On off Automatic follows, inciting a sing along from the throng.
“Sit back and relax and let us do the work” implores Jim Reid, and we heed his advice. Earlier in the set, the older tracks are performed with more cohesion than newer songs. It takes a few songs for the band to find their mojo. New track Chemical Animal has that brooding, slow burn intensity characteristic of the band’s older material and is lapped up by the punters. Hit song “Blues from a Gun” sung by William, with its heavy guitar riff, and wall of guitar feedback is a highlight, whilst In a Hole with its cacophony of feedback, sees Welch pound on his skins with bass drum mallets.
“Sidewalking” a crowd favourite is performed with searing intensity and Jim Reid’s partner Rachel Conti, joins him on stage for a duet on new release “Girl 71.” The glorious
“Sometimes Always” features Simone Butler singing Hope Sandoval’s part and we are overcome with nostalgia.
“We’re playing the last song and if you make the slightest sound we’ll come back up here” exclaims Reid before launching into “I hate Rock n Roll.”
“Just Like Honey” off post punk masterpiece “Psychocandy” is the first song of the encore and “Reverance”, with Jim crooning “I wanna die just like Jesus Christ”, is a sonic assault on the senses and the best song of the night. The Jesus and Mary Chain put on a killer one-and-a-half-hour performance filled with their trademark dissonate soundscapes.
Photo Gallery by Mary Boukouvalis
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- Jesus and Mary Chain by Mary Boukouvalas
SET LIST:
Jamcod
Head On
Happy When it Rains
All things must pass
Chemical Animal
Blues from a gun
Nine Million Rainy Days
In a Hole
Sidewalking
Venal Joy
Pure Poor
Some Candy Talking
Girl 71
Sometimes Always
Darklands
I hate Rock n Roll
Encore
Just like Honey
Taste of Cindy
Reverance
‘40 YEARS’
AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND TOUR 2024
Presented by SBM
Tue 30 July: Powerstation, Auckland
Thu 1 Aug: Enmore Theatre, Sydney
Sat 3 Aug: The Tivoli, Brisbane
Sun 4 Aug: Forum, Melbourne
Tue 6 Aug: Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide
Thu 8 Aug: Astor Theatre, Perth
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