Levis Posted February 21, 2010 Report Share Posted February 21, 2010 This was not something I had planned. This morning I got a message from this girl who I write for asking me if I'd like to take in the Brian Jonestown Massacre's performance this evening. She'd been to their show the night before and was planning to see them at least thrice later this year when she visits you folks in the US of A for ATP. She could feel a sinus infection coming on and so would rather stay in. Would I like to go, she asked. It would be rather silly to turn down BJM tickets, I said. Making sure she really, really couldn't make it, I accepted. Opening act, local band Demon Parade were obvs influenced by both BJM and the Dandy Warhols and also a smidgen of Britpop prompting me to express my disappointment that they were Melburnians. Filler music was The Doors' Greatest Hits. What?! Look, I like the Doors as much as anyone, I think they're great but a) that did not fit non-stop Morrison's greatest hits can get a tad annoying very quickly because they're all the most overplayed songs already. BJM aren't very underground at all. The peeps up front and centre were going berserk from before the band even stepped on stage which made me very grateful I wasn't pushed up there with them and instead was squashed over to the front and side. A massive sold out venue implied a lot of being squished and stepped on. Possibly added to by the fact that I was pretty close to the stage. It was fantastic. 8 peeps on stage including hair-crush Matt Hollywood centrestage looking very John Lennonesque and zen. Initially drum-thumping, he moved on to guitar and never ceased his swaying to the music. Also, and this I find unusual, he looked into the audience right in front of him instead of at whatever he was playing, or across the room, or at the ceiling. And it wasn't just a sweeping gaze, either, no because it he'd catch your eyes and not. stop. looking. Also exciting, Joel Gion was part of the gang for the gig, and despite minimal overall audience interaction was as charming as ever, not just the couple of times he spoke, but just in the way he mooooved y'know? Anton was standing over to left aka my side of the stage, but performing semi-Jim Morrison style with half his back to the audience. We only really saw his face halfway through the other side of the audience probably saw it all. They played for 2 hours, and the peeps up front went a bit bonkers, bouncing all over the (not much) place, yelling out requests, banging heads, bumping, grinding, and generally letting themselves go. "That's so... not Melbourne" I said to my unwell friend's boyfriend who'd come with me. "Yeah," he said "Melbourne's more" *bobs head* and allows me to complete the sentence" "appreciative nodding". "They're probably Geelong" he said. Anton, Matt and Joel - that's as close to the original line-up as it's ever been, isn't it? I got lucky! Possibly my biggest gig ever and it didn't even cost me cab fare. The trams were still running by the time it was all over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levis Posted February 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2010 OH and about the music - not too much from the new album - if you know their early stuff and DiG, then you were pretty well versed with the setlist. Sound was marvelous and lush and overpowering and completely filled the massive venue. fantastic drums and basslines, and so much jangle and so many guitars, you can't blame the audience for their mini-seizures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levis Posted February 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2010 ALSO they did an encore they almost never do encores! (going away music was The Who - THIS ISN'T 1969, GUYS!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farin Posted February 21, 2010 Report Share Posted February 21, 2010 sounds really cool "That's so... not Melbourne" I said to my unwell friend's boyfriend who'd come with me. "Yeah," he said "Melbourne's more" *bobs head* and allows me to complete the sentence" "appreciative nodding". "They're probably Geelong" he said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farin Posted February 21, 2010 Report Share Posted February 21, 2010 (going away music was The Who - THIS ISN'T 1969, GUYS!) heh, off-topic, going away music at a Ärzte concert once: Edith Piaf! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Seeker Posted February 21, 2010 Report Share Posted February 21, 2010 Nice one, sounds good. One of the bands I'd also consider seeing. Can't be cheap though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levis Posted February 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2010 They're mainstream underground (!) so tix were 60$. Not three digits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Seeker Posted February 21, 2010 Report Share Posted February 21, 2010 More expensive than Kasabian then... average I guess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levis Posted February 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2010 Surely the fact that Kasabian were playing in their own country means ticket prices would be lower? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Seeker Posted February 21, 2010 Report Share Posted February 21, 2010 No idea, could be, yeah, but it appears that BJM tickets over here are way cheaper than in Australia anyway... £13. I stand corrected then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levis Posted March 20, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2010 Footage from my show! Anton sings Anenome See Matt Hollywood, see how zen he is, admire his hair... and look at how he keeps staring into the audience. It's crazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanTurtle Posted April 15, 2010 Report Share Posted April 15, 2010 I envy you. I love BJM! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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