The Jesus And Mary Chain
4th March 2019
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Doug Peters.
It was exactly three years ago to the day that The Jesus & Mary Chain graced the stage at Auckland’s beloved Powerstation; but where their 2016 show was an anniversary celebration of their 1985 debut album Psychocandy, last night’s show was a smorgasbord of delectable delights.
Across a stage littered with amps, the word ‘Jesus’ emblazoned upon them, walked the infamous Reid brothers, the audience roaring with approval as they took up position alongside guitarist Scott Von Ryper (of the Australian duo The Black Ryper), bassist Mark Crozer and drummer Brian Young formally of Fountains of Wayne. With little fanfare The Jesus And Mary Chain went straight in for the jugular, hitting the crowd with ‘Amputation’ from their last album – released almost twenty years after 1998’s Munki – Damage and Joy, several tracks making it onto the set list tonight and seamlessly rubbing shoulders with beloved classics. If anyone needed proof that The Jesus and Mary Chain have still got it, here it was on a plate with a side order of fries.
Musically the show was tight, Jim Reid posturing in all the right ways, threading his vocals through each track with that sinister undercurrent of darkness that shouldn’t be at home in a pop style melody but is. However visually the show just did not have the same ambience as it did last time. Instead of shrouded in smoke, the stage was instead almost too busy in places as streams of light collided with strobes and other such effects that were at times just slightly off beat. However, this was one of only two minor detractions from what was otherwise a sublime performance.
In typical Jim Reid style, little was said, the occasional mumbled ‘thank you’ appearing after every third or fourth song; the music however spoke volumes, the first third of the set skipping between the Automatic, Darklands and Damage and Joy albums before ‘Snakedriver’ slithered out and bewitched all. Having never appeared on a Jesus And Mary Chain album, but instead a track from the famed 1994 soundtrack to the movie The Crow it was an absolute thrill to hear live. And it would seem that the Jesus And Mary Chain boys had a few more little gold dusted sweets hidden away ready to spring on their fans, ‘All Things Must Pass’ from Upside Down was followed by none other than the title track from their 1986 EP Some Candy Talking. For the fans, last night’s show was on the same level of the rapture itself happening.
Leaning on the mic stand and letting the crowd know that they had come to the end of the show, but that it didn’t have to be if they didn’t want it to be, Jim Reid let slip a small almost bashful smile as he encouraged the fans to stamp their feet; the sneering ‘Reverence’ bringing the set to a close. As suggested, feet were stamped and whoops were hollered, no one even remotely interested in leaving anytime soon when the feast before them still offered more.
Once again emerging from the shadows, William Reid, his mop of curls making him look slightly mad professor like, Jesus And Mary Chain began their five-song encore with the adored ‘Just Like Honey’, which is where the second small detraction made itself known. An unnamed female vocalist had slipped into position on the left-hand side of the stage, however – thankfully – she disappeared again straight after, as her backing vocals were terribly off key and instead of lifting the song to the echelons where it resides it was like a weight that obstinately kept it grounded.
Letting loose in a whirlwind of feedback and delicious droning noise, The Jesus and Mary Chain delivered the hypnotic throbbing of ‘Cracking Up’ before once again slipping in a Damage and Joy track; ‘I Hate Rock n Roll’ taking it all home in true Jesus And Mary Chain style.
About as close to perfection as you could possibly get.
Were you there at the Powerstation for this post punk shoe gaze experience? Or have you seen The Jesus And Mary Chain perform live somewhere else? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
- Amputation
- April Skies
- Head On
- Blues From A Gun
- Black And Blues
- Mood Rider
- Far Gone And Out
- Between Planets
- Snakedriver
- Teenage Lust
- All Things Must Pass
- Some Candy Talking
- Halfway To Crazy
- Darklands
- Reverence
- Just Like Honey [encore]
- Cracking Up [encore]
- In A Hole [encore]
- War On Peace [encore]
- I Hate Rock N Roll [encore]
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