Overview
The Brian Jonestown Massacre begun as a psychedelic rock group in San Francisco in 1988. Through many minor miracles and the unwavering, completely obsessive commitment of front man Anton Newcombe, the band are still making music today.
Their name comes from a combination of The Rolling Stones founder and guitarist Brian Jones, and the infamous mass cult suicide in Jonestown, Guyana. This idea of a tortured genius constantly flirting with complete insanity is rather fitting for The Brian Jonestown Massacre, but bandleader Anton Newcombe has been on a much more coherent path than the documentary Dig! gives him credit for - having released 14 studio albums, some of which will be remembered, re-discovered, and treasured, for many many years to come.
It's a history fraught with incredible highs and and deep lows but The Brian Jonestown Massacre seem to be in a good space right now. With two studio albums released since their last visit to New Zealand in 2010, and Newcombe based in Berlin with a family of his own, this promises to be a chance to see The Brian Jonestown Massacre at their intelligible best.
In a recent interview with Radio New Zealand, Newcombe left us with this.
"Psychedelia has less to do with drugs or Eric Clapton's frilly paisley shirt that he stole from his mother's cabinet. It has more to do with mind expanding."