THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE: WHO KILLED SGT PEPPER

The Brian Jonestown Massacre hit the mainstream consciousness in 2004’s Dig: a film that documents band leader Anton Newcomb’s slow disintegration from one tour and recording disaster to another.

Seeing them live at SXSW, they resembled a mini travelling Altamont circus where both the audience and the band played their parts to perfection. This particular performance included too many lost women in their mid twenties on bad acid paying homage to Anton and crew whilst they disintegrated slowly and stylishly on stage; simultaneously managing to sound pure rock and roll.

Stumbling on despite the odds, album number 12 pays homage to the UK’s early seventies rock underground without coming across as either precious or contrived.

Yes, the album does sound like it was recorded inside a half empty can of Campbell’s tomato soup but that’s the point; as songs reference the madness of Syd Barrett, the beer and fags psychedelic rock of Hawkwind and Slade’s football thug interpretation of glam. This album could be too much for some, but if a few of Hong Kong’s younger acts took these guys as their inspiration rather than taking the emo 101 route, maybe we’d have more music in this city that reflected our dirty air, dirty money and dirty politics.

-SH

Tags: Sgt. Pepper
Posted in Reviews