In the end of August is this band performing in Prague. Named in tribute to the legendary Rolling Stones guitarist and his influence in introducing Eastern culture and music into the world of Western rock & roll, Brian Jonestown Massacre formed in San Francisco, California in 1990. They performed already in Prague in 2014 a great show in Futurum Club, now they are heading to Lucerna Music Bar on the 31th of August. Tickets are available for 350,- CZK (+fee) at GoOut.cz, Ticketpro, Ticketportal, Eventim, musicbar.cz and at the cash desk of the LMB (without fee). At the door are the tickets available for 450,- CZK.
Between 1990-95, some 40 different members passed through the group’s ranks, but their focal point always remained singer/guitarist Anton Newcombe (who worked e.g. with Dandy Warhols and Dead Meadow) and those who recorded the Massacre’s 1995 shoegazer-influenced debut LP, ‘Methodrone’. In 1996, a collection of early recordings, ‘Spacegirl’ and ‘Other Favorites’, followed on the bands own Tangible label, and was the first of four Brian Jonestown Massacre LPs to appear that year. Next up was the brilliant, ‘Their Satanic Majesties’ Second Request’, a full-blown homage to the Stones’ glorious psychedelic-era excesses. Recorded live in the studio, the grittier ‘Take It from the Man!’ found the band exploring even broader territory. Finally, the year ended with the release of ‘Thank God for Mental Illness’, a showcase for strong country and blues leanings.
In 1997, the BJM resurfaced with a new full-length album ‘Give It Back!’ After signing to TVT, they released ‘Strung Out in Heaven’ the following year, but the band’s own eccentricities kept them from staying on the label. After a few scattered EPs, they returned in 2001 with ‘Bravery Repetition and Noise’, distributed by Bomp. ‘And This Is Our Music’ followed in 2003. Despite a continued lack of major distribution, the Brian Jonestown Massacre earned the largest profile of their career in 2004, when the band became the unlikely focus of an award-winning documentary, DIG!, which charted the trials of Newcombe and those of his rival, Courtney Taylor, leader of the Dandy Warhols. The ‘We Are the Radio’ EP followed in August 2005.
Anton Newcombe reinvented the band in 2008 and formed his own label ‘a recordings’. His first new album on this label was ‘My Bloody Underground’, featuring yet another line-up and a hint of shoegaze and noise pop. ‘Who Killed Sgt Pepper?’ followed shortly after, being made available in streaming format at the end of 2009 and receiving an official release on 27th February, 2010.
The band has toured throughout the years to Australasia, Japan, North America and Europe. In June 2010 they finished a 16 week world tour. In late 2010, Newcombe found premises in Berlin & proceeded to work on building his studio, in 2011 BJM released their 13th full-length album ‘Aufheben’ with tours in Australia, the USA & Europe.
In 2014 The Brian Jonestown Massacre recorded their album Revelation and with this album they performed an amazing show in Prague.
