The shrill signature of the Jesus And Mary Chain is once again ringing in the air thanks to the recent reunion and Stephin Merritt’s album-length mash-note to the band’s classic early records, kicking off my yearly JAMC binge a little earlier than usual. (Maybe its the surf residue around their guitars, but I tend to think of the pallid Reid brothers as purveyors of summertime sounds.) The announcer at the beginning of this 1985 U.K. TV appearance mentions the infamous, press-aggrandized “riots” that greeted their earliest gigs, but the dutiful kids in the audience merely bop their ’80s ponytails in place, perhaps because the astounding torpor radiating off the stage has paralyzed them. Seriously, some bands rev up their stage show by having their frontman leap into the audience; the JAMC has Jim Reid grab the mic and list back and forth a little bit, the perfect visual embodiment of their too-something-to-give-a-fuck vibe. [YouTube]
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The Jesus And Mary Chain Wanna Riot (But May Be Too Full Of Ennui To Start One)
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saw them at danceteria - 1st nyc show . i think ‘trip you up’ was the new 45
i’m assuming, as that’s paula yates, that the clip will be from The Tube.
This is a great clip, but the best JAMC clip on youtube by far is their ‘92 Letterman performance. My favorite moments, in no particular order:
1). At the 1:00 mark, when Jim drops the mic, adjusts his sunglasses, and walks away, seeming as if he was briefly considering just leaving altogether;
2). At the 1:50 mark before the instrumental break, when Jim makes a half-hearted attempt at swinging his hips before seemingly going “fuck it”, turning around and taking a seat;
3). and at 3:18, when the Letterman band rocks out the final chord while William is unplugging his guitar and Jim makes a “shoot me in the head NOW” gesture.
The best part about the clip is the goofy Letterman bassist, who looks as if he’s having an absolute blast, while the Brothers Reid just look like they have better things to be doing.