Review: The Jesus and Mary Chain at Astor Theatre

The Jesus and Mary Chain at Astor Theatre
w/ Merryn Jeann
Thursday, August 8, 2024

In the pantheon of bands that shaped the sound of 80s and 90s alternative, The Jesus and Mary Chain may lay claim to the throne, and the shoegaze legends delivered a career-spanning retrospective at Astor Theatre on Thursday night that put pay to their reputation as kings of melodic noise. 

Opening proceedings was Merryn Jeann, an artist who defied easy labelling but certainly made an impression. The link in musical styles was tenuous, with Jeann’s blend of art pop and freakfolk bearing little in common with the Mary Chain’s more cerebral alternative rock. The contrast helped the music, often extraordinary, stand out all the more. The set opened minimally with just Jeann, samplers and her guitar, but she was soon joined by a bandmate on keys, and a method to the madness coalesced across a set that grew in strength as it progressed.

Her vocals were excellent, equally adept at tackling jazzy soulful lines and mad turns into theatrical and idiosyncratic outbursts that recalled 60s acid folk, ala The Incredible String Band. Fine songwriting certainly helped this eclectic playlist, as on the superb ballad Subconscious Love Connections, which showcased her breathy vocals. Elsewhere, the rhythms and lyrics got more obtuse, as on the beautifully building Nun at the Airport.

It wasn’t a long wait for The Jesus and Mary Chain themselves. They came on to little fanfare and burst into Jamcod. It was a cut from this year’s Glasgow Eyes, and frontman William Reid later described their set as “a bunch of old songs and some new songs.” This set was no simple best-of-victory lap, however, as this latest LP boasts some of the band’s finest songwriting to date and the material shone live. Jamcod’s basslines sounded like a bagpipe drone live, and its chorus blasts of noise were striking. Other highlights from the new material later in the set included Venal Joy and the glorious droning darkness of Chemical Animal. If there was a complaint, it would have been with the choice of Pure Poor, which could’ve been swapped with the haunting yet catchy Silver Strings instead. 

This left the ‘old songs’, and naturally, the band had a rich repertoire to draw on as they cranked out one anthemic slice of noise-pop darkness after another. Head On sounded positively metallic on-stage early in the set, with its memorable blues riff sounding as distorted as a car engine. Later in the set, the nasty strut of Sidewalking was also particularly subterranean. Other highlights included the alternative rock classic Happy When It Rains, which spoke for itself, the chiming-then-loud dynamic of Some Candy Talking, and the tender melodic brilliance of Darklands. The inclusion of Nine Million Rainy Days was a real highlight, as the track is a personal favourite, with its haunting mood and “ooh oohs” captured perfectly live. There was also the welcome use of guest vocals for the newer number Girl 71, followed by the classic Sometimes Always. It was a fun pairing, with the country inflections of the latter tune really coming to life in a live setting. 

Throughout, the band demonstrated excellent control of sound, with tunes embracing all ends of the “noisy guitar” spectrum but never drifting out of control. Their early Psychocandy numbers bore this out most obviously. The album is a classic; its tunes are essentially a set of 60s and Velvet Underground-influenced pop rockers set to uncontrolled noise and feedback. In 2024, these songs controlled the screechy feedback in favour of a more cerebral grunt.

The two massive crowd-pleasers in Just Like Honey and Cindy Says were monsters live, amped up to eleven. The former was a key moment, with the band in full force as members of the audience rode atop each other’s shoulders. The latter was an epic blast of hard rock noise that retained the 60s-indebted fun of the original with double the volume. These two numbers suitably made up the encore and were rounded out by Reverence. With its unforgettable, somewhat blasphemous refrain, it was the ultimate kiss-off to the band’s patented take on Gothic rock, and the audience loved it. 

Overall, this was a gig with something for every Jesus and Mary Chain fan, and the wide range of ages of those in attendance bore out their lasting relevance to fans old and new. This is a band still in peak form, and if their latest is any indication, they still have much more to say. With a back catalogue this strong and a sound as well-honed, every visit to Perth is recommended listening. 

MATIJA ZIVKOVIC

Photos by Linda Dunjey