San Francisco musical project The Brian Jonestown Massacre will bring their obscure psych-folk calamity to The Princess Theatre in November.
The band’s “post-punk” brand has always attracted attention. It combines the names of Rolling Stone magazine founder Brian Jones and the historical US event, the 1978 Jonestown Massacre.
You gotta give it to the longevity of this band, forming in 1990 and only bursting onto the global stage in 2019 after 17 full-length albums.
But it was lucky number 18 for The Brian Jonestown Massacre – also named “The Brian Johnstown Massacre” – exploded over night seven months after its release.
It was released on the back of a hugely successful world tour, displaying their new swag of songs in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Europe.
Mass-murder suicide leads to assassination of congressman
The Jonestown Massacre was a mass murder-suicide in 1978 of the Peoples Temple cult under the leadership of Jim Jones. It involved the tragic assassination of US Congressman Leo Ryan who was investigating the cult.
Newcombe told FBI Radio the name is “a parallel between cult leaders and the cult of personality.”
“Meaning, maybe (Lady) Gaga and her little monsters are very similar to a Jim Jones… A congregation in a lot of ways.
“See what I’m saying? It’s like the whole public space is a church, and these people are the followers. So I thought that was interesting.
“Brian Jones (from the Rolling Stones) really was an icon in the 50s. I just wanted to sort of repaint that.
“When you look back at the old magazines, he was the one who’s been interviewed non-stop for his fashion (and) he had the most money. He was the whole nine yards. So there was a cult of personality around that.”
Newcombe, who almost named the band, Blur, says he wanted to make something that wasn’t commercial.
It’s all about the post-punk for Brian Jonestown Massacre
“In post-punk, people called their bands like, living shit, you know?
“It’s like a swastika T-shirt. There’s like a whole history of pastiche where people made things that were socially-charged, like the Sex Pistols.”
Living up to their mysterious, sombre sounds and meloncholic name, The Brian Jonestown Massacre gained media attention for their alleged toxic working relationships.
As well as Newcombe’s apparent odd behaviour.
(Hey, they’re only rockstars, right!?)
Whatever the case, this prolific band now has 20 albums, five complication albums, five live albums, 14 EPs, and 22 singles.
The Brian Jonestone Massacre play at The Princess Theatre, Woolloongabba on November 18 from 7.30pm.
Tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.com.au/the-brian-jonestown-massacre-woolloongabba
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