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CMW Review: Jesus & Mary Chain, May 1, The Phoenix

Posted on
4 May 2015
by
Ricky

Screen Shot 2015-05-03 at 5.20.00 PM

Canadian Music Week started off with a bang on Friday night with a stellar set from one of the most iconic UK bands from the past thirty years. I’ve seen Jesus and Mary Chain three times now and this was by far the most efficient and polished I have seen them, which is a weird thing to say for a band that’s been around for so long.

Touring on the 30th anniversary of their debut record Pyschocandy, the group took the stage under a haze of fog and Jim Reid announced the format of the show. A few tracks first, a break and then a longer set.  “April Skies” quickly got the sold out crowd going. The first part of the set was a quick mini greatest hits set that also featured “Some Candy Talking” and “Psychocandy,” which ironically enough, is not on the album Psychocandy.

The last two times I`ve seen the band, the show’s results were mixed – there was some confusion on stage, songs had to be restarted and there seemed to be a general lack of cohesiveness at times. However, this time around, the band was in tip top shape. The tracks sounded sharp, Jim Reid sounded good and J&MC just came off as a well oiled machine (except for one hiccup).

A short break followed after “Upside Down” and when the band returned, the ever so familiar drums indicated it was time for “Just Like Honey” which also indicated it was time to listen to Psychocandy. Joined by Liv Niles of Gateway Drugs (the opener), Just Like Honey sounds just the way you would want it and even if Liv’s microphone appeared to be way too low, your memory fills in those gaps pretty well. The band’s performance of Psychocandy was very loud. Surrounded by smoke and light, bathed in feedback and guitars, it was what most fans wanted. I’ll never get tired of hearing “Never Understand” live and I am glad to have seen an album like Psychocandy performed live. If you asked the elated crowd leaving the Phoenix on Friday night after the set finished, they would probably say the same thing.

PrevPreviousHot Docs Review: On the Bride’s Side [Khaled Soliman Al Nassiry, Gabriele Del Grande, Antonio Augugliaro, 2015]
NextCMW Review: Noel Gallagher and His Birds, Sony Centre, May 3Next

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