21.8.2024 | Culture

Iconic Band “The Jesus and Mary Chain” to Perform in Tallinn today

Text Mark Taylor
Photos Mel Butler, Tanel Tero, Alana Proosa

Scottish noise-pop icons, The Jesus and Mary Chain, will take the stage at Tallinn’s Alexela Concert Hall this evening (August 21), with special guest Röövel Ööbik.

The legendary Scottish band, formed by brothers Jim and William Reid, are celebrating their 40th anniversary this year, marking four decades since the release of their debut single, “Upside Down.” In March, the band released their new studio album, Glasgow Eyes, and have embarked on a European tour, which will see them return to Estonia for the first time in over 35 years. This performance being the band’s only concert on their tour in the Baltic region.

The Jesus and Mary Chain first performed in Tallinn in June 1989, at the Rock Summer Festival on the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds, during what was then the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic. That concert remains memorable to this day. The Reid brothers were stunned by the crowd of around 100,000 people who came to see them. “I’ve never seen such a large crowd in my life,” said singer Jim Reid. Guitarist William Reid promised, “It’s going to be pretty terrifying. You’re in for a mighty noise.”

Known for their powerful, chainsaw-like guitar noise and screeching feedback, the band reportedly caused thousands of Finnish marks in damages to the stage equipment during the show. However, it was later revealed that this was exaggerated by the media, and in reality, they only damaged a microphone stand. The Jesus and Mary Chain also ruffled the feathers of several local music figures, with Estonian singer Ivo Linna commenting that a band with sound issues shouldn’t be allowed on the main stage.

Thirty-five years later, The Jesus and Mary Chain are recognised as one of the most influential and controversial bands of all time. Their debut album, Psychocandy (1985), is often regarded as one of the greatest debut albums ever. The Reid brothers pulled off an unimaginable feat by blending sunny pop melodies with dark nihilism and shrieking reverb, creating a sound akin to Phil Spector’s “Wall of Sound” run through a “chainsaw in a hurricane.” They soon followed this up with acoustic guitars and more audible lyrics, constantly contradicting themselves: they started as opponents of synth-pop, yet soon incorporated drum machines and synthesisers. With their leather jackets and Ray-Ban sunglasses, they looked like the most important band in the world, a status that seemed to leave them entirely unfazed. They despised rock stars, distanced themselves from the twee indie scene, and sang passionately about trivial matters and absentmindedly about important ones. They performed with their backs to the audience, fuelled by chaos. By 1998, the brothers’ internal conflicts had escalated to the point where they went on a long hiatus, bowing out with the lyrics “I hate rock’n’roll.”

Since their occasional return to the stage in 2007, including the release of the album Damage and Joy, The Jesus and Mary Chain are now back in full force. With fans able to enjoy the release of their eighth studio album, Glasgow Eyes, in March. This album attempts to answer the question of how the Reid brothers might sound in harmony. As the opening single “jamcod” states: “Best notify the other brother there’s no place to go.”

Glasgow Eyes straddles the line between homage and satire, with some unexpected diversions, including nods towards cramp-free jazz. Beneath the electronic veneer, the guitars and echoes carry cryptic autobiographical references and classic themes of longing, decadence, and drugs—all presented in an unexpectedly calm manner.

The latest album was recorded in Glasgow with exactly the same approach as in 1984. “We just went into the studio with a bunch of songs and let things take their course. No rules, just doing whatever it takes,” says Jim Reid.

At the Tallinn concert, fans can expect to hear tracks from the new album, as well as classics like “Some Candy Talking,” “Just Like Honey,” “April Skies,” and “I Hate Rock’n’Roll.”