The Jesus and Mary Chain

Bio

The Jesus and Mary Chain are a chaotic, noisy indie quartet formed in Scotland, blending the Beach Boys' sunny pop with the Velvet Underground's black-leather cool. Brothers Jim Reid and William Reid, from East Kilbride, Glasgow, Scotland were the primary songwriters. "The JAMC" released a constant string of albums, singles and EPs until their demise in 1998. Having influenced many post-punk and noise rock bands, the group finally reunited in 2007. The initial line-up, formed in 1983, was augmented by bassist Douglas Hart and drummer Bobby Gillespie. Gillespie played standing up in the manner of The Velvet Underground's Maureen "Moe" Tucker. JAMC's early gigs have become the stuff of legend in underground circles. Playing in front of small audiences, the band earned their notoriety by playing very short gigs, some lasting no more than ten minutes and consisting of a constant wall of feedback and distortion. The group became know as well for playing with their backs to the audience and refusing to speak to them. Many shows culminated with the Reids trashing their equipment, which was often followed by the audience rioting. All of this delighted manager and Creation Records boss Alan McGee, who obviously found it very easy to get attention for the band, as well as aliened more commercially-minded music business figures. Their debut single, "Upside Down", came out in 1984 on Creation, but they signed to the WEA-backed Blanco y Negro the following year. Said label released their debut album, titled 'Psychocandy', which fused together the Reid's two primary influences, the guitar noise and avant-garde rock of The Velvet Underground with the 60s pop leanings of Phil Spector and The Beach Boys. It included songs such as the indie sensation "Just Like Honey". The record divided many music fans due to its deliberately abrasive sound yet still received positive critical reviews and is now considered a landmark recording in the history of alternative music. Gillespie left the band before the next album, 'Darklands, came out, going on to front Primal Scream. He was briefly replaced by John Moore (later of Black Box Recorder), before former Biff Bang Pow! drummer Dave Evans. The aforementioned 'Darklands' also received supportive reviews, and it showed a less noisy and more contemplative sound that was welcomed by both many post-punk fans and many mainstream rock fans. Notable songs from that period include "April Skies" and "Happy When It Rains". Albums # Psychocandy (November 1985) # Darklands (September 1987) # Automatic (September 1989) # Honey's Dead (March 1992) # Stoned & Dethroned (1994) # Munki (June 1998) # Damage and Joy (2017) Plus the following - (sessions, singles, b-sides, live recordings et cetera) # Barbed Wire Kisses (April 1988) # The Sound of Speed (1993) # Hate Rock N' Roll (1995) # 21 Singles (2002) # BBC Live in Concert (2003) # The Complete John Peel Sessions (2003) # The Power of Negative Thinking: B-Sides & Rarities (2008) For the iconic indie label Sub Pop, the band recorded 1998's 'Munki' album, which would turn out to be their last before splitting the following year. The album is often thought of as sounding 'divided' due to the Reids' crumbling relationship. Jim Reid has recalled: "Me and William weren't really getting along at all. That last year we barely even spoke. 'Munki' is one of my favorite albums, but it was really divided. William would go into the studio with the rest of the band and record while I wasn't there, and then I'd go in with them when William wasn't there." William Reid then recorded as the artist Lazycame. Brother Jim formed the band Freeheat, which disbanded in 2003. Jim Reid is currently recording solo material and he has, to date, recorded and released one single Song For A Secret which was released on Transistor Records. Like some of their influences such as Dee Dee Ramone, Lee Hazelwood, Iggy Pop and Lou Reed, throughout their career the boys were rumored to have ongoing substance abuse issues, which may have contributed to their notoriety. They reportedly dabbled in regular use of things like amphetamines and heroin, which made for lyrical reference in songs like Some Candy Talking and the album title Stoned & Dethroned. Despite not having huge commercial success, they've gone on to influence a range of other music groups such as Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Butthole Surfers, My Bloody Valentine, and Spacemen 3. The Jesus and Mary Chain reunited to play at the Coachella Festival on April 27, 2007, followed by two more shows in Spain at the Summercase Festival. More shows followed in late 2007 and early 2008 in London. Calling themselves 'Sister Vanilla' an LP, Little Pop Rock, was released in 2007 and reunites the brothers along with their sister, Linda, singing on most tracks. Damage And Joy is the brand new studio album by The Jesus And Mary Chain, released on March 24th, 2017. Other personnel; Richard Thomas (drums 1988-1990) Ben Lurie (bass/rhythm guitar/backing vocals 1989-1998) Steve Monti (drums 1990-1995) Matthew Parkin (bass 1992) Barry Blackler (drums 1992) Nick Sanderson (drums 1993-1998) Mark Crozer (rhythm guitar 2007-now) Loz Colbert (drums 2007-now) http://thejesusandmarychain.uk.com/ . User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

Similar artists

Ride, My Bloody Valentine, Echo & the Bunnymen, Chapterhouse, Pale Saints

Genres

shoegaze,post-punk,alternative,indie,rock,uk,british,80s,scottish,noise pop,alternative rock,rock and indie,east kilbride,scotland,new wave,scottish indie,singer-songwriter,uk post-punk,dream pop,noise rock,

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Infos

On Tour: No

country: GB

City: East Kilbride

Begin Date: 1984

Last Update:

Artist next concerts

by

Song Kick

Hollywood Vampires and The Jesus and Mary Chain at The O2 (August 12, 2026)

London - The O2

12/Aug

2026

Hollywood Vampires and The Jesus and Mary Chain at OVO Hydro (August 17, 2026)

Glasgow - OVO Hydro

17/Aug

2026

Hollywood Vampires and The Jesus and Mary Chain at AO Arena (August 18, 2026)

Manchester - AO Arena

18/Aug

2026

Hollywood Vampires and The Jesus and Mary Chain at Utilita Arena Birmingham (August 19, 2026)

Birmingham - Utilita Arena Birmingham

19/Aug

2026

The Jesus and Mary Chain, Courtney Barnett, Pixel Grip, Whitney, and 11 more… at Fairgrounds, The Salt Shed (Outdoors) (May 23, 2026)

Chicago - Fairgrounds, The Salt Shed (Outdoors)

23/May

2026

Videography

The Jesus And Mary Chain - Just Like Honey (Official Music Video)

The Jesus And Mary Chain - Just Like Honey (Official Music Video)

Feb/2026

The Jesus And Mary Chain - Far Gone And Out (Official Music Video)

The Jesus And Mary Chain - Far Gone And Out (Official Music Video)

Feb/2026

The Jesus And Mary Chain - You Trip Me Up (Official Music Video)

The Jesus And Mary Chain - You Trip Me Up (Official Music Video)

Feb/2026

The Jesus And Mary Chain - Never Understand (Official Music Video)

The Jesus And Mary Chain - Never Understand (Official Music Video)

Feb/2026

The Jesus And Mary Chain - Almost Gold (Official Music Video)

The Jesus And Mary Chain - Almost Gold (Official Music Video)

Feb/2026

The Jesus And Mary Chain - Her Way Of Praying (Official Music Video)

The Jesus And Mary Chain - Her Way Of Praying (Official Music Video)

Feb/2026

The Jesus And Mary Chain - Reverence (Official Music Video)

The Jesus And Mary Chain - Reverence (Official Music Video)

Feb/2026

The Jesus And Mary Chain - Blues From A Gun (Official Music Video)

The Jesus And Mary Chain - Blues From A Gun (Official Music Video)

Feb/2026

The Jesus And Mary Chain - Come On (Official Music Video)

The Jesus And Mary Chain - Come On (Official Music Video)

Feb/2026

The Jesus And Mary Chain - Head On (Official Music Video)

The Jesus And Mary Chain - Head On (Official Music Video)

Feb/2026

The Jesus And Mary Chain - April Skies (Official Music Video)

The Jesus And Mary Chain - April Skies (Official Music Video)

Feb/2026

The Jesus And Mary Chain - Happy When It Rains (Official Music Video)

The Jesus And Mary Chain - Happy When It Rains (Official Music Video)

Feb/2026

The Jesus And Mary Chain - Sometimes Always (Official Music Video)

The Jesus And Mary Chain - Sometimes Always (Official Music Video)

Feb/2026

The Jesus And Mary Chain - Darklands (Official Music Video)

The Jesus And Mary Chain - Darklands (Official Music Video)

Feb/2026

Artist discography

by

Last FM

The Two of Us

Sep/2017

The Two Of Us (feat. Sky Ferreira) [Radio Edit]

The Two Of Us (feat. Sky Ferreira) [Radio Edit]

Sep/2017

Damage and Joy

Mar/2017

Always Sad

Feb/2017

Amputation

Dec/2016

Psychocandy Live

Psychocandy Live

Aug/2015

Psychocandy - Barrowlands Live (Deluxe Edition)

Psychocandy - Barrowlands Live (Deluxe Edition)

Jul/2015

Psychocandy: Barrowlands (Live)

Psychocandy: Barrowlands (Live)

Jul/2015

Barrowlands Live (Deluxe Edition)

Barrowlands Live (Deluxe Edition)

Jul/2015

Psychocandy - Barrowlands Live

Psychocandy - Barrowlands Live

Jul/2015

Barrowlands Live

Barrowlands Live

Apr/2015

Live At Barrowlands

Live At Barrowlands

Jan/2015

Psychocandy Live Barrowlands

Psychocandy Live Barrowlands

Jan/2015

The Vinyl Collection

The Vinyl Collection

Dec/2013

All Things Must Pass - Single

All Things Must Pass - Single

Mar/2012

Original Album Series [Explicit]

Original Album Series [Explicit]

Nov/2011

Send Me Away: Early Demos

Send Me Away: Early Demos

Jan/2011

Upside Down: The Best Of

Upside Down: The Best Of

Sep/2010

Upside Down (The Best Of The Jesus And Mary Chain)

Upside Down (The Best Of The Jesus And Mary Chain)

Jan/2010

Original Album Series

Original Album Series

Jan/2009

Pop Seeds - Single

Pop Seeds - Single

Sep/2024

Pop Seeds

Sep/2024

Peel Sessions 84/86

Peel Sessions 84/86

Apr/2024

Glasgow Eyes [Explicit]

Glasgow Eyes [Explicit]

Mar/2024

Glasgow Eyes

Glasgow Eyes

Mar/2024

Girl 71

Feb/2024

Chemical Animal

Chemical Animal

Jan/2024

jamcod

Nov/2023

jamcod - Single

jamcod - Single

Nov/2023

jamcod [Explicit]

jamcod [Explicit]

Nov/2023

Sunset 666 (Live at Hollywood Palladium)

Sunset 666 (Live at Hollywood Palladium)

Aug/2023

Sunset 666

Aug/2023

The Edge Of A Knife: Live At The U4 Club, Wien, Austria, Apr 10th 1987 - FM Broadcast

The Edge Of A Knife: Live At The U4 Club, Wien, Austria, Apr 10th 1987 - FM Broadcast

Mar/2023

Live at Barrowland

Live at Barrowland

Jan/2022

Damage and Joy (Deluxe)

Damage and Joy (Deluxe)

Jan/2022

Just Like Honey (2021 EL Inocente version)

Just Like Honey (2021 EL Inocente version)

Nov/2021

Just Like Honey (2021 EL Inocente version) - Single

Just Like Honey (2021 EL Inocente version) - Single

Nov/2021

Just Like Honey - Single

Just Like Honey - Single

Nov/2021

Live At The Fox Theatre In Detroit

Live At The Fox Theatre In Detroit

Sep/2021

All Alone - Single

All Alone - Single

Sep/2021

Upside Down / Vegetable Man

Upside Down / Vegetable Man

Nov/2024

> 45s > 84 > 85 <

> 45s > 84 > 85 <

Apr/2025

Rollercoaster - EP

Rollercoaster - EP

Aug/2025

Psychocandy 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition

Psychocandy 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition

Sep/2025

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