Californian psychedelic rockers The Brian Jonestown Massacre performed at the Forum theatre in Melbourne on Tuesday 21 November 2023. Formed in San Francisco during 1990 by lead guitarist and vocalist Anton Newcombe, the musical project gained media notoriety for their tumultuous working relationships as well as the erratic behaviour of Newcombe – and this night was no exception. Despite this, the collective has released 20 studio albums, five compilation albums, five live albums, 14 EPs, and 22 singles to date. Their latest studio album The Future Is Your Past was released earlier this year.
I exited the photo pit and venue after shooting only two of my three songs allocated, as I could not tolerate any more of Anton’s treatment of his drummer, whom he hit in the back, berated over the microphone, and then threatened to punch him out. The trainwreck concert ended with one of the guitarists brawling with the main man on stage, prompting the safety curtain to come down to close the event.
