Anton Newcombe of The Brian Jonestown Massacre on Future Recording Plans and Shunning Major Labels

Matt Matasci

While The Brian Jonestown Massacre never reached the ‘90s alternative pinnacle of fame a few of their contemporaries ascended to, it seems that is exactly the way vocalist and founder Anton Newcombe would want it. His band has never followed trends or compromised their vision and the result is a discography full of challenging and groundbreaking rock music. Newcombe took the time to speak with Entertainment Voice about touring, his move to Berlin and what his future holds.

You’ve been touring as The Brian Jonestown Massacre for several decades now. How has the experience of live performance changed for you over the years?

Well, it’s nice to have a giant repertoire and competent musicians and not have to travel with junkies and all of that shit. On the other hand, the chaotic energy was interesting, too. The first hundreds of [The Brian Jonestown Massacre] gigs were sort of riots that happened; people flipped tables and stuff. That was very much the same thing that happened to The Rolling Stones when they started playing in those little clubs. People did not know what to do with that energy. I’m not talking about hooliganism. It’s like this firecracker when you’re young. So you know, that’s never coming back in that way, at least I don’t think.

So those are the two different things. But now I can play anything at the drop of a hat, which is nicer when you don’t have to battle everybody in the group. Nobody understood there was no precedent of what we were doing. They didn’t like being told what to do, or they didn’t like the fact that I told all the record companies to fuck off. They didn’t understand all that good stuff. It seemed at the time to be something crazy to tell Warner Brothers and every record company to go to hell . . . some of them don’t even exist anymore! And everybody who signed those record deals don’t make any money on Spotify. So it wasn’t short-sighted, it wasn’t foolish, it wasn’t crazy; it was actually intelligent because at the end of it I make money. The word to describe it is counterintuitive.

With such a lengthy and solid discography, what is your strategy for formulating a set list?

Well, it’s kind of “simpled” down. We live all over the world so we get together like The Rolling Stones get together, we rehearse in a location, it could be New Zealand, it could be anywhere. And we start rehearsing a little bit and we pick about 40 songs and then you kind of find a rhythm. And then change it a little bit according to your mood. I might turn to the guy next to [me], in this case, it’s Joel [Gion], and I’ll go “Joel, what should we play next?” and he’ll say “Let’s play this!” And so we just play it. So it kind of works like that. And then we play for three hours. Just like The Rolling Stones. Except maybe we can play a little bit longer!

Do your set lists remain static or do they change from night to night?

It changes a little bit. It’s really good. We are getting the flow really well. It definitely reflects a full spectrum of human emotion. At the same time it’s all the same and going a lot of places.

How did the current iteration of your touring band come together?

Well 15 years ago, I started to get a good drummer and a bass player. Ricky I started the band with, Joel I’ve been playing with since 1993. Basically, I’ve been playing with these people for quite some time, and I just swapped out the guitar player.

It must be nice to have such good chemistry with your band mates.

I’m sort of mercurial in nature, so I wouldn’t call it “good chemistry.” The music is arranged so that it has to be played in such a way or it doesn’t work. It makes it harder. But it’s such a subtle thing; you would never notice that it’s rocking back and forth . . . this weird swinging motion.

The last few of your releases were produced and recorded in Berlin. What is it about the city that drew you in to make it your base of operations?

First, I lived in New York, and I was drunk – back when I used to drink – and that song came on the radio (singing) “If you can make it here you can make it anywhere. New York!” And I was like, this place is a fucking shithole and these people are idiots and self-centered. I had never thought about it in that context . . . . So I moved to Iceland and Europe and when the economy went to shit in Iceland I was focused on Berlin.

What’s interesting about Berlin is that they put a billion dollars a year into the arts alone. Do you know why they do these things? Their society is very forward thinking. Where American society is like “I’m not going to fucking pay for that welfare with my taxes, fuck that!” Which, welfare fraud is a different issue than helping out people in need. All the political aspirations that I have, that I want to see in the world and society and foreign policy; not every dream comes true at the same time, [but in Germany] it’s all considered and out there your voice is being spoken for. My country’s been at war my whole fucking life, I’m 48 years old and that’s bullshit, you know?

How much of an influence was living in Europe as you recorded “Musique de Film Imaginé” and worked with Slovakian artist Vladimir Nosal?

In Europe, they actually support the culture. Now when I am choosing an artist I tell them that they should stick to their culture. So as a requirement to some of these people [who] come in [I say] “No, you have to sing in French,” whether it is SoKo or Vlad or anybody else. SoKo’s trying to be Ariel Pink / New Wave and I’m like Sing in French! and she says “Well I’ve never sung in French . . . .” It’s like you’re a fucking French movie star, sing in French! To me, it’s a no-brainer because we have all [the] time to explore these things. I find that fascinating.

Do you have any big plans for recording or writing after your tour wraps up in late August?

I did two albums in the three weeks before I left on tour and I did two “Primal Scream” remixes. I did a mountain of work. I wrote 45 songs. I’m going to make an album with Asia Argento and David J from Bauhaus and some other projects. I really love this band the Soundcarriers. They are basically the best band in the UK. They kind of sound like a car crash between Broadcast and Stereolab but really good. I would just love to make a beautiful album with them. And then just work like a madman.