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The Jesus and Mary Chain played Irving Plaza (pics, setlist)

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

JAMC at Irving Plaza, 9/13/2012
The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus and Mary Chain played their first of two NYC reunion shows at Irving Plaza last night (9/13), backed by support from The Psychic Paramount and The Vandelles. The band, who also hit Hopscotch on this tour, returns tonight to close out their stay. Unfortunately I arrived shortly before The Jesus and Mary Chain got on stage, so I missed the openers but pictures of the Reid brothers and Co are in this post.

To say that I am a huge fan of JAMC is a bit of an understatement; Psychocandy is one of my favorite records ever. My last experience with them was during their reunion tour in 2007, and I was more than a little disappointed with their “stage show” that night at Webster Hall. That said, their music has meant so much to me over the years, that I decided to give it another go.

But some things are better left in your head. The brothers Reid definitely had a great setlist (see it below), but there was a looseness (a few times they were just plain sloppy) that wasn’t befitting a “professional band,” let alone one that charges around $50 for their shows and his been around for close to 30 years. That noisy guitar tone that marked those early records is not in the same city, let alone ballpark. And though it seems to fit the persona, Jim Reid’s vocal delivery is a hair above full-on sleepwalk.

But all that said, there is nothing taking away from those songs, so despite my misgivings it was still great to hear them open with “Snakedriver” and play classics like “Reverence” and “Just like Honey” (anybody know who sang backing vocals?) though “Sometimes Always” would have been nice (yes, I know that Hope Sandoval isn’t exactly the easiest pin down, let alone replace live).

Pictures from Irving Plaza, including the setlist, are below.

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

The Jesus & Mary Chain

Setlist: JAMC at Irving Plaza 9/13/2012
Snakedriver
Head On
Far Gone and Out
Between Planets
Blues From A Gun
Teenage Lust
Sidewalking
Cracking Up
All Things Must Pass
Some Candy Talking
Happy When It Rains
Halfway to Crazy
Just Like Honey
Reverence

Encore:
The Hardest Walk
Taste Of Cindy
Never Understand