LVL TALKS TO THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE!

In this La Vida Liverpool exclusive we talk to enigmatic Founder of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Anton Newcombe, ahead of their huge Liverpool gig at Liverpool Olympia on Friday 7th February. The dynamic psych-rockers that burst onto the scene from San Francisco in the early 90s are set to return to Liverpool with a bang and here’s what Anton had to say:

LVL: Anton, hello & welcome back, after a difficult 18 months you must be glad to be getting back on the road, how are you feeling about it?
ANTON: Thanks for asking, I feel good about being able to do what I love, I have no illusions that some of it will be hard after taking time off but I believe in the music. We got together and played last month and it was super productive and we are about to practice for another week soon – this should be great.
LVL: You’ve built a great affinity to Liverpool and have strong bonds with groups like Echo & The Bunnymen, what does playing in the city mean to the band?
ANTON: Liverpool to me is the way people relate to each other, it’s not perfect but I think it’s special. I don’t know if it’s salt of the sea and earth held over from the blitz and glued solid by football and nitros canisters but I love the place and its people.
LVL: 2025 will be a big year for the Brian Jonestown Massacre, what new records will be dropping?
ANTON: Well, first off it’s a lovely record I did with Dot Allison, a new project “All Seeing Dolls”. It’s lush, and I love her to bits, she’s a super talented Scottish woman with an amazing voice and just an all round creative force. Then I have a BJM single and I plan to do a bunch of writing in between tours.
LVL: You’ve been a master of your own destiny for many years now, do you enjoy the freedom & independence of having your own label and studio?
ANTON: Absolutely, listen I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t put my foot down. You think of Capitol Records and The Beatles; they are The Beatles and something supernatural, but capitol records is boarded up. Just like the shops in Bootle – it’s a different world and, yes, I told everybody to fuck off and was made out to be a lunatic, but I’m still here and they are gone.
LVL: Your home base is no longer California but Berlin, what’s it like living and working in the city?
ANTON: Well it’s peaceful – I live in the city centre, I wake up and try and work, I try and eat supper with my son every day or call when I am busy. It’s simple. I try and keep things simple.
LVL: Back to Liverpool, you’re playing the Olympia, your biggest show in the city so far, for people that haven’t seen you play here before, what can they expect?
ANTON: Once again it’s a great honour and I’m taking this seriously. It is my hope that our sound fills this beautiful theatre, and that we do the city and its people justice. I think times are tough and I personally don’t know what the future holds, but I’m not going to mess this up. I feel like I owe it to everyone as it’s shaped so much of my life and was my dearest friend from a very early age.
I remember flipping through our parents records when we were just old enough to be out with your mates or a sleepover and listening to this stuff over and over, like truly hearing it on a deep level. You have to remember, I was born in 1967 and my mom bought all that stuff. It just speaks to the power. Thing is the Bunnymen and The La’s kicked it out of the park – not my mom’s music… my music, my time.

LVL: Do you have any tips for new groups coming out of the USA or Germany?
ANTON: To be honest I could sit here all day and night and share my experiences and thoughts. Maybe somebody or we should do a podcast, there are just too many things you have to consider.
LVL: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us, we’re immensely looking forward to the show, do you have a final message for BJM fans here?
ANTON: Please don’t judge me too harshly.
The Brian Jonestown Massacre / Liverpool Olympia / Friday 7th Feb 2025, 7pm
Main image credit Marie Monteiro