The Brian Jonestown Massacre w/ the Asteroid #4

@ Hi-Pointe 3/2/02

The last night of a tour usually leads to an interesting story. Saturday night, though, turned out to be a really interesting story, as the Brian Jonestown Massacre and the Asteroid #4 ended their month-long road trip at the Hi-Pointe.

Things started out peacefully, with the Asteroid #4 turning out a snappy nine-song set of psych-pop. “Mercenary Man,” from their forgotten King Richard’s Collectibles, was a testament to the uncanny ability of leader Scott Vitt to write a jangly rocker that combines elements of the Byrds, Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead.

The Brian Jonestown Massacre has been notorious for drugs, line-up changes, hostile live shows and general rock `n’ roll mayhem. They boast stories that make their 10-record career seem like a minor miracle.

BJM is basically Anton Newcombe, who, as the only original member, writes most of the songs and makes all business decisions concerning the band.

When they took the stage after an excruciating hour-long delay, most were probably wondering how early the self-destruction would begin. They wouldn’t have to wait very long.

Three songs in, after “Nevertheless,” the drunk Newcombe turned to his guitar player to offer some abuse. “Tune your guitar, and I’ll pay you a hundred dollars,” he said.

After a long tirade, he mentioned that he’s not in St. Louis to fight, but to entertain.

However, he did inquire as to whether anyone wanted to fight, and that’s when trouble started.

A smart guy in the audience accepted the challenge, providing the straw that broke Newcombe’s back. The singer beat on his chest, cussed like a trooper and eventually whipped the microphone at his opposition.

The mic stand was ready in his hand like a javelin, though a rare moment of clarity led him to opt for a simple “goodnight” and a swift exit.

Put simply, it was a bad situation that could have been way worse. For their part, the rest of the band handled the disturbance like pros.

They carried on without him, joined by Asteroid #4’s Vitt on lead vocals. Quickly making their way through seven more songs, including “Satellite” and “That Girl Suicide,” the band was nothing but cordial to the audience.

They also never hesitated, suggesting that this sort of thing happens all of the time.

It turns out that Newcombe was sick with pneumonia and was bothered in recent days by voice failure. If he was looking for a way off-stage, he certainly found it in dramatic fashion.

Besides that, his wife had given birth to a baby boy earlier in the day, justly deflating all motivations to put on a show in St. Louis.

He just had a ridiculous way of expressing his desire to return to San Francisco.

In summary, touring in support of an earlier BJM record, Thank God For Mental Illness, would have been more appropriate. And though Newcombe was hardly Axl Rose at Riverport, he certainly let everyone down.

The Brian Jonestown Massacre is still worth your time and energy, but some serious growing up needs to be done.