Four stars
The first time The Jesus And Mary Chain played the Barrowland Ballroom (it was February 1986), the East Kilbride band played nine songs in just over 30 minutes. The set list comprised half of their debut album Psychocandy and a couple of B-sides.
For their latest visit to the iconic venue, Psychocandy is performed in full in its original running order, with seven other songs (hits such as April Sky and Some Candy Talking, plus early demo Up Too High) presented as a set-opening "encore". This time they play 21 songs in just over 80 minutes.
It's an odd structure for any gig, and it almost doesn't work. William Reid's guitar is noticeably out of tune at various points in the opening section, especially when he plays single-note parts that are far too loud in the mix. His singer brother, Jim, stops proceedings so that the band - augmented to a five-piece from the original quartet - have to restart something they'd already begun.
Then everything falls into place as metallic layers of feedback electrify the ecstatic double-header of Reverence and Upside Down. The sheer joy of The Mary Chain is not simply the throwback pop melodies; it's the way that William's guitar gets under your skin and into your nerve endings.
After a short breather, they launch into the familiar drum beat and bass pulse of Just Like Honey and the rest of Psychocandy flows immaculately behind it. Hindsight tells us how key this album was for 1980s indie, and nostalgia makes tonight's complete rendition special indeed. It really hasn't dated: this gig is a gauntlet thrown down to every hyped young band in the country - match this for your debut release.
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