Bobby 2020 – 50 x 40cm, oil on canvas
I was immediately hooked when I first heard The Jesus and Mary Chain on John Peel’s radio show back in the mid 80’s. The Mary Chain’s sound of cavernous and surf like melodies with twisted dark vocals came with a reputation of riotous 20 min gigs and then there was the bands look, all in black with big hair which I very quickly assimilated into my wardrobe. I saw The Jesus and Mary Chain play live many times in London and Amsterdam, I was lucky enough to see their 1992 Rollercoaster Tour that showcased Dinosaur jr, My Bloody Valentine and Blur, it was a spectacularly mesmerizing event with film projections and what seemed like an in house competition of who could play the loudest.
Bobby Gillespie is best known as the lead singer of the band Primal Scream. He was also the drummer for The Jesus and Mary Chain in the mid-1980s.