Came, saw, conquered

We get boatloads of a CDs every week and most of them are terrible. Sometimes we get one that's a keeper. Perhaps once a year, I'll get something that inspires me to buy the band's back catalog and then wait anxiously for a tour to come. A couple months ago, that band was Jesu. I even bought tickets to see the U.K. band kick off a string of dates in the U.S. at Spaceland, only to be denied when they had visa problems. Last night, I saw them at a much larger venue, the Music Box, opening for Isis.

Jesu features Justin Broadrick, who is known for being in Godflesh and Napalm Death, as well as not liking to fly. So there were tons of fans wearing black T-shirts, stoked about him playing in L.A. for the first time in 10 years. The new songs sounded great... chugging, stoner-metal bass with fuzzy, distorted, shoe-gazer guitar layered over it. Broadrick's vocals are remorseful, but not angry, and border on delicate. While the resulting sound doesn't overlap the Jesus and Mary Chain's, I think the balance of heaviness and melody runs parallel. It's hypnotic, beautiful, and powerful--but in no way wimpy--and they pulled it off live with no frills, no bullshit, and supreme confidence.

Years ago, before Giant Robot, our friend Craig made a zine called Fear of Grown-Ups. I believe it was in a pictorial spread and brief article about Snuff, that he said how great they were but how they broke up shortly after the U.S. tour. The message was that you have to see a band when it comes through town because you may never get to see them again. Well, Snuff broke up, became Guns 'n' Wankers, and somehow reformed again. Maybe you'll get a second chance with Jesu. (That means you, Keenan. Don't be late next time!)