What can you say about a show that featured a singer who wouldn't sing, a performer who wouldn't perform? Anton Newcombe took the small stage at Pianos presumably for an acoustic performance of Brian Jonestown Massacre songs, or maybe covers, or even songs he would make up on the spot. But there would be songs, with discernable beginnings, middles, and ends. That would be the performance everyone in the room had paid for.

Of course with Anton you always get more for your money, or less, depending on your point of view. Last night, if you paid for songs, you got none. If you paid for Anton's predictable and sad antics, well then your money was wisely spent. Anton tried to play a song, maybe two, or three, but then he'd quit and start fuming about problems with the sound. There were many ghosts in the monitors, detectable only to Anton's tortured ears.

You can't go to a BJM show without hearing some opportune heckles from the audience and last night was no different. The more Anton struggled on stage, the more ruthless the taunting became. Sexual favors were promised, if only Anton would finish one song. It didn't happen. After an hour or so of mayhem, Anton left. The Morning After Girls, who had bravely loaned their equipment to Anton, were left to play to a quickly emptying room. Some were happy, some were angry, but all had another Anton story to tell.



See more photos from this show on Flickr