Entertainment

The Jesus and Mary Chain to celebrate 40th anniversary in Ireland

Brothers Jim and William Reid, better known as Scottish rock outfit The Jesus and Mary Chain
Brothers Jim and William Reid, better known as Scottish rock outfit The Jesus and Mary Chain
By David Roy

SCOTTISH noise rock pioneers The Jesus and Mary Chain have announced a pair of Irish dates for next year marking their 40th anniversary as a band.

Mary Chain men Jim and William Reid have also announced the release of a new record and autobiography for 2024. The album Glasgow Eyes will be released on March 8, with new single Jamcod offering fans their first taste of what's to come.

The duo will embark on a celebratory tour starting in Manchester on March 22, which will visit Dublin's Olympia Theatre on March 25 and The Limelight 1 in Belfast on March 26.

An exact publication date and title for the forthcoming autobiography, which has been written with the help of Ben Thompson, have yet to be confirmed.

Glasgow Eyes was recorded at Mogwai’s Castle of Doom studio in Glasgow, where Jim and William continued the creative process that resulted in their previous album, 2017’s Damage and Joy, becoming their highest charting album in over 20 years.

Read more:

  • Listen to: The Jesus and Mary Chain – Damage and Joy
  • Gig of the week: The Jesus and Mary Chain at The Limelight
  • Review: The Jesus and Mary Chain let the music do the talking

The record is billed as the sound of "their maelstrom of melody, feedback and controlled chaos now informed more audibly by their love for Suicide and Kraftwerk and a fresh appreciation of the less disciplined attitudes found in jazz".

“But don’t expect ‘the Mary Chain goes jazz'," advises Jim Reid.

"People should expect a Jesus and Mary Chain record, and that’s certainly what Glasgow Eyes is. Our creative approach is remarkably the same as it was in 1984: just hit the studio and see what happens.

"We went in with a bunch of songs and let it take its course. There are no rules, you just do whatever it takes. And there’s a telepathy there - we are those weird not-quite twins that finish each other’s sentences.”

Glasgow Eyes is now available to pre-order at themarychain.com.  Physical formats include CD, single vinyl and limited edition 45 rpm double-vinyl packaged with artwork by William Reid. 

Fans who pre-order the album before 10am on Friday December 1 receive priority access to tour tickets. Pre-orders are open now.

The full tour dates are:

MARCH

  • 22: Manchester, Albert Hall
  • 25: Dublin, Olympia
  • 26: Belfast, Limelight 1
  • 27: Edinburgh, Usher Hall
  • 30: London, Roundhouse

APRIL

  • 2: Denmark, Copenhagen, Amager Bio
  • 3: Sweden, Gothenburg, Pustervik
  • 5: Norway, Oslo, Rockefeller
  • 6: Sweden, Stockholm, Munich Brewery
  • 7: Sweden, Malmo, Plan B
  • 9: Germany, Hamburg, Markthalle
  • 11: Germany, Berlin, Huxleys
  • 12: Germany, Cologne, Live Music Hall
  • 13: France, Paris, Elysée Montmartre
  • 15: Switzerland, Geneva, L’Usine
  • 16: Switzerland, Winterthur, Salzhaus
  • 17: Italy, Milan, Alcatraz
  • 19: Austria, Krems, Donaufestival
  • 20: Germany, Heidelberg, Halle O2
  • 21: Netherlands, Tilburg, Roadburn Festival
  • 23: Belgium, Brussels, AB
  • 24: Netherlands, The Hague, Paard