The Jesus and Mary Chain against shoegaze and Eddie Van Halen

The Jesus and Mary Chain have never been afraid to express opinions that go against the grain. And this time too Jim and William Reid caused discussion, targeting both the term “shoegaze” and one of the most influential guitarists in the history of rock, Eddie Van Halen. Interviewed during the Total Bummer festival in New York, where they shared the bill with Dinosaur Jr., the two Scottish musicians disputed the use of the word shoegaze to describe a music scene that arose between the late 1980s and early 1990s. According to Jim Reid, in fact, the genre doesn’t really exist: “I have a problem with the term shoegaze because it doesn’t really exist. It was invented by some NME clown.”

Speaking about his approach to the guitar, Jim Reid then explained that he has always favored instinct over technical virtuosity. A philosophy that led him to bring up Eddie Van Halen, symbol of a way of playing very distant from that of the Jesus and Mary Chain. Brother William Reid’s judgment is even clearer: “I think guitarists should never learn scales. Eddie Van Halen? I can’t stand his way of playing. It ruined rock guitar in the 80s and 90s because so many people tried to copy it. I’ve never appreciated that rush to play as fast as possible and squeeze in as many notes in one second.” William then indicated Peter Hook, historic bassist of Joy Division and New Order, as a virtuous example, claiming that his riffs are “a thousand times better than anything Eddie Van Halen could have come up with.” Statements destined to spark discussion, especially considering the influence that both Eddie Van Halen and the Jesus and Mary Chain have had on the history of rockdespite representing two opposing conceptions of the instrument and musical writing.