The Psychedelic Furs + The Jesus & Mary Chain

A double bill of two British groups, The Psychedelic Furs and The Jesus and Mary Chain, playing at the O2 Academy Birmingham. Both bands emerged from the late 1970s and early 1980s guitar scene.

The Psychedelic Furs formed in London in 1977 and became a British new wave and post-punk band. Signed to Columbia Records, the group released its first album, The Psychedelic Furs, in 1980. Their song Pretty in Pink gave its title to the 1986 film of the same name, which brought the band to a wider audience.

The Jesus and Mary Chain formed in East Kilbride in 1983 and play alternative rock, noise pop and shoegazing. The group is associated with Creation Records, and its music pairs feedback-heavy guitar textures with melodic pop songwriting. Both acts developed out of the post-punk era, though their approaches differ: the Furs'new wave songs contrast with the Mary Chain's distorted, noise-driven sound.

The concert takes place at the O2 Academy Birmingham, a venue that hosts concerts and shows in the city. The evening suits listeners interested in either band's catalogue, or in the connection between post-punk and the alternative guitar music that followed it.