The profile of Jeffrey Lee Pierce and his Gun Club continues to grow in stature; another case of an artist, often their own worst enemy, derided and under-appreciated when alive, then gaining iconic status with new generations after their death. Pierce died in 1996 but it’s only recently that live CDs, DVDs and the wonderful Ghost On The Highway movie have appeared to stoke a proper legend. This gloriously brutal but unidentified 1992 live set, released on a French label, can only take it higher.
The sound is fantastic, with Pierce having one of those nights where he got down to wrenching the maximum dark soul from his lyrics while demonstrating his ever-blossoming guitar style, invoking Hendrix’s Voodoo Child on Yellow Eyes, and Quicksilver Messenger Service on Sleeping In Blood City. Backed by the faithful Kid Congo, bassist girlfriend Romi Mori and drummer Simon Fish, the man’s on unstoppable form, particularly on the incendiary Fire Of Love songs. The Howlin’ Wolf intro heralding a raging Fire Of Love is worth the admission alone, while the interplay and energy sparking between a possessed Pierce and the musicians on Goodbye Johnny is nothing short of jawdropping. All told, a gift from the gods.
