Gene Loves Jezebel in Concert
Though they named themselves in honor of rockabilly legend Gene Vincent and his 1961 single "Jezebel," Gene Loves Jezebel were no retro throwback act when they first emerged in 1982. Led by twin brothers Jay and Michael Aston, the U.K. band were instrumental in initiating post-punk's transition into pop, fashioning a signature style of goth-rock that shimmied out from the dark shadows and onto the shiny dance floor. On early singles like "Bruises" and "Always a Flame," Gene Loves Jezebel came off as a more freakish, flamboyant answer to their then-nascent contemporaries U2, using slashing guitars and propulsive rhythms as the launchpads for their broodingly romantic lyrics and soaring choruses. But by decade's end, they had veered closer to the mainstream with bright, synth-speckled pop singles like "The Motion of Love," a shift that prompted a disillusioned Michael to leave the band in 1989. While Jay assumed leadership of Gene Loves Jezebel — cranking out increasingly polished hits like the strip-club-ready grind "Jealous" — the band entered a turbulent new phase. Following a brief reunion between the brothers in the mid ‘90s, the two parted ways yet again, precipitating a long legal battle over ownership of the Gene Loves Jezebel name. However, in this case, a peculiar, Solomon-esque solution was reached. Appropriately enough for a band founded by twin brothers, there now exists two active bands calling themselves Gene Loves Jezebel — an American-based lineup fronted by Michael, and a U.K.-based outfit led by Jay. The latter incarnation is touring North America — billed as Jay Aston's Gene Loves Jezebel — in the fall of 2018 for the first time in over a decade, in support of the 2017 release ‘Dance Underwater.' The album represents the first new music from either camp since 2003, and as ever, the band/brand is evolving with the times, incorporating EDM synths and Auto-Tuned vocal effects into their eternally goth milieu.
