On the Road

With a controversial name and a sledgehammer/velvet-glove sound, the Jesus and Mary Chain threatened--as all Next Big Thing bands do--to change rock ‘n’ roll forever. The jury may still be out on that one, but the group did carve itself a comfortable niche and influenced countless bands that followed, including Nirvana and Nine Inch Nails.

The band will make its first local appearance in more than a decade when it plays the Ventura Theatre tonight.

When “Psychocandy,” a combination of ethereal pop harmonies and feedback loud enough to make livers quiver in the next county, was released in 1985, it blew everybody’s mind. It was the Velvet Underground playing a train wreck. More albums followed and the songs grew more accessible; the band even recorded a surreal cover of “Surfin’ USA,” wherein the names of California surf spots were butchered so thoroughly that not even a local finhead could find them.

After a decade or so, brothers Jim and William Reid, between fights, fell victim to the big-label blues. They parted ways with Warner Brothers and have since signed with cool indie label Sub Pop. Their new album is “Munki.”

The Reids, who have given up drugs, still enjoy beer and are quoted in their bio as saying “Yeah . . . we drink a lot.” Between sips, Jim Reid discussed the latest from London.

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So are you guys rich rock stars yet?

Oh, not yet. We’re just playing music, and we’re trying. We’re going on tour in America, then we’re going to Japan. It costs $20 for a bottle of beer when you’re in a hotel. Twenty dollars!

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How has the business side of the music industry affected the creative side?

I thought we’d work with a lot of people that liked music--that maybe didn’t play music, but still liked it. Well, you have to put up with people that totally don’t give a [expletive] about music. They’re just a bunch of people in sporty cars and expensive suits. It’s like a steppingstone to some other career to them, and the musicians still gets a smaller percentage than they deserve.

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If not music, what would you be doing?

I don’t know. I’m not really qualified to do anything else. I do like film and I’m interested in it, but it’s really hard to get into that line of work.

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What’s the most misunderstood thing about the band?

That we’re miserable. The fact is, we’re just shy. We don’t talk much and people tend to see that as standoffish.

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What’s the biggest problem with touring?

I do like to travel, and even though I’ve been around the world a few times, I still enjoy it. But the road can be very, very unhealthy. It’s easy to become a complete degenerate out there. You drink a lot of beer, then someone hands you something and you drink that, too.

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In the perfect world, there’d be no touring?

I think we have to tour, but not to the point of running ourselves into the ground. When you get to the point when someone dies or when you end up hating each other, then it’s too much. We don’t let it go on that long, and don’t usually tour for more than eight weeks straight. As long as it’s fun, it’s OK.

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Why is the British press so mean?

One thing, it’s a small country and they have the power to make or break bands. And as we know, for people who have power it’s only a matter of time before they misuse power.

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How did the band come to cover “Surfin’ USA”?

We’ve been big Beach Boys fans for years even though we’ve never seen them live. The song just came together really because we used to play it at sound check.

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What was your strangest gig?

There’s been quite a lot of those, especially on the Lollapalooza tour when we were in front of quite a lot of people that didn’t give a [expletive] about our music. Another time, in 1989, we played in Russia before 150,000 people. Do you remember that movie “The Producers”? Well, it was just like that when they started to play “Springtime for Hitler” in the movie. The Russians didn’t get it at all, so we just trashed everything up on stage.

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Is pop music getting bigger, smaller or staying the same?

I don’t really know or care what pop music is or what punk music is. All this rock ‘n’ roll this and that and all these terms don’t mean anything. I used to think the Sex Pistols were a pop band. I think whatever comes out of the speakers, and whether or not you like it is all that’s important.

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So what’s the worst part of all this?

I don’t like doing things that make me feel uncomfortable. We made a record, and now we have to go about shaking people’s hands.

BE THERE

The Jesus and Mary Chain, Possum Dixon and the Whereabouts at the Ventura Theatre, 26 Chestnut St., tonight at 8. $22. (805) 653-0721.