Gene Loves Jezebel: A Legacy of Glam, Goth, and Unstoppable Energy
Formed in the early 1980s by identical twins Michael and Jay Aston, Gene Loves Jezebel quickly carved out a distinctive space in the UK and European underground. After signing to Beggars Banquet, the band developed a loyal cult following with their first two album releases. Their breakthrough came in the United States with the 1986 album Discover, which featured the hit singles “Heartache” and “Desire.” The album brought them considerable attention and expanded their fanbase across the Atlantic. In 1988, Michael Aston departed the group, and by 1993 their label, Savage Records, had imploded.
Despite these setbacks, Gene Loves Jezebel continued to evolve, releasing their seventh album in 1999 after several side projects and lineup changes. Touring continued into the new millennium, and in 2017, the band released Dance Underwater. Produced by Peter Walsh and featuring a string arrangement by the legendary Tony Visconti, the album marked a triumphant return to form.
Their tenth studio album, Love Death Sorrow, was released in December 2023 on Cleopatra Records to critical acclaim. Dave Thompson of Goldmine Magazine praised it, writing: “Eighties idols return with one of their finest albums ever. It not only sounds like a classic Jezebel album, it feels like one as well — at the same time as dodging any accusation of treading water or restating old ground.”
Over the decades, Gene Loves Jezebel has shared stages with some of the most iconic names in music, including David Bowie, Billy Idol, Bob Dylan, The Ramones, The Kinks, Echo & the Bunnymen, New Order, The Alarm, The Mission, Spear of Destiny, and Modern English. Their journey has been anything but smooth — marked by lineup changes, sibling estrangement, industry setbacks, legal battles and their own glorious refusal to stick in one place for too long,
More than 40 years on, band members Jay Aston, Peter Rizzo and James Stevenson are still performing together. On this UK tour they’ll be joined by legendary drummer Smiley (Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros, Archive, The Alarm, Robbie Williams)
