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John McKay

Marchbanks

Marchbanks

Hat and Beard member
A conversation with a friend recently turned to forgotten favourite musicians, and I remembered John McKay becoming my guitar hero when I first heard The Scream in 1978. He appeared to leave the music business altogether after the Banshees’ rather bizarre breakup, and although quite upset at the time, I forgot all about him.

The chat led me to listen to The Scream again - and some of it is still startling. McKay obviously wasn’t a great player in a fluently melodic or shredding way, but the slashing, flanging and chorussing on Jigsaw Feeling and Suburban Relapse is just great, and the first three Banshees singles are their best, IMO. And his playing on the live material added to the Deluxe edition of the album (I was listening on Spotify) is also stunning - it’s extraordinary that he fell off the map completely. When I did a little internet searching to find out more about him I was quite chuffed to find that Steve Albini rated his playing highly, and commented that people still couldn’t work out how he sounded like he did.
 
There's not a lot of McKay on video but this is a good set.


Sounds like he uses a lot of short delay / reverb on his guitar sound to get that ringing quality.
 
I suspect The Young Edge listened to The Scream more than once or twice. Bernard Sumner too.
 
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RickyC6 said:
Brilliantly original player.
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Absolutely. I was trying to think of a similar mid-tour split-up to the Banshees’ - the only one I could come up with was Ian McDonald and Mike Giles leaving King Crimson during their first US tour when they were about to conquer the world... but they did at least stay on until it was finished. Touring can drive you crazy, as (I think) FZ said.
 
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Yeah I saw the Banshees just after that with Robert Smith on guitar. Tremendous gig, The Cure and The Associates supporting
 
Roddy Frame wrote this in the lyric to Worlds In Worlds:-
“I close my eyes and I drift on a terrible, beautiful sound like John McKay’s on The Scream and I dream and I rise”
 
Totally agree with the original post. McKay was brilliant and I wish he'd stayed with the Banshees longer. The controlled intensity of Jigsaw Feeling is particularly gripping and brilliant.

In fact, I'm going to put it on now.

There is that story about Sioux and Budgie bumping into him at a B&B at the Lakes years later. The first moments were pretty frosty, but I believe they buried the hatchet in the end.
 
RickyC6 said:
Roddy Frame wrote this in the lyric to Worlds In Worlds:-
“I close my eyes and I drift on a terrible, beautiful sound like John McKay’s on The Scream and I dream and I rise”
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Well I never. I admit I don’t know Aztec Camera beyond the obvious singles (which are great) but perhaps I should. Roddy is obviously a discerning chap.

Elephantears said:
Totally agree with the original post. McKay was brilliant and I wish he'd stayed with the Banshees longer. The controlled intensity of Jigsaw Feeling is particularly gripping and brilliant.

In fact, I'm going to put it on now.
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Hope you enjoyed it. I’ve played it a dozen times or more since writing the OP, and it is just extraordinary. I also wish he’d stayed, the Banshees were never the same again despite the brilliance of McGeoch. A German Shepherd rather than a wolf.

So that’s Steve Albini, Roddy Frame, Ricky, Elephant, (possibly) Seeker and a confused old git. I like to think John would approve of his fledgling fan club.
 
Marchbanks said:
Hope you enjoyed it. I’ve played it a dozen times or more since writing the OP, and it is just extraordinary.
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I've also had days during lockdown where I've played Jigsaw Feeling repeatedly. You've put it on my mind again and I had it on loop in Sainsbury's this afternoon. I was on the verge of shouting 'complete me ... defeat me' through my mask.

I'm back now and calming down with Robert Wyatt.
 
Elephantears said:
I've also had days during lockdown where I've played Jigsaw Feeling repeatedly. You've put it on my mind again and I had it on loop in Sainsbury's this afternoon. I was on the verge of shouting 'complete me ... defeat me' through my mask.

I'm back now and calming down with Robert Wyatt.
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I’ve been stuck on ‘suddenly my string snapped.... I had a relapse, a suburban relapse...’ quite often this week. Usually while I’ve been washing up the dishes, minding my own business.
 
Seeker_UK said:
No love for "Join Hands"?

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I heard it the night John Peel played the whole album, and thought 'Oh no...' Forty years on, and after starting this thread, I thought I should give it a second chance. I've listened to it three or four times and now rather like it (except for 'The Lord's Prayer' aka 'Yes, We've Run Out Of New Songs' which overstays its welcome by at least ten minutes). It's still not as good as The Scream though, IMO (which the production tries to ape, only partially successfully.)
 
You're right - "The Scream" is the better album.

If you don't have them, I'd recommend the deluxe edition of 'The Scream' but with the caveat that the liner notes contain Paul Morley and the 'At the BBC' box which, whilst the Peel Session have been released elsewhere, it's a damn fine set from start to finish.
 
Blimey, not listened to that since I was about 15. The Banshees were my favourite band for a while, but I got in late around the Dreamhouse album and whilst I then picked up the other albums Join Hands is one I remember playing a fair bit.

The Scream I don't remember much of at all, though I know I definitely had it. Sadly I sold all the albums many moons ago so only have a few singles remaining.
 
Seeker_UK said:
If you don't have them, I'd recommend the deluxe edition of 'The Scream' but with the caveat that the liner notes contain Paul Morley....
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After listening to it on Spotify every night for a week, I ordered a used copy from Music Magpie just yesterday. Thanks for the warning, I am seriously allergic to Paul Morley.
 
Him, John McGeoch, Robin Simon and Keith Levine were all circling around the same piece of meat. Love that sound. I stopped at the peel sessions tape, perfect
 
claire.foxx said:
Him, John McGeoch, Robin Simon and Keith Levine were all circling around the same piece of meat. Love that sound. I stopped at the peel sessions tape, perfect
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Keith Levene - yes, hadn’t made the connection, but you are right. Public Image is another of my favourite pieces of crazed guitarring. McGeoch I wouldn’t put in the same boat, personally. I had to look up Robin Simon. Don’t know his work, his bands weren’t really on my radar.
 
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Robin Simon appears on Ultravox (John Foxx era) Systems of Romance, listen to the amazing juddering guitar work on “Slow Motion” or “Someone Else’s Clothes” that angular, metallic. Sound, you could slice your older loaves of bread with that. All 4 are linked in small ways.
 
claire.foxx said:
Robin Simon appears on Ultravox (John Foxx era) Systems of Romance, listen to the amazing juddering guitar work on “Slow Motion” or “Someone Else’s Clothes” that angular, metallic. Sound, you could slice your older loaves of bread with that. All 4 are linked in small ways.
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OK, listened to Slow Motion and take your point. Shame it was hard to hear him under all the synths, though. And it did sound suspiciously like a solo towards the end - John would never have lowered himself to that.

Listening to the Deluxe Scream yet again I think my favourite moment is on the Pathway Session version of Suburban Relapse - the slide down from the opening angular chords into the main song riff is just delicious.
 
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