Anton Newcombe
The mercurial, prolific genius behind The Brian Jonestown Massacre, a band whose chaotic creativity and internal warfare became a rock 'n' roll legend.
Born 1967 (age 59)·American musician·Birthday: August 29·Generation X
Biography
Anton Newcombe is a self-taught musical savant who operates as a one-man garage-psych revival engine. From the fertile, drug-hazed ground of San Francisco's 1990s underground, he formed The Brian Jonestown Massacre, a collective known as much for its internal fistfights on stage as for its staggering output of hazy, drone-heavy psychedelia. Newcombe, a polarizing figure, was depicted as a destructive tyrant in the documentary 'Dig!,' which chronicled his rivalry with The Dandy Warhols. Yet this narrative often overshadows his relentless, almost obsessive artistry. He writes, records, and produces nearly every instrument on his albums, channeling the spirits of The Rolling Stones, The Velvet Underground, and 1960s European folk into a distinct, lo-fi sound. Working from his own studio in Berlin, he remains defiantly independent, releasing music on his own label at a pace that puts most bands to shame.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Anton was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Anton Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Anton's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Founded and has been the principal creative force for The Brian Jonestown Massacre, releasing over 20 studio albums.
- His tumultuous career and rivalry with The Dandy Warhols were central to the acclaimed 2004 documentary 'Dig!'.
- Built a dedicated studio in Berlin where he self-produces and records the majority of his band's expansive discography.
Did You Know?
He taught himself to play a vast array of instruments, including sitar, tambura, and recorder.
Newcombe once got into a physical altercation with a band member during a live performance on national television.
He is an outspoken critic of the traditional music industry and operates his own label, 'a Recordings.'
Newcombe is of partial Romani (Gypsy) descent, a heritage he has referenced in his music.
“I'm not interested in being a rock star. I'm interested in being an artist.”
