Gene Loves Jezebel has risen from the grave.
Actually, the band, complete with it's last classic lineup -- guitarist/vocalist Jay Aston, guitarist James Stevenson, bassist Peter Rizzo and and drummer Chris Bell -- will take part in the Resurrection Tour that will hit Club Axis, 108 S. 500 West, on Halloween Sunday, Oct. 31. Doors open at 7 p.m. The other artists appearing on the bill include Mission UK and Mike Peters of the Alarm.It's called the Resurrection Tour, after the Mission UK's new compilation album. But for Gene Loves Jezebel, the name fits, too. The band regrouped last year to record its new album, "VII."
"We always had songs in my head," Aston said during a phone call from his home in Los Angeles, Calif. "And it was lucky for me that everyone liked what I had written, so a majority of the songs on 'VII' are mine."
It was a no-brainer that got Aston back with the others.
"We saw a chance and decided to take it," he said. "And we wanted to set the record straight."
The record, Aston said, was another Gene Loves Jezebel group that's been out on the road for the past few years. That incarnation is led by Aston's twin brother, Michael, who was ousted from the original Gene Loves Jezebel in 1988.
"It's a sore spot there," said Jay Aston, who cited his older brother's Jimi Hendrix and Beach Boys albums as his first musical influences. "A lot of the critics don't realize that we're not together. They just don't get it.
"We're excited to play Salt Lake City again. The sad thing is that we've had a pretty big following in Salt Lake City without Michael. But it was his band that always played live in Salt Lake City. That's a shame. This time it will be us."
The original Gene Loves Jezebel formed out of the band Slav Arian in the early 1980s. The Aston twins, with the help of a revolving band list, relocated from their native South Wales to London. By 1983, the band's debut album, "Promise," reached No. 1 on the UK charts. In 1986, Gene Loves Jezebel signed to Beggars Banquet and released "Discover."
As a result of the constant tours and in-band bickering, Michael Aston was ousted from the band. And two years later, after releasing "House of Dolls" and "Kiss of Life," Gene Loves Jezebel officially disbanded.
Since regrouping for "VII," Jay Aston and the others decided to tour. During the same time, Michael Aston decided to take his band on the road, too.
"That's a bit disturbing," Jay Aston said. "But the better will prevail. We always wanted to be a good band. I don't want to be another musician who makes nice records but doesn't play well live."