The shoegaze renaissance is upon us and we can thank Slowdive for that.
Shoegaze is a genre of music popularized in the 1980s and 90s and is characterized by its use of distortion, guitar pedals and muddied vocals. Modern interpretations of shoegaze music could not exist without their experimental and revolutionary predecessor, Slowdive.
Slowdive is to shoegaze what Pixies were to alt-rock – true pioneers. Genre definers.
On Oct. 12, Slowdive lit up the stage at The Warfield in San Francisco and gave concert goers a truly unforgettable sonic experience.
From the first moment of the first song, ‘Shanty,’ The Warfield was transported to a completely different dimension. The synth-driven arpeggios resonated throughout the venue, leaving listeners in a trance.
The melancholic opening song was perfectly contrasted by the second song of the set, ‘Star Roving,’ which had a much more upbeat feel and used brighter sounds.
Lights and projections lit the stage – crafted artfully to match the ambient guitar and muddied vocals in each song. The deliberate nature of the lighting and projections was an art form in itself.
Every song of the set felt resonate, ethereal and even, otherworldly.
At a Slowdive concert, you become the music. The vibrations created by the ambient sounds travel up through your feet and ring out in your chest. Your body is transformed into a vessel for the music to flow through.
Vocals are never the focal point in shoegaze music. In fact, the genre is characterized by the way the vocals are seemingly buried beneath the resonant guitar and synth sounds. The buried vocal in other bands can sometimes make the music feel incomplete.
However, Slowdive strikes the perfect balance between vocals and instrumentation. The vocals don’t overpower the instrumentation, but they still cut through it just enough. The vocals and instrumentation are like cogs in a larger music machine – both work together to make the larger function. They would be incomplete without each other.
Other standouts of the night were ‘Crazy for You,’ which felt like a gentle caress, and ‘Dagger,’ which was more acoustic than the rest of the set. Both of these songs were particularly ethereal and dreamy – almost celestial.
The band closed the night with ‘the slab’ and ’40 Days.’ As starry-eyed people of all ages filed out of the venue, it was clear they were in a shoegaze daze.
Slowdive, who was on tour for their latest record everything is alive (2023), came on stage and proved without a shadow of a doubt that they are still relevant some 33 years after their start.
If you listen to modern lo-fi, shoegaze, dream-pop bands like Cigarettes after Sex, Beach House or Men I Trust, it is impossible not to hear Slowdive’s enduring legacy.
We should all be so grateful for the shoegaze renaissance.
Article by Anna Armstrong
Photos by Lucy Gleeson