Music Critic Tom Green finds Slowdive to be just as transcendental live as they are recorded
On the back of their shimmering, synth-soaked Everything is Alive (2023), British shoegazers Slowdive have hit the road. The band had their work cut out for them; their 2023 viral resurgence (thanks to the convergence of TikTok’s algorithm and a wider renewed interest in 1990s dream pop and shoegaze) likely left many new fans hoping they’d stick to Souvlaki (1993). Slowdive instead proved that they weren’t content to bask in their former glory, and provided a suite of blissful soundscapes scraped from all areas of their discography.
Enveloped by kaleidoscopic visuals, the band kicked off their Birmingham 02 Academy show with ‘shanty’, a new cut. While the material on Everything is Alive (2023) has been labelled as minimalist and markedly more restrained than the reverb-rinsed guitar dreamscapes of Souvlaki, the live performances of new tracks demonstrated that the band still has considerable sonic muscle to flex. Shanty’s science-fiction arpeggios and sweeping, washed-out guitars added a touch of the cinematic to the set.
the live performances of new tracks demonstrated that the band still has considerable sonic muscle to flex.
Other highlights included the despondent but beautiful Catch The Breeze and the sublime Souvlaki Space Station, both of which featured extended outros with glorious shoegaze riffage. Indeed, it was these moments, the ones which departed from expectation and indulged in unbridled guitar worship that delighted the most, although this may not hold for those more partial to the band’s dream pop tendencies.
The crowd were of course most animated during the band’s timeless, most viral hits like ‘When The Sun Hits’, ‘Alison’, and ‘Sugar for the Pill’, but the live performance of these tracks still sounded fresh. While it wouldn’t be accurate to characterise many of the songs in the set as entirely new versions, the band clearly augmented many of the hits for a live setting, testament to their continuous artistic evolution. Rather than being host to mosh pits, Slowdive’s driving, hypnotic, extended style saw the crowd in a collective, cathartic trance. They might not be in the business of making huge stadium anthems or mosh-inspiring ragers, but Slowdive excels at creating live ethereal soundscapes that make an impression that lasts long after the performance.
Rather than being host to mosh pits, Slowdive’s driving, hypnotic, extended style saw the crowd in a collective, cathartic trance.
Admittedly, there were lulls in the set, particularly when the band dived into some of the deeper cuts from Everything is Alive and Slowdive (2017). While the 90 minute set allowed the band to cover considerable sonic ground, some of the droning textures wore slightly thin as the concert progressed, which wasn’t helped by the band’s somewhat meek stage presence. That said, the visual elements of the show kept the show from dragging, with creative use of strobe lighting and projected visualisers.
Ultimately, Slowdive have proved themselves adept at creating an entrancing live offering, powered by eerie and affecting guitar arrangements and subtle but moving vocal performances. Unlike many other long-running music projects performing currently, Slowdive have not lost touch; their sell-out shows speak to a longing for the kind of beautiful, cathartic, and patient art that the band have dreamed up.
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