SLOWDIVE TAKES ON THE ENMORE
Calling it the resurgence of 90’s Shoegaze wouldn’t really be accurate. It would be like saying there’s a resurgence of catching the bus—people never actually stopped. However, Slowdive’s ability to pack out the Enmore Theatre for two nights, while drawing a crowd accounting for all stages of life, shows that something’s up.
Since their formation in 1989, Slowdive have of course gained a god-like status and massive following.The quintet’s delicate yet powerful blend of synths, shimmers, harmonies and lingering notes have become instantly recognisable.They’re undeniably the shape-wear of the genre, and masters of their craft.
Amber and I were thrilled to get to go see them at the Enmore Theatre, with support from Beach Fossils. For her, it was the first time. But me: a seasoned professional, I saw slowdive when they last came to Sydney in the winter of 2023, with support from Newcastle’s Dust. And they are such a winter band. I feel like seeing them in the summer would be not wrong, exactly, but a little strange, at least to me. Perhaps due to their origin days in Reading, UK, where the summer is short and the winter is long.
We treated ourselves to a half-day at work, jumped on the train and jumped back off at Newtown station. With time to kill, we stopped at Cellarbrations and established ourselves and our longnecks in the grass of the Camperdown Memorial Park to watch the sunset. We witnessed a dog fight that got a little out of hand, then discussed which breed of dog we would be if we had to become a dog, and we speculated on how the rest of the evening would go.
Finding our favourite spot on the slope of the Enmore Theatre (I must say: how good is that damn slope. Gotta be my favourite part of a venue), Beach Fossils had just begun. The NYC legends had the absolute perfect tones to get the crowd tuned for Slowdive. Amber’s been a big fan of Beach Fossils for almost a decade now, and seeing them in person transported her right back to 2016, when she was adding them to her ‘crying playlist’.
Good one for the fans of backs of heads
The anticipation for Slowdive was building, as people were coming back in from their quick smoke-breaks. At this point, fans of a certain Brian Eno would be pleased—as his song Deep Blue Day was played over the speakers as the band’s walk-on song. Didn’t even have to Shazam it. Avalyn was the band’s chosen opener, and the first few notes brought everyone in the crowd to an immediate hush.
Rachel Gosford and Neil Halstead, if nothing else, have perfected their haunting yet enchanting vocal harmonies as they somehow twirled and whirled through the set, even while both standing stock-still for the majority of the performance. They let their eerie lyrics hang in the air, over and over again.
Expertly pushing, switching, clicking and dialling through rows and rows of reverb and tone pedals, Neil and fellow guitarist Christian Savill know their pedalboards like the back of their hands. They were, by definition, shoegazing. The instrumentalists combine to create the most beautifully dense soundscape, that satisfies every square millimetre of your eardrums—with not a note out of place, and no zone left undiscovered. They’re able to somehow make you forget all that’s going on in the outside world, piercing through the layers of doubt and confusion, reminding you you’re in the right place at the right time.
As they move through the songs, the band remains intentionally still, aside from Rachel, who gracefully moves to each side of the stage, beaming a proud, happy smile at each person in the audience.
It was a Souvlaki heavy set-list—great news for the fans of what’s been dubbed one of the best albums of its kind. There’s really not much out there that can compare to Souvlaki.
Cheers—of course including my own— rang through crowds both seated and standing, as the opening notes of Alison sounded. And then again for When the Sun Hits. These are songs that have defined a generation for sure, and the atmosphere in the room made that clear. Yet another testament to Souvlaki and its impact almost 32 years after its release.
All-in-all, It’s the type of show that takes you back in time—or just fully out of time itself. We were shocked back into reality after their encore of Blue Skied An’ Clear, She Calls and 40 Days, when it was time to dash back to the station—to the tune of another Brian Eno closer. Talk about bookends.
For those who haven’t yet been able to go to a Slowdive show, truly the atmosphere can’t be summarised into 800 words, and I don’t think even the literature greats could find the right ones to use to describe the rich, blended quality of their sound. It’s not everyday you get to watch a band that was such a pioneer of their genre, and who still are jet set on bringing their music to our front door-step.
Next time they’re in town, go! We can’t recommend it enough.