Slowdive - Everything Is Alive

I don't like the new one much tbh. it's fine and maybe it will grow on me but currently it's my least favourite

they were very loud when I saw them recently, probably the loudest gig I've been to this year. regretted not bringing earplugs at times

i only really care about half of pygmalion, and that half is fantastic but the other tracks do nothing for me

I'm with your ranking, UFO, and concur with your feelings about "Pygmalion".

Surprised we haven't mentioned some of their side projects - my favorites are Black Hearted Brother and Minor Victories.

i still love this album, ranks very high for me. but thanks, col. poo, for also noting how fucking loud they are now live

I probably rank Just For a Day higher then most of you and rank Pygmalion lower. Was Just For a Day a bit of a let down after their first three EPs? Sure, but it was no different then The Boo Radleys, Swervedriver, or Catherine Wheel. I don't know, living through that and experiencing everything that came out at time of release was spectacular. Probably the best time of my life. Yeah, just wanted to throw some love to Just For a Day.

It actually has my favorite overall sound of their albums, it's really magical and I always wonder if any other band successfully emulated it. It's one of those albums like Garlands by Cocteau Twins that has this deeply special world I need more of and I wonder if it's just futile trying to create more of that?

Pygmalion is my favorite though.

this is funny, i am pretty firm in my ranking :

just for a day>souvlaki>pygmalion>everything is alive>s/t

but i also only got into them in my senior year of high school (2002) and so don’t really have any memories of feelings upon their release except the new one.

also i was expecting them to be exceptionally loud when i saw them in September— it
wasn’t loud at all?!!

April 26, 2024
Slowdive at Fox Theater Pomona, Pomona, CA

shanty
She Calls
Star Roving
Avalyn
Catch the Breeze
Crazy for You
chained to a cloud
Souvlaki Space Station
kisses
Alison
When the Sun Hits
40 Days
Sugar for the Pill
Dagger
Golden Hair (Syd Barrett cover)

Slowdive were phenomenal last night. Rachel looked like Cruella De Vil as half her hair was white and the other half was black. She also wore something fluffy and white which would not have been out of place in the Disney movie. The place was packed with the crowd being very young. Resale tickets were around $250 each last time I checked. They are a band on top of their game, so happy for their recent success.

Five Souvlaki songs!

Seeing them next month. Psyched about She Calls making the setlist

Updated set list from last night: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/slowdive/2024/fox-theater-pomona-pomona-ca-6ba8ae4a.html (“Dagger” wasn’t played)

Terrific show - Rachel called a halt to “She Calls” and the band’s crash into the restart was one of the greatest sounds I’ve heard anywhere

Sounds awesome! They’ll be playing at some festivals up here later in the year, hoping for another standalone set.

anything other than Outside Lands? I haven't been there in like 20 years, and there have been plenty of better lineups than this year, but I'm half inclined to go this time just because of them and Grace Jones

Thanks for the correction Elvis Telecom, we should have met up to say hi.

I drove 170 round trip last night, the place that I live is just so huge.

*miles

So I'll be a little nitpicky... the sound at the Fox Theater last night was uncharacteristically moderate? I brought earplugs this time, but didn't use them. I keep thinking of the Bellwether show last year with all the sound coming at you at once - literally on fire burning Teengazers in their tracks like moths to flame. Last night was just amazingly great. As mentioned earlier, they are at performing peak right now and if you're on the fence about going, this is your push.

Thanks for the correction Elvis Telecom, we should have met up to say hi.

BTW, it's complete bullshit that Slowdive isn't playing the Las Vegas Sphere right now. I can't think of anyone more perfect for it. How do we make Spheredive happen?

Anaheim
Moreno Valley
Pomona
Moreno Valley
Anaheim

2 hours 30 minutes
170 Miles

Not going to Kraftwerk, unfortunately, going to fewer shows these days. Sad, because it's one of the funniest things in life.

anything other than Outside Lands?

I know I saw them listed for something else -- and not around the same time either, which was kinda odd but interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1MB86_2PyM

I'm surprised they're even doing Outside lands; they're in Sweden two nights before and then back to Portugal two nights after. Crazy schedule!

slowdive more like quickflight

i assume they're renting or borrowing equipment for the SF gig

(worth the watch)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmSrHCUBLQ0

holy shit the version of "When the Sun Hits" there is IMMENSE

I was looking at the members names of 90s shoegaze bands a while ago and it seemed like a lot of them had names like "Scaz, Biv and Smithy". But when I think on it there's a lot of british musicians in the 80s-90s with short names (presumably nicknames): Lol, Loz, Gaz, Bez, Boz... I'm sure there's a lot more.

There was a drummer for Swervedriver named Jez

Since Morrisey was nicknamed Moz, I like to think Boz Boorer's real first name is Borrisey.

not many "biff"s in this scene iirc. breaking the three letter format, not welcome.

Related - here's a recent-ish interview with three-latter named Slowdive drummer Ian McCutcheon
https://wordsontape.com/remembering-the-view-ian-mccutcheon