A Review of Slowdive’s Show in Richmond, Virginia on November 14th, 2024
By Ilias Papageorgiou
Photo Caption: Slowdive. Photo by: Ilias Papageorgiou
As a legendary band begins to fade, a newcomer is reigniting the alternative rock scene with a fresh, electrifying energy towards a promising and exciting future.
On November 14th, the British shoegaze band Slowdive performed their first-ever Virginia show in Richmond at The National. The band is best known for their atmospheric and dreamy sound, gaining widespread recognition following their 1993 album Souvlaki, featuring classics, “Alison” and “When The Sun Hits,” both of which were performed at their Richmond show. Their early music was key in defining and shaping the genre of shoegaze, which is today seen as a subgenre of alternative rock characterized by its ethereal, reverb-heavy sound, with a focus on guitar effects and soft, buried vocals.
This show was a stop on the United States leg of their Everything Is Alive tour, promoting their latest album by the same name, which was released on September 1st, 2023. (Read my review of this album in the Fall 2023 Issue, Vinyl Tap Gets Outside.) The sold-out show had a diverse and passionate crowd of long-time Gen X fans and newer Gen Z listeners who have played a key role in bringing Slowdive back into relevancy.
Wisp, an up-and-coming shoegaze artist, opened for the band. Entrancing, dark-patterned visuals covered the stage as she performed grungy, guitar-heavy versions of her songs. She had a sizable setlist as an opener, performing all 9 of her released songs, which included tracks from her most recent EP, Pandora. Standout tracks from the set were “Once then we’ll be free,” “Enough for you” and “Your face.” Despite being more popular with the younger fans in attendance, she owned the stage with an enthralling presence, captivating young and old listeners alike. In many ways, Wisp outshined Slowdive.
Slowdive’s uninspiring set left the electrified crowd, properly warmed up by Wisp, with much to be desired. Despite their undeniable star power, Slowdive has seemingly lost the spark that marked their invigorating, yet haunting, live energy from the early ‘90s. Rachel Goswell, the lead singer of the band, seemed lost while performing: inexplicably pacing around the stage and staring off into the distance, while returning to her microphone stand only to conservatively sing, standing with her hands held behind her back. The members of the band did not even address the crowd until the end of the show, seemingly forgetting that we were in attendance. The performance was apparently a chore, rather than an opportunity to passionately engage live with their fans. The band also made rudimentary usage of the stage’s visual effect capabilities, especially compared to Wisp’s opening act. While this is characteristic of the stripped-back style from their old ‘90s performances, it only made their lackluster stage presence all the more blatant. Some songs, however, did manage to shine above the rest, such as “Sugar for the Pill,” “When The Sun Hits” and “Kisses.”
It was a great experience to see Slowdive perform live, but as I told my friends in the days following the concert, “It was worth it to say I’ve been to one of their shows, but I won’t be going out of my way to see them again.” While Slowdive seems to be unable to capture the energy that solidified them as shoegaze legends, Wisp is paving the way for the future of the genre while also keeping close ties to the band that helped lay the foundation of the shoegaze sound. Wisp exhibited a bright future for shoegaze, redefining what the genre looks and sounds like in the 21st century. Even though I attended a Slowdive concert, I walked away a Wisp fan.