Concert Review: Slowdive at ACL Live: shoegaze legends show offer cross-generational transcendence during Austin set, with Drab Majesty supporting.
★★★★★
Fans of a certain age (i.e., me) remember Slowdive as a band that never got their due, breaking up in 1995 amidst record label indifference and cynical album reviews from indie rock snobs. It was unfortunate, as Slowdive were by far the most bewitching and unique of the UK shoegaze scene.
But something fascinating happened in their absence. Their cult following grew, crossing generations, influencing younger bands, and eventually gaining so much traction the band reformed in 2014, going on to release two post-reunion albums, 2017’s sublime Slowdive, and last year’s enchanting Everything Is Alive. Not only had they not lost a beat, they were arguably better than ever.
At ACL Live this past Sunday, Gen Xers were well represented, to be sure, but there were just as many, if not more, millennials and Gen Z’ers, ready to be wrapped up in the band’s mix of gauzy guitars and dreamy textures.
Speaking of influencing younger bands, Drab Majesty opened, and the blonde wigged duo proved the perfect aural appetizer, with their miasma of glacial synths and jangly guitars lulling the audience into a trance all their own. Slowdive co-vocalist Rachel Goswell joined for their final song to emphatic cheers.
Slowdive took the stage shortly thereafter, kicking off with Shanty off Everything Is Alive, it’s ambling, arpeggiated synth riff emphasizing the band’s recent exploration in electronics, yet still infused with their signature swirling guitars. Goswell and guitarist/vocalist Neil Halstead’s intertwined voices provided soothing, emotive harmonies that reverberated throughout the venue.
Other tracks from Everything also impressed, including the cascading kisses, the undulating chained to a cloud and Skin In The Game, which sounded like a submerged siren song emerging from the oceanic depths.
I was curious to hear how the band would translate the densely laired sound of their albums to a live setting, and was utterly blown away by the crystalline mix, which encapsulated all the peaks and valleys of their signature sound.
This was further elevated by a hypnotic visual backdrop of minimalist geographic patterns which perfectly augmented their ethereal brand of rock.
Their mastery of sound was most evident on cuts from 1993’s Souvlaki, including the celestial, trippy Souvlaki Space Station, the lovelorn Alison and the anthemic When The Sun Hits, which emerged to deafening applause.
Their other 90’s output also got some love, including the euphoric Catch The Breeze off 1991’s Just For A Day (my personal favorite) and the drifting, ambling Crazy For You off 1995’s Pygmalion.
Fans of the self-titled release were treated to the suitably narcotic Sugar For The Pill, Slomo, and Star Roving.
Stage banter was kept to a minimum, the majority of it from Goswell, who made a joke about hot flashes that sailed over the heads of the younger portion of the audience. She flashed a beaming smile throughout the set, and seemed genuinely moved by the crowd’s euphoric reaction.
The band anded their set with an unexpected cover of Syd Barrett’s Golden Hair, which totally killed. Goswell retreated once her vocal part was done, leaving the rest of the band to whip up a sonic whirlwind of sound that was dizzying in its intensity.
And then they were gone. Yet the aura of their performance hung in the air, thick as incense, leaving faces old, and young beaming and reminding us all what a uniting and timeless force great music can be.