In preparation for their first official show in seven years, scheduled for Saturday at Dublin's 3Arena, My Bloody Valentine broke their silence with a surprise live show on Wednesday night. The appointment, initially planned in a small one venue town, was moved to the National Stadium after a sudden surge in demand, bringing the capacity to around two thousand people. However, public entry was postponed until 9pm, due to technical problems with the ticket scanner; when it became clear that the situation would not be resolved, the organizers decided to let everyone in without further checks.
Watch a video from the show.
Nothing new in the lineup, despite the expectations of the day before, but the band still gave a special moment by performing “Off Your Face” live for the first time. Here is the complete setlist:
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Saturday's concert will kick off a short tour of the UK, with dates in Manchester, London and Glasgow. In February the group will fly to Japan, while the return to the next stage is expected only in June at Primavera Sound.
My Bloody Valentine's last studio album dates back to 2013. Shields had repeatedly hinted at new projects which however never materialised, including an EP, then an album that should have been released in 2018 and two EPs scheduled for 2019. In 2021, a promotional video had announced a series of reissues of the Irish group's catalogue, followed by the announcement of the signing with Domino Recording Company. My Bloody Valentine's discography was therefore available on streaming platforms, with reissues on CD and LP to follow.
My Bloody Valentine are among the pioneers of shoegaze. Sprouted in England at the end of the 80s, it was born with the precise intention of experimenting with new sounds, playing much of its aesthetic on the role of guitars, and in particular on the effects applied to them. A “noisy” but enveloping sound, which could be comfortable for all those who felt the need to abandon themselves among tangles of sounds, not always perfectly distinguishable, and voices that often got lost in the background. There were many variations, from the most “pop” to the most distressing, but few groups managed to gain a certain notoriety outside their niche. The shoegaze season didn't last long, and the arrival of Britpop in the land of Albion contributed to its premature decline within a few years. But the germs continued to be present in secret, enough to identify that detail forever wall of sound made up of real cascades of sounds, the work of guitarists bent over the pedalboards, intent on staring not so much at their shoes (hence the name, sometimes used in a derogatory way by detractors of the genre) but rather at the levels of distortions, delay and reverberations.
OndaRock has always followed with extreme attention both the shoegaze classics – it is no coincidence that one of our most recent milestones is “Ferment” by Catherine Wheel – both the acclaimed returns of historical bands (My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Ride), and the most recent trends, often not by chance – but sometimes a little too hastily – cataloged under the term “nu-gaze”. We are therefore happy to offer you this ranking of the best shoegaze records relaunched by Pitchfork magazine (here is the complete report), which in the introduction defines the genre as “a place to explore the extreme limits of the texture of the guitar”. Let us know what you think and maybe compare it to our “Top 50 shoegaze”.
50. Xinlisupreme – Tomorrow Never Comes
49. All Natural Lemon & Lime Flavors – Turning Into Small
48. Nothing – Tired Of Tomorrow
47. The Telescopes – Taste
46. Lovesliescrushing – Bloweyelashwish
45. Drop Nineteens – Delaware
44. Autolux – Future Perfect
43. The Veldt – Afrodisiac
42. Adorable – Against Perfection
41. Starflyer 59 – Gold
40. Curves – Doppelgänger
39. Windy & Carl – Antarctica (The Bliss Out, Vol. 2)
38. A Place To Bury Strangers – A Place To Bury Strangers
37. Asobi Seksu – Citrus
36. Bowery Electric – Bowery Electric
35. A Sunny Day In Glasgow – Ashes Grammar
34. Pale Saints – In Ribbons
33. The Brian Jonestown Massacre – Methodrone
32. Alcest – Souvenirs D'un Autre Monde
31. Ulrich Schnauss – A Strangely Isolated Place
30. Blonde Redhead – 23
29. Medicine – Shot Forth Self Living
28. Bardo Pond – Amanita
27. Lush – Spooky
26. Flying Saucer Attack – Further
25. The Boo Radleys – Giant Steps
24. Lilys – In The Presence Of Nothing
23. Catherine Wheel – Ferment
22. M83 – Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts
21. Pale Saints – The Comforts Of Madness
20. Jesus – Jesus
19. Curves – Pubic Fruit
18. Kitchens Of Distinction – Strange Free World
17. Chapterhouse – Whirlpool
16. Mercury Rev – Yerself Is Steam
15. Swervedriver – Raise
14. My Bloody Valentine – MBV
13. Seefeel – Quique
12. Slowdive – Pygmalion
11. Swirlies – Blonder Tongue Audio Baton
10. Swervedriver – Mezcal Head
9. Catherine Wheel – Chrome
8. Lush – Gala
7. Slowdive – Just For A Day
6. The Verve – A Storm In Heaven
5. Ride – Going Blank Again
4. My Bloody Valentine – Isn't Anything
3. Ride – Nowhere
2. Slowdive – Souvlaki
1. My Bloody Valentine – Loveless
Antonio Santini for SANREMO.FM
