Written by: Cameron Billon
Legendary soundscape pioneers My Bloody Valentine are led by the industrious and inventive perfectionist Kevin Shields and the dreamy floating melodies of Bilinda Butcher .
To see them live is a treasure, and for many years and a legion of new fans, it seemed a nearly impossible mission. I never caught them in 2013, when after 22 years m b v dropped as the follow-up to Loveless, one of the most notorious and beloved albums of the 1990’s, so I knew this time around I had to get in.
I knew they would be great.
And they were.
Yet nothing could prepare me for the joy in hearing these tunes performed live. The m b v album was, of course, exceptional and well worth the wait and Friday’s concert at the Fox Theatre was no different. The setlist pulled from nearly all stretches of their fuzz-drenched material, while flashing a few new tunes to boot. Whether or not a new EP or album surfaces this year as Shields has said, one things is for sure, they are one of the greats that need to be experienced by anyone even slightly interested in the band’s triumphant but curious history.
Whether seeing them live or listening to their records, it’s best to ditch media descriptions and just dive in. After all, they practically invented the shoegaze genre, and are often called the loudest band in the world, which is probably true, but these are rather lazy descriptors for the uninitiated and only scratch the surface of what this iconic band is all about.
No doubt they were loud as heck, with roaring sonic waves I could feel in my bones up to my skull. Yet the joy in that sort of concert experience can be described also by the silence, as it borders on meditation . You won’t be able to hear the ones you came with, no one will be able to hear you sing along at the top of your lungs, and the lullabies continue to ring through the night.
Setlist:
1. I Only Said
2. When You Sleep
3. New You
4. (Unknown new song)
5. You Never Should
6. Honey Power
7. (Unknown new song)
8. Cigarette in Your Bed
9. Only Tomorrow
10. Come in Alone
11. Only Shallow
12. What You Want
13. Thorn
14. Nothing Much to Lose
15. Who Sees You
16. To Here Knows When
17. Slow
18. Soon
19. Wonder 2
20. Feed Me With Your Kiss
21. You Made Me Realise
