OVO Hydro, 27 November
My Bloody Valentine and the OVO Hydro, with a capacity of over 14,000 on a good day, seem like odd companions for one of the most anticipated gigs of the year.
One of the pioneers, if not the defining forerunners of the Shoegaze movement, their meagre back catalogue of recorded work, still holds sway 40 plus years since they set the musical world alight with their swirling guitar soundscapes that many have copied yet few have got near to matching.
And yet, for all the sounds that emanated from the speakers, the cavernous OVO Hydro seemed at times to suck the life out of the vibrancy of the night.
It was definitely not for the want of trying by the band who were on top form throughout, with a carefully selected set list, cherry picked from their four albums.
In between the bursts of sonic violence by all the perpetrators on stage, there were periods where the songs were allowed to simmer along, teasing at normal decibel levels before crashing back into the fray.
For anyone not familiar with My Bloody Valentine’s catalogue don’t be put off by the imagery of intense sound. They are a band who can capture melodies like no other before adding their own USP to the final output.
My Bloody Valentine’s back story is filled with tales of loud, very loud and then even louder gigs that tested their audience’s willingness to give of their body, something they would deny many others. Tales of perfection that almost brought Creation Records to its knees and severely impacted on the recording output of the band when they were at the zenith of their appeal.
That appeal though has not gone away and now includes a younger generation who were as in awe as their elders as the band moved seamlessly from one classic track to another.
The economics of playing to indoor stadiums as opposed to relatively smaller, more intimate venues means it’s unlikely we’ll ever see My Bloody Valentine again where the band, the music, the audience and the venue are all as one.
For all that, this was a very powerful reminder of what made My Bloody Valentine stand out amongst their peers of the time.
