My Guide to Shoegaze
This is for everyone who is pondering if „My Bloody Valentine“ are a metalcore band from Wales or not. For people who think noise doesn't count as music. And obviously for everyone who is interested in learning more about one of the most important niche genres of the 1980s and 90s.
Shoegaze is probably one of these specific subgenres that seem to comprise three or four long forgotten acts, but in fact, it defines a whole subculture of long-haired guys, fringes that haven’t been cut in a while, dark trashy 90’s clothing and clearly oversized coats, and ultimately an overall look that might seem “goth” or “punk” at the first glance. Musically, the washed-out look continues and results in a distorted, raw, and somehow blurred guitar sound created by an infinite amount of guitar pedals at which the guitarist ‘gazes’ thoughout the performance on stage: hence, the term ‘shoegazing’.
Although many shoegaze bands are put into one pot with noise rock and post punk, this emerged as a glorious third wave originating from British working class bands in the 80s and 90s. Shoegaze is very much about the performance and musical experience itself, like a massive jam session in a dark cellar, where it is important to understanding that a six minute piece of music is a piece of art and not the outcome of a broken amplifier. And that this surely is no music where you just wait for the chorus to come again and again, because if you do you might just wait forever. Shoegaze noise becomes art and noise becomes aestheticised, opposing common pop music aesthetic defining itself by structured frames and catchy melodies.
But where to start? Alan McGee, nowadays millionaire, former boss of Creation Records and retired musical genius, should be the first name to pop up in this scenario, since he was the god who invented shoegaze and discovered most bands that are affiliated with this genre. From the Jesus and Mary Chain to DIIV, these are the bands you need to know before you order your own set of effect pedals and stop washing your hair.
