Slowdive, Photograph supplied
Slowdive performed at the Enmore Theatre, on Gadigal Country, Sydney, on Wednesday 7 May.
Slowdive broke up 30 years ago. The English band enjoyed a moderate degree of success during their original seven-year run. They released three albums on Creation Records, two of which, 1991’s Just For a Day and 1993’s Souvlaki, are essential entries in the shoegaze canon. But Slowdive never pierced into the mainstream, and nor did they please everyone.
Richey Edwards of the Manic Street Preachers notoriously said he hated Slowdive “more than Hitler.” In a review of Souvlaki, Melody Maker critic Dave Simpson said he would “rather drown choking in a bath full of porridge” than listen to Slowdive.
Despite such harsh rebukes, Slowdive’s reputation grew over the next two decades, and the band reformed in 2014. They’ve released two albums since: 2017’s Slowdive and 2023’s everything is alive. This 2025 Australian tour is the quintet’s third visit to the country in seven years, and the crowds have grown in size with each successive trip.
Compared to many other 90s band reunions, Slowdive’s second act has been unusual not just for how popular they’ve become – they’re now more commercially successful and critically adored than they ever were in the 1990s – but also for the fact that their new records have felt like essential additions to their catalogue.
Slowdive’s Neil Halstead has always written songs with simple, crowd-uniting structures and hooky melodies. And the spark remains, but it’s now paired with a greater emphasis on polish. Take, for example, the Slowdive singles “Star Roving” and “Sugar For the Pill” – two highlights on night two at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre. Both songs contain Slowdive’s signature blend of vocal intimacy and rich emotionality, but they’re also chiselled to the point of being anthemic.
A common criticism of shoegaze is that it’s too moody and aloof, personalities obscured behind walls of guitar noise. And, of course, no one’s expecting Slowdive to start wearing glam rock jumpsuits and crowd-surf their way to the venue bar. But songs like “Star Roving” and “Sugar For the Pill,” as well as “kisses” from everything is alive, are distinguished by how direct and unequivocally inviting they are.
The crowd at Enmore Theatre spans multiple generations, reflecting Slowdive’s unexpected popularity on TikTok, as well as the loyalty of their 90s shoegaze base. But there’s little evidence that the recent boost in popularity has inflated the band members’ egos. Songs from Souvlaki and Just For a Day dominate the setlist, and they’re performed in a careful, almost workmanlike manner.
There’s but a modest amount of onstage movement. The only audience interaction comes from co-lead vocalist Rachel Goswell, who occasionally leaves her keyboard to sing from the front of the stage. At the show’s conclusion, Goswell thanks the audience. “You’ve been wonderful,” she says.
But for the most part, the band focuses on keeping us snug under a blanket of distorted guitars and twin lead vocals, toeing the line between nostalgic melancholy and inspired optimism.
