Shoegaze is a genre that originated in the 1980s and was named after an insult (musicians “gazed” down at the floor while fiddling with their guitar pedals). It has recently been revived.
Not only are 1980s shoegaze darlings Slowdive and Ride currently touring, but according to my subscription email, those seminal Irish noise-makers My Bloody Valentine will also be back on stage for the first time in seven years this coming November.
While this may sound excellent at first glance, there’s a catch: as of this writing, their “tour” is only a four-night show kicking off in their hometown of Dublin, Ireland, on November 22nd, 2025 (currently sold out) and another three on the 24th, 25th, and 27th throughout the UK.
Now, are four skimpy shows completely on-brand for this enigmatic group? Yes. Do we have plenty of time to scour Skyscanner in search of cheap plane tickets to Dublin, Manchester, London, or Glasgow? Absolutely. But that’s not the point.
My Bloody Valentine's tour is not so much
MBV’s influence cannot be understated. Within the abrasive-yet-melodious songs of their 1991 magnum opus, Loveless, the band’s trademark sound of ethereal swirling guitars harnessed by whammy bar contortion and a plethora of pedals created a wall of warm pink noise that is the essence of the genre.
With only three proper albums released over a period of 36 years, their long reach has affected hard-hitting bands like Nothing and Deafheaven as well as lighter acts like DIIV and Whirr. Moreover, their infamous live shows (so I hear) are nothing short of disorienting, with a high chance of eardrum damage and concussion, all in the best of ways.
A band of this magnitude cannot simply reappear after so much elapsed time, dominate our senses for a brief handful of evenings, and then disappear back into the hazy pink ether. If not a world tour, then at least a handful of shows outside of the UK where not only their loyal, nearly-deaf fans can attend, but perhaps a fresh demographic of attendees, curious about the beautiful, distorted world these messiahs have created.
Tickets can be purchased here, but given the unprecedented exclusivity of the event, you'd better grab them while you can.