Shoegaze, slackers, ‘noise chasms’ and the 10-year reinvention of rock

A whole new age of psychedelia kicked off in the mid-‘80s, of dream-weavers and glorious underachievers, a complete rejection of the standard rock approach to stagecraft, sound and self-promotion. Simon Reynolds was at the heart of it, writing for Melody Maker and piping aboard the pioneering noise-mongers aiming to entrance and disorientate, as recalled in his new book ‘Still In A Dream: Shoegaze, Slackers and the Reinvention of Rock 1984-1994’. He looks back with us here from his home in Los Angeles at its key bands, events and spiritual godfathers, these among them …

… the return to childhood via Syd Barrett and Jonathan Richman to Sarah Records

… is ‘feeble little horse’ the most Shoegaze band name ever?

... what it was about Morrissey that made Smiths singles sink after Top Of The Pops

… the reason Bowie formed a band

… charming/infuriating interviews with the Cocteau Twins: “words only have any meaning when they’re sung”

… how Britpop brought down the curtain of the wall of sound

… Shoegaze, Dreampop, Lovelynoise, Wide-Brimmed Hat Music and the rock press attempt to impose order: “if a band was on the cover they could double their fee”

... the divine arrogance of Lawrence of Felt who “didn’t want ordinary people buying my records”

… the ever-extending “noise chasms” of My Bloody Valentine

… “shattering quartz”: reviewing music that’s about sound not words

… Shoegaze DNA in the 21st Century

... and the greatest album of that decade, “each track like a session beer”.

Order copies of ‘Still In a Dream’ here: waterstones.com/book/still-in-a-dream/simon-re…

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