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Topic: Hey Brits!

Mezcalhead
VoivodFan
Member # 26

posted July 12, 2002 09:15

I was just wondering what the British Vodheads thought about the Shoegazing bands like My Bloody Valentine, Swervedriver, and Spiritualized. I love these groups. Tons of feedback, sedate vocals, and delicious melodies. I love these groups. Swervedriver is of course where I got my name from. They epitomize for me what a rock band is supposed to be.
H, Jethro, Emlyn, what'cha think? (And whoever else is a fan, let me know) C'mon, Emlyn, Pure Genius, needs to bring back the Shoegazing sound!

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h
VoivodFan
Member # 8

posted July 12, 2002 09:47

To tell the truth, I'm a little bored with that whole shoegazing thing. While there are definately some quality acts doing it (such as those you mentioned) it seems like everytime I go and check out a new band, they're all diging this kind of scene. It's like all music: cool when it's done well, but fucking mind-numbingly droll when there's 5000 other bands filling all my local bars with their shite attempts at it!! I think this is why there's so much call for covers bands over here!! All our new bands suck!!! I saw spirtualized at a festival on a beautiful summers night a few years ago. Joint in hand, warm beer full of dry grass (not the good kind!) and a wide smile put me in the right frame of mind to enjoy it. I don't have any of thier records though, so I can't really say too much. Maybe I'll look into it for you!!!!

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Nuclear Vampire
VoivodFan
Member # 20

posted July 12, 2002 10:17

Well, I ain't no Brit. I'm a Hoser, eh?

But I just had to say that some of those bands are good. I really enjoy My Bloody Valentine and Ride. MBV's album Lovless is incredible.
Catherine Wheel are one of my favorite bands. They don't quite fit in to that whole scene (especially after rather heavy albums like Happy Days) but I'd still categorize them as such (since the only other term I know is "Brit-pop" and it's rather vague).
Their best albums are Chrome (definetly a shoegazing record), Ferment (quite poppy) and Wishville (a little more rock and roll).

Hey guys, I've been in that situation too. You should hear the crap they play in clubs around here. Makes me fucking shudder.

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Serpent
VoivodFan
Member # 43

posted July 12, 2002 11:47

On the topic of heavy metal it seems to me that Britain always had the bands but not the audience.
Almost every British metalband has/had more succes overseas than domestic due to a lack of response from the Brits in the longrun. When a new metalband used to start they received much attention but when a new thing started such as acid and house the British audience made the switch to that. After a while a new trend emerged such as Britpop shit and they jumped to that.
Seems now that Brits are returning to the metal but who knows for how long.
The British forgot one thing and that's:

"Metal is no trend it's a way of life"

Serpent.

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Mezcalhead
VoivodFan
Member # 26

posted July 12, 2002 12:11

Thanks for the cool range of responses. To shoegaze means that these guys during performances tended to look at their feet.
Yes, LOVELESS, is the classic album. I would also suggest Swervedriver's debut and Spiritualized first three albums. I'm still trying to get into their latest. Its a bit different than the earlier ones. Like Master h stated, you have to be in the right mood for it and chemicals do tend to increase one's enjoyment of the music.
So you mean their is still a shoegazing scene? I thought it had died out about ten years ago. News travels slowly across the Atlantic I guess.

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X-D
VoivodFan
Member # 3

posted July 12, 2002 12:51

Have any of you guys ever checked out a band (an 80s shoegazer band I suppose), called Loop? Very cool shit, although I think their entire catalog is pretty much all out of print nowadays.

The guitarist, Robert Hampson is somewhat of an experimental prodigy, talking latter Loop albums into some pretty weird places and eventually disbanding the group to persue his own project called Main, which is highly experimental and metallic. He also toured with Godflesh and plays guitar on their "Pure" album.

Each successive Main album moves further and further away from song structures and eventually into a realm where it's difficult to tell if there's a cd playing at all (these recordings used to freak my cats out quite a bit ) But my favs are "Hz", "Hydra-Calm", and "Deliquesence". There are certain metallic, deep, layered, aspecs of these recordings that I think a Voivod fan would appreciate. "Hz" is one of my top 10 favorite albums of all time!

It's funny to see you guys have had similar experiences going to non-metal shows and being the only metalhead there... Been there, and wanted to punch many an alterna-geek right in the gut! Although I love lots of different kinds of music, I'm more at home at a Kreator show than Bloody Valentine show.

[ July 12, 2002: Message edited by: X-D ]

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Emlyn K Helicopter
VoivodFan
Member # 44

posted July 15, 2002 09:05

"what does the word "shoegaze" mean? "

It comes from the band members' floppy fringes (short at back because that would be metal). The guitar players tend to look down all the time, either at their rediculusly low-slung Fender Jazzmasters or, indeed, at their shoes. Plus they tend to be in a self-inflicted bad mood all the time.

I think Jethro summed it up very nicely. Metal and Indie are diametrically opposed forces. I once played in a Death Metal band to a crowd of townie Indie-types, interesting results.

And, Mezcal, Pure Genius will gladly and gamely attempt any form of music, but Indie/Shoegaze is out of the question. For we are Metallers at heart, and Indie is our sworn enemy!

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Emlyn K Helicopter
VoivodFan
Member # 44

posted July 15, 2002 09:07

Hey X-D, Loop are my 2nd favourite band of all fucking time!!

I had 'A Guilded Eternity' playing during my first ever trip. Wonderful stuff.

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nia
VoivodFan
Member # 9

posted July 15, 2002 10:37

Hey Brits, as much as I have enjoyed MBV, what I'd like to know is this - is Back Yard Wrestling really a big trend in the UK among the kiddies??? - http://www.ukbywn.cjb.net/

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h
VoivodFan
Member # 8

posted July 15, 2002 10:51

Nah.. not many of the kiddies round my way are into that. They prefer knives and heroin. And pretending to be from the 'streets'.

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JETHRO
VoivodFan
Member # 11

posted July 15, 2002 12:02

"knives and heroin" would pretty much sum up the lot round here in the east end.
Come back shoegazers - all is forgiven!

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Emlyn K Helicopter
VoivodFan
Member # 44

posted July 16, 2002 05:40

Youngsters round my way (Essex, the cultural cesspit of England) prefer to sit in their parked cars, which have lots of extra plastic bits attached to them, whilst listening to 'Garage' on their over-sized bass speakers eminating from the boot. In fact, these speakers are usually so big that they can no longer get their shopping in said boot.

Give the working class money and see what you get.

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Mezcalhead
VoivodFan
Member # 26

posted July 16, 2002 09:36

Hey Emlyn, you ever seen that movie "The Essex Boys"? Great movie but I could have used a translator for most of the film.

What is garage?

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h
VoivodFan
Member # 8

posted July 16, 2002 10:28

quote:
Originally posted by Mezcalhead:
What is garage?

Trust me... you don't wanna know. Let's just say it's the UK's answer to gangster rap!!!

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Emlyn K Helicopter
VoivodFan
Member # 44

posted July 16, 2002 12:03

Funny enough the shooting on which Essex Boys is based happened in Rettendon, Essex, which is about a mile away from my house. I was out at the time, got a watertight alibi. And I've since moved.

Shit film, though.

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Mezcalhead
VoivodFan
Member # 26

posted July 16, 2002 15:17

Dude, I thought that was a killer movie! Course I don't know if you were saying it was good or bad there.

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