I guess it’s true: absence does make the heart grow fonder. Of course, there’s always the “out of sight, out of mind” risk. Fortunately for My Bloody Valentine, the former is the case, as they are presently in the midst of a sold-out tour after an absence of 16 years. There have been no new albums, and there still isn’t one. Band members have gone, and come back. The constant in all of this is the enigmatic Kevin Shields, the leader of the shoegazer pack, the band’s composer-in-residence, and the king of the effected guitar. The only wisdom that Shields shared with the packed house at Roseland came just before the last song of the evening. “Okay. Thanks for coming,” he mumbled into the mic. He may have shared some other thoughts, but any vocalizing that occurred during the songs was indecipherable, so there’s no way to know for sure.
If you’re looking for a song-by-song show review, complete with insights into the technical aspects of what My Bloody Valentine was up to, and what they were wearing, I’m afraid you’ll have to look elsewhere. I’ll provide the setlist for you, but I only know it because some guy posted it on a message board the next day. No, this show was of a piece. It was basically all one long, loud song. A symphony, if you will. A symphony of cacophony. It was brilliant. By far the best thing I’ve seen all year; in fact, in several years. And you thought I was going negative, didn’t you?
Pre-show music included the Beach Boys and Scott Walker — that alone should have been a clue. The band entered the arena, unassuming and late. The drummer hit his snare drum to test it, and it nearly drove me through the back wall of the room. Shields strummed his guitar, and my hands reached for the earplugs draped around my neck. They were giving away free ones at the door, encouraging people to take them and use them, but I had my own.
Let me make something clear: this is a loud band. Standing near the soundboard, I could see the decibel meter nearing 130. Your average loud show clocks in at about 110 dbs. If you have any sense, you will wear earplugs from start to finish, but at some point early on, I decided that I had to fully experience this band, and the only way to do so was to remove the plugs and let it rip. (No one ever said I had any sense.) (more…)


[Taylor's note: My friend Clay makes the best mixes of anyone I know. He’s also one of the best writers I know. His words are fluid and natural, with a powerful grace and natural excitement. Naturally, I asked him to write a guest post for me about music, of his choosing. He selected My Bloody Valentine’s “Sometimes,” and these are his words to go with it. When you’re done reading, tell him to hurry up and update 