There aren’t many descriptors that have consistently stuck to Slowdive more than ‘pioneers’ or ‘legends’ in the shoegaze scene. On a hazy autumnal evening, walking past the many entrances into Festival Hall feels more like evidence of their long-standing legacy, catching eyes with people of varying age, gender, and culture—and inferredly, long-time fans and new-found supporters of the band.

My friend and I find our place in the line, sandwiched between a middle-aged couple discussing dinner plans and a young group of friends donning all-black outfits and chain accessories. Later, as we’re guided to our section, I notice the same discrepancy between those who’ve already filled the seats. Before the show even starts, I feel starstruck for a band that’s united both young and old solely through their music.

Maybe it’s Election Day nerves settling in, or the unexplainable tiredness that the cold brings, but a particular calmness and quiet anticipation permeates the air. Right in the midst of it, the night’s opening act, Beach Fossils, makes a breezy entrance to the stage. They introduce themselves with the starting riff of 'Don’t Fade Away', the twangy bass lines reverberating around the hall, and the crowd comes alive. Beach Fossils have long been in the industry since 2009, but their performance (especially that of frontman Dustin Payseur) is still full of vigour and vitality that’s reminiscent of that of a newcomer. It’s a fresh sight to witness and makes their brief set much more enjoyable. With the final notes of 'Numb' echoing across the hall, the quartet bids their goodbye and leaves the crowd loose and feeling.

With the conclusion of Beach Fossil’s set, the waiting game for Slowdive continues. A middle-aged concertgoer across from me pulls out a novel and the stranger to my right catches up on sleep. With a quick trip to the merch table, I end up spending the rest of the night wearing a Slowdive tour T-shirt. The vibes are extremely high. When it hits quarter past nine, the lights dim once again, shooting LED lights across the hall while a visualiser comes to life.

The crowd erupts with excitement when the quintet comes on stage, walking with the easy gait of a seasoned band who’s done it all. They get straight to business and envelop the hall with the lush reverb and delicate melodies of ‘shanty’ from their most recent album everything is alive. From ‘Star Roving’ to the demo version of ‘Crazy For You’, the audience subtly sways to the music and mouths the lyrics—we’re swept along the dreamy soundscape they’ve laid out. The interpolation of their voices with the creative use of strobe lighting and projected visualisers makes it hard not to be pulled in a trance. With a quick glance around me, and towards the standing crowd, I could tell they were soaking it in much like I was.

At various points throughout the set, vocalist Rachel Goswell exclaims a “Thank you!” to the crowd. There’s little interaction between the band and the crowd during the night, and while it’s not necessarily a bad thing, it shrouds them with an air of mystery that adds to this ambient world they’ve created for the night. Whether it be through the echoing basslines of ‘Souvlaki Space Station’ or the delicate harmonies of Goswell and Neil Halstead in (one of their best) ‘Allison,’ they let the music speak for themselves. And it’s during the gentle crescendo of Christian Savill and Halsted’s guitars, interwoven with Nick Chaplin’s bass and Simon Scott on drums, playing the familiar opening tune of ‘When The Sun Hits’ that undoubtedly (and unsurprisingly) brings the audience alive. It’s raw and melancholic in the best ways, and a wave of nostalgia washes over me as my mind looks back on old memories that’s been soundtracked by this album. They draw their set to a close with their reimagined, more haunting, version of Syd Barrett’s ‘Golden Hair’ which extends to a spell-binding instrumental show of their artistry.  When the crowd heavily thumps on their feet for more, they answer with ‘Slomo’, ‘Slowdive’ and an unrestrained ‘40 Days’.

What a band, and what a show. There’s no more that needs to be said.

Photography supplied by Devanshu (The Alternative Journal) | @devanshuphoto and @thealternativejournal on Instagram.