82 seconds and an ocean: how a shoegaze classic changed my life
Or, the moment I decided to pick up an electric guitar
When I was just six or seven years old, my parents played Joy Division's Closer on their record player. The haunting melodies and Ian Curtis' eerie voice left an indelible impression on me. Little did I know that this would be the start of my journey into shoegaze music. “Decades” is still one of my favourite pieces of music ever. Happy song, isn’t it?
Thank you, Tânia
I started playing synths but soon realized that something was missing. It wasn't until my cousin Tânia showed me records like Automatic by The Jesus and Mary Chain, Velveteen by Transvision Vamp, and Seventeen Seconds by The Cure that I discovered what I was missing. And I had a crush on Wendy James, who didn't?
As I moved into high school, I started discovering more and more bands that captured my imagination. Spacemen 3, Spectrum, Ride, Echo and the Bunnymen, and The Stone Roses all became part of my daily dose of musical therapy.
My hometown, Leiria in Portugal, had been painted with "Spacemen 3" by older guys in our neighbourhood, making it a cool place to be.
I knew by then I was out of the mainstream as far as musical tastes were concerned. And I was loving it.
Collapsing on the couch
My mother was travelling to Paris and I asked her to try and get me a record that wasn’t available in Portugal (it was 1992, small country, you get it, right?) She did get me a copy (thank you, mum!) and I still remember the exact moment I gave it a spin. Precisely 82 seconds into the track, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life - play guitar. The wall of sound, the dreamy atmospheres, and the raw emotion captured me in a way that nothing else ever had before.
Why 82 seconds? And which track am I talking about?
“My eyes are sore, my body weak”. Ride’s Seagull. That was the one. 82 seconds of Andy’s reversed guitars, Loz’s unique drumming style, Steve’s hypnotic bassline and Mark’s guitars jangling with everything else. Then those vocals kick in and I paralysed. “This is it! This is why I was born! I need to grab an electric guitar!” was along the first things I said after collapsing on the couch because of insanely loud volume in my headphones.
Bands, those funny little plans
I started my first band around that time, and we played shows in our hometown. We were not bad for 14 year olds and we were passionate. We played covers of shoegaze classics and wrote our own songs. We played in bars and small venues like most bands do when they start. Our first gig was at the local highschool’s “Miss of the Year” contest. Can’t get lower than this. Except when someone jumped off stage during a cover of Spacemen 3’s revolution and landed with his nose on the ground.
As I continued to explore shoegaze, I discovered more and more bands that spoke to me. My tastes expanded to include bands like My Bloody Valentine, Lush, and Cocteau Twins. Each band had its own unique sound, but they all shared a common thread - a sense of otherworldly beauty that could transport you to another realm.
For me, shoegaze was more than music. The posters in my room, my black sweaters and my floppy hair confirmed this. It was about creating soundscapes that could evoke emotions and transport the listener to another world. It was about tapping into the infinite well of creativity and letting it flow through you.
Decades
As I look back on my journey, I realize that it all started with Joy Division's Closer and a fascination with the darker side of music. But it was Ride's Nowhere and "Seagull" that really captured my heart and set me on a path that would shape my life in ways I could never have imagined.
Andy, Loz, Steve, Mark, a huge thank you for those 82 seconds and an ocean of emotion.