Maria Somerville is the neo-shoegaze sensation who has been attracting much attention of late. I went to see her at this sold-out concert, accidentally buying two tickets so I had to bring my beloved with me. Whelan's is pretty unpleasant when it's full and we found ourselves stuck over to one side. I also had an amorous couple press in beside me while they attended to each other, but fortunately they moved away before too long.
The support act was Nashpaints. I do not remember them in detail but have a sense of having broadly approving. Two things though:
- My beloved thought they were a bit like the kind of band you might get playing at the Roadhouse in Twin Peaks: The Return
- Their music was at least somewhat shoegaze adjacent, particularly as they went on.
Both of these are good things obviously so maybe I should take a punt on their album Blindman the Gambler, available for a fiver on Bandcamp
I was there for Maria Somerville, but I found her performance a bit unengaging. That might partly be that this music does not go down so well alive (she is more Slowdive than Ride) but also I think the venue didn't suit it: this kind of relaxing semi-ambient shoegaze isn't really suited to a hot crowded club venue and would work a lot better somewhere seated. I did think that I have enjoyed it more if I had pushed my way up to the front like some kind of Nietzschean overman, but I wasn't finding the music compelling enough to do that.
Before going to the concert I was thinking about how I didn't really know what Maria Somerville looks like as all the pictures of her are "arty". As I left the concert I realised that I still don't really know what she looks like thanks to backlighting. So she could be anyone I walk past on the street. Anyone.
Her album Luster is still great for home listening and is also on bandcamp.
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