My Bloody Valentine Concert Report

My Bloody Valentine at the Koolhaus November 5

Last night, My Bloody Valentine made their mostly triumphant return to Toronto to a subdued but reverent crowd. This was their first show here since 2008 and only their second in the last twenty years. They are belatedly touring their excellent album MBV that came out early this year though only four tracks from that album were played. I suspect that this is because the band hasn't learned these new songs as the album was largely assembled by bandleader Kevin Shields whose guitar sounds are still the best and most innovative.

Earplugs were handed out at the door and proved to be very necessary as this was the loudest concert I have ever seen by a large margin. The earplugs likely contributed to the subdued crowd since it sounds quite odd to applaud loudly while wearing earplugs. The band played for over an hour and a half, offering a solid representation of their catalogue, including a number of non-album tracks. The album Loveless was the most represented, with seven songs from it played.

Opening song "Sometimes" is one of their mellower songs and was used to great effect in the film Lost in Translation. The song offered little indication of the onslaught to come. The new track "New You" was an early highlight with excellent singing from Belinda Butcher and some superb tremolo-laden guitar from Shields. Overall, the vocals were much stronger than I expected, having heard several of their bootlegs where the vocals were almost entirely inaudible. "Honey Power" was an excellent showcase of Colm O'Ciosoig's Keith Moon-like drumming skills and a good representation of their heavier side.. An attempt to play early b-side "Thorn" was a huge failure with three aborted attempts leading to them giving up on the song entirely. "Wonder 2" with looped jungle-ish drums and helicopter guitar was very impressive. "Only Shallow" was good but sounded a bit odd. Their signature song "Soon" was perfect, especially with its trance-like ending.

All this was lead up to their standard finale "You Made Me Realise", their first proper single which has now been extended with a ten minute noise interlude. This mammoth wall of sound emphasized the physicality of the band, with earthquake-like pulsations creating a unique tactile experience unlike anything I've ever experienced in a concert. When the band suddenly returned to the main song, there was a palpable feeling of release.

My Bloody Valentine produce a full sensory experience unlike any other band. Their psychedelic projections aided in the immersion. They combine consummate professionalism and amateurish anarchy in a completely unique way.  More than any other band I've seen, My Bloody Valentine in concert provide something that cannot be captured or represented in any other form.