Bilinda Butcher at All Points West (8/1/09). Image courtesy of Busacca/Getty.

I first heard My Bloody Valentine in the summer of 2002. After reading up on the legacy and legend of Loveless, I downloaded “When You Sleep.” I didn’t appreciate or understand what I was listening to. As I listened to the song more and eventually heard Loveless in its entirety, this would change. I realized that I had stumbled upon a band that would change the way I viewed music. To this day, few (if any) albums mean more to me than Loveless does. I don’t believe that I have encountered another record that has caused me to so deeply question the limits to which a guitar can be pushed. Unfortunately, as many know, there has been very little in the way of output from My Bloody Valentine and Kevin Shields since Loveless graced store shelves nearly eighteen years ago. When my obession with MBV began, I never expected they would reform, let alone perform live again.

To my surprise, a reunion was announced in late 2007 and Shields, Bilinda Butcher, Debbie Googe, and Colm Ó Cíosóig played their first shows as MBV in well over a decade last summer. You can imagine how bewildered I was when I learned in June that they would be performing in Richmond, VA, a mere two hours from my house. The concert took place on Thursday, July 30th at The National, which just might be my favorite venue at the moment. I arrived early to take a seat in the second row of the venue’s balcony. You can criticize me for this, but the vantage point I had was perfect. I came into the show with no expectations. I wanted to be blown away, but aside from a high decibel count, I really had no idea what to expect.

MBV took the stage around 10:00 PM and opened with a blistering version of “I Only Said.” Hearing the guitar sample in this song maximized in a live setting was an incredible thing. Seeing as I had never seen the band live and taking into consideration how loud their performances are, nearly every song felt new to an extent. I didn’t even recognize certain tracks at first. My night was made when “Only Shallow” was played. Each time the chorus screamed over me, my ears went to heaven. One of the things that most impressed me was how good the group’s earlier material sounded. Tracks that I had never paid much attention to such as “Thorn” and “Cigarette In Your Bed” stood their ground with ease.

Another aspect of the show that impressed me was how integral bassist Debbie Googe and drummer Colm Ó Cíosóig were to the performance. I had no idea that Ó Cíosóig was such an exceptional drummer. On this particular night, Bilinda Butcher’s (who sounded and looked stunning) vocals were more audible than Shields’, but complaints were few and far between. I kept my ear plugs in for the entire performance. I wonder if I would have been able to hear the vocals more without them. However, I’m glad I had them in for the show’s finale, the confrontational “You Made Me Realise.” On this night, the song’s trademark white noise section lasted a reported thirteen minutes. I’d compare it to either a NASA rocket launch or an airplane taking off. The major pay-off occurred when the band launched back into the main section of the song before concluding.

After Shields and co. exited the stage, I knew the show was over, but those in attendance were briefly teased when the lights went down again and there was movement on the stage. Is it bad that I wanted more? My ears could have handled it. Seeing the elusive MBV perform was a surreal experience, but I walked away obsessed once again with one of my favorite bands. It made me forget about the recording silence and conflicting reports about new music. Even if My Bloody Valentine never puts out another record, they visited my state’s home capital and I’ll give them major credit for that. During the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, MBV were active at a time in independent music when anything felt possible. For about 90 minutes on July 30th, 2009, this priceless feeling was captured once again.

Other reviews of MBV at The National…

• DCist
• RVA Magazine

Click here for a random fan’s meeting with the band after the show (with pictures).

I have lived in Virginia my entire life, so I am allowed to pick on the state’s capital. For the time being, I am going to lay off of Richmond because the city has managed to score an unbelievable concert. The National, which I can attest to being a fantastic venue, will host My Bloody Valentine and an unannounced guest on July 30th. If only that special guest was a reunited Slowdive, but I suppose this will suffice. As far as I know, aside from an August 1st appearance at All Points West in New Jersey, this is the only currently announced show that the shoegaze legends will be performing on the east coast. Tickets go on sale this Saturday, June 20th.

Tip courtesy of Pam. Image courtesy of Pitchfork.