Ride, Leeds Beckett SU review: Shoegaze pioneers deliver a beautiful mix of 90s bangers and new material
Fresh off the release of their third post-reunion album, Andy Bell and company delivered a stunning set at one of Leeds’ most underrated venues amidst Oasis reunion rumours.
Shoegaze is definitely back in style. Or at least as much back in style as the indie spin-off genre ever was.
The younger generation has had their eyes opened up to the likes of Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine via relentless exposure on TikTok, while Ride just released their seventh album - and third since their reunion in 2014 - Interplay.
Playing for a mostly middle-aged - and pleasingly phone free - crowd at the Beckett Students’ Union might seem somewhat out of place, but it’s actually a surprisingly good venue for the occasion. I’ve only been there once, horrifying my partner by bringing her to see stoner metal quartet Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs open Live at Leeds in 2023.
Opening with two songs off their new album, Monaco and Portland Rocks, singer and guitarist Mark Gardener gets very few responses when he asks if anyone in the crowd is a student. And a few songs later, one rowdy fan addresses the rumours that Bell - who played bass for Oasis from 1999 until their demise in 2009 - might be joining the Gallagher brothers next summer by demanding that the band “play some Oasis”.
Sticking to their own songs, the shoegaze pioneers deliver a beautiful mix of new and old, including Dreams Burn Down, Lannoy Paint and Interplay single Peace Sign. The wall of sound comes to a finish with fan favourite Vapour Trail and slow burner Seagull, both from their 1990 debut Nowhere.
The three-song encore featuring Light in a Quiet Room, Leave Them All Behind and Chelsea Girl does more than enough to please the crowd.
While missing the first wave of shoegaze in the early to mid-90s, I was introduced to the genre early in life, mainly through Slowdive. But I think it’s safe to say that today, Ride are the best in the game.
Ride at Leeds Beckett Students’ Union on September 12, 2024, setlist:
- Monaco
- Portland Rocks
- Dreams Burn Down
- Kill Switch
- Last Frontier
- I Came to See the Wreck
- Unfamiliar
- Lannoy Point
- Peace Sign
- Taste
- Cool Your Boots
- Vapour Trail
- Seagull
- ENCORE: Light in a Quiet Room
- Leave Them All Behind
- Chelsea Girl