UK shoegaze pioneers RIDE have announced an exclusive encore show in Melbourne on Sunday 11th August at the Croxton Bandroom performing their seminal album ‘Going Blank Again’ in its entirety for the first time with special guests Mercury Rev.
The album, released in 1992, sits as a marker of sonic development for RIDE who, at this point of their career, were stepping out from the success of their debut album NOWHERE, and into sophomore album territory – one marked with expectation. The record features a diverse set of influences that builds on RIDE’s strong shoegaze foundations, fleshing the arrangements out with hints of punk, indie rock and even vibrant pop-leaning melodies.
Certified Gold, Going Blank is an addition to the RIDE body of work that has been viewed as a blueprint for generations of shoegaze and rock groups to follow.
RIDE are gearing up for their return to Australia and New Zealand this year, set to touch down for national tour dates this August. Along with the newly announced date, the legendary Oxford band are set to hit stages in Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Auckland this August – with tickets for all dates selling fast.
RIDE’s reunion in 2014 meant that for longtime fans of the beloved group, they were about to get a brand new era from the band who had been responsible for one of the most important waves of British music through the ‘80s and ‘90s. Forming in Oxford, England in 1988, RIDE set the blueprint for the shoegaze scene.
Bringing a timeless catalogue of music, including latest album INTERPLAY, to fans new and longtime alike, the band has announced today a special second show for Melbourne, taking place at the Croxton Bandroom in the city’s inner north on Sunday 11 August. As with the rest of the announced tour dates, MERCURY REV will be supporting RIDE at this newly announced Melbourne show.
Following on from the band’s scheduled show at The Forum the night before, this additional show will be an unmissable one for RIDE fans, as the band will be performing, along with a selection of favourites, their seminal album GOING BLANK in full for the first time in Australia.
Thursday 8 August | Hindley Street Music Hall Adelaide
Friday 9 August | Enmore Theatre Sydney
Saturday 10 August | Forum Melbourne
Sunday 11 August | Croxton Bandroom Melbourne NEW SHOW
Performing Going Blank Again in its entirety
Wednesday 14 August | The Tivoli Brisbane
Friday 16 August | Metropolis Perth
Sunday 18 August | Powerstation Auckland
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13 May 2024
RIDE’s reunion in 2014 meant that for longtime fans of the beloved group, they were about to get a brand new era from the band who had been responsible for one of the most important waves of British music through the ‘80s and ‘90s.
Forming in Oxford, England in 1988, RIDE set the blueprint for the shoegaze scene with the release of their landmark debut album Nowhere – a timeless classic which inspired a wave of shoegaze bands to follow in years to come. Armed with their stellar seventh studio album INTERPLAY, the music RIDE has produced has remained nothing short of exciting.
INTERPLAY, is RIDE’S third album since reforming in 2014, having now been together longer in their current second phase than their original iteration as ’90s shoegaze pioneers. It will follow 2017’s Weather Diaries and 2019’s This Is Not A Safe Place, which re-lit the Ride spark, both pleasing old diehards and introducing one of the most forward-thinking guitar bands of their generation to a whole new audience. It connects all the dots from their career, taking the frenzied guitar attacks, hypnotic grooves and dreamy melodic hooks of their early work and setting it to a more expansive sonic template, inspired by ’80s pop gems like Tears For Fears, Talk Talk & early U2.
For Australian fans, the opportunity to reconnect with the music of RIDE is coming up this year, with the band confirming a national tour of Australia, plus a visit to Aotearoa, this August.
Thursday 8 August | Hindley Street Music Hall Adelaide
Friday 9 August | Enmore Theatre Sydney
Saturday 10 August | Forum Melbourne
Wednesday 14 August | The Tivoli Brisbane
Friday 16 August | Metropolis Perth
Sunday 18 August | Powerstation Auckland
It is a perfect time to be reminded of the chemistry between the members of the band; chemistry that has manifested beautifully on INTERPLAY, but has also enjoyed rejuvenation within themselves as a live unit. Chaotic guitars meet excellently produced synths and melodies, as threads of psychedelic folk and electronic music weave together with ease.
Joining RIDE on this epic return to Australia/NZ is beloved indie/psych rock group MERCURY REV. Led by Jonathan Donahue and Sean ‘Grasshopper’ Mackowiak, Mercury Rev has continued to reinvent and celebrate their classic sound that has been unafraid to explore new forms throughout the ‘90s, ‘00s and into present day. The band’s last studio record, a reimagining of Bobbie Gentry’s seminal album, The Delta Sweete, saw Mercury Rev collaborate with a number of artists in reworking the classic material. Bobby Gentry’s The Delta Sweete Revisited featured the likes of Norah Jones, Phoebe Bridgers, Beth Orton and Margo Price, brought into the Mercury Rev world. Eleven studio albums, as well as numerous compilation, soundtrack and live albums to their name, Mercury Rev’s impact is undeniable.