Secret Meeting score: 79

by Philip Moss

Going up against the monumental might and crossover appeal of The Chemical Brothers is a daunting challenge for anyone. But, when you’re riding the kind of renaissance period that Slowdive are, it’s no problem. After the sun had set on a glorious afternoon at Bluedot Festival, the five-piece – spurred on by the critical and commercial response to last year’s self titled return – took to the stage in the Orbit tent exactly half an hour into the world renown dance act’s headline set at the far end of the site.

Slomo, the opener from latest album and their first in 25 years, set the mood with guitarists’ Neil Halstead and Christian Savill’s duelling, chiming melodies sending a lazy Sunday evening wash out into the warm Cheshire air. Dressed all in red, front woman, Rachel Goswell, stood out from her band mates as she took up centre stage – caressing her keyboard and grooving like Kate Bush to the band’s ethereal chimes.

Buried under starry reverb, Crazy for You was six minutes of perfection – ‘Crazy for lovin’ you, Crazy for lovin’ you’ Goswell repeated, soaring over Halstead’s low end harmonies, before it exploded into a roar of Loveless-inspired melodic distortion.

As discussed in our Souvlaki essential album piece, the shoegaze blueprint has never been more popular as it is at the moment. But both on their 2017 comeback tracks such as Sugar For The Pill and Star Roving, and their nineties’ compositions, Alison and Souvlaki Space Station, there’s proof that there aren’t many who do this sound better, emphasising why escaping the mass crowds and heading to see Slowdive was the perfect choice to close the sublime Bluedot Festival.

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