My Bloody Valentine - The Holocaust

[finalnexus]

ok yeah Ive heard about this from my friends who saw that in 91 or so... fun for the whole family too... gramma would love this...

[busterabcat]

Sounds like somebody has dubbed wind noises on to this recording (4 minutes onwards). Now if that was the case then you're a bloody cheat!! :) If it isn't then, fuck me, there really must be some strange otherworldy sounds that emerge when you listen to this all out aural assault.

28 minutes in Manchester? Fuck me! That is seriously hardcore. Even 1992's Rollercoaster 16 minute white out was big enough!!!

[EbiNoUmmei]

Binaural beats. Neat.

[Simulationofvirtue]

I don't expect anyone to believe this (apart from those that have reminded me), but the holocaust section from the 1991 London gig was so intense that I actually passed out for twenty five minutes - quite nice really.

[shoegazesavedmylife]

“It’s interesting and fun, in a cruel way, watching the audience react as the song progresses,” says Ger Colclough, a monitor engineer on the tour. “You can see the different emotions and feelings they go through as the song reaches its peak, from the fascinated look, disbelief look, shocked look, and back to the final look of amazement.”

[FuckingStanz]

what was this recorded on anyway?

[FuckingStanz]

this rapes me just how i want.

[ComputerGeek396]

It's what Kevin Shields' tinnitus sounds like.

[TanAndBoyd06]

Listening to this live AND AMAZINGLY SOBER, I felt like I was on some serious fuckin' drugs..... Just listening to this gives me chills.

[EmmaEasterling]

This is the worst shit ever recorded. Seriously.

[FuckingStanz]

@EmmaEasterling LOEL van halen fan. 

[Simulationofvirtue]

@EmmaEasterling - You were not there & you do not understand anything . Seriously.

[AndPlus]

I saw Kevin Sheilds on stage with Primal Scream at the end of last year, and they ended the show with a big noise section that was more 'pure' sounding but had a similar effect. It was like one massive note or chord with tons of harmonics that went on for ages accompanied by a blinding white light. That was very euphoric, like some kind of psychadelic rave moment. I guess the MBV holocaust must be something like that.

[dburger12]

You really had to be there to understand what it was like. I remember a few times when it sounded like they were about to go back into the song and I got nervous because I didn't want it to end. Wow, what a mindfuck that was.

[clinker123]

I felt exactly the same. It produced a euphoric feeling in you that you'd never felt before.

[HalSamuel]

Seriously it sounds like the entire population of the earth screaming, I can only imagine what an utterly overwhelming experience this must be live.

[HalSamuel]

How do they make this noise? What the HELL is this noise, it's the most insane thing I've ever heard. To me it sounds like the fucking apocalypse.

[Ruxie666]

the noise of eden

[homestarfan2008]

So basically it's the noise you hear when a hydrogen bomb goes off?

[tonimaister]

horrible

[PantheonLincoln]

I have not been able to see MBV live this time round (I'd have booked to go to ATP in December, but I don't know anyone who'd go with me, and you can't get just one ticket), but this is what I imagine the end of the world would sound like.

[MrGiantPanda]

When I saw them in 1992, it wasn't a matter of being deafened... when they played this bit, after a few minutes I could hear chords and melodies in the noise that weren't being played. It sounded quite clear, part of but distinct from the noise. And in case you think that's daft, it wasn't just me -- Mike McGonigal, in his book on Loveless for the 33 1/3 series, reports a similar thing. Sadly, when I saw them this year, the 'holocaust' just sounded like an empty roar to me...

[clinker123]

"I could hear chords and melodies in the noise that weren't being played" - I felt that 100% last year. That was part of the beauty of it. For the first few minutes its just noise, then gradually beautiful sounds come out and wash over you and a big smile comes across your face.

[Mach4PT]

That's the drugs, not the music.

[clinker123]

Oh they were so much louder. People had the earplugs provided in and there hands over their ears during this bit. My ears were ringing for days. I also found out that the soundcheck at the Roundhouse in Camden took 8 hours and most of it consisted of Shields telling the sound guy to turn it up. Go and see it...you must experience it!

[ov4kill]

Yeah, the noise is good but nothing special (I made noise music and hear to it especially to psychedelic noise music (Skullflower)), but maybe it was so good because it was so loud. But for all doesn't was on concerts with that concept, for that people it's only noise a la merzbow or throbbing griste. And I wasn't not onsome of that concerts. That's the problem by recordings: it doens't show the real volume. And I wasn't not some of that concerts.

[clinker123]

Its true you had to be there, but the feeling it created on the night was literally mind bending and hard to explain.

[johnarthurknight]

All of you need to go see Borbetomagus. they are so loud that your ears shut off after 30 seconds and you could only hear the rest of the show with the back of your knees or your teeth. Bring you deaf friends,they could enjoy just as well as you can.

[GeoAl09]

yeah saw them last night in chicago and it was 22 minutes long!! it was crazy! it was so loud

[dburger12]

I saw MBV last night. Man, I did not see that coming at all! Lasted for what felt like 40-something minutes.

[adambomb6672]

Loudest thing I ever saw was Godflesh in a small club. They had 20+ Marshall stacks (all functioning). Neurosis are pretty punishing as well. MBV are a very close second. Great band.

[perpitbla5]

Lightning Bolt and The Locust are a bit of an assault on the ears too.

[ColonelWalterKurtz]

Good clip, reminds me of the Hyperspace bit from 2001. I went to the Manchester Apollo gig (Sun) and I'd experienced the holocaust when they played there on the Rollercoaster tour back in '92. Wish there was footage from that gig, there were a lot more shocked looking people!

[Andrew077]

That's got to be louder than a rocket

[seym000r]

it sounds quite the same. but ears were not enaugh...

[appleballcar]

People saying the shows were not as loud as they used to be etc. Well that was all comments from the pre- June 29th shows in Manc and I have to agree...LOUDEST THING EVER. Sounded like a plane had landed on stage...only louder. Amazing. I think that June 29th Manchester show is going to go down in history. Amazing.

[kraaft]

I saw them loads of times back in the day...nothing is as loud as it used to be. I think it must be my ears. Just for the record, the Swans...now they were loud enough to make people sick or lose control of their bodily fluids...ah, those were the days...

[CloudCucku]

Shock and awe

Apollo, Manchester 29th June - the holocaust lasted 28 ear-bleeding minutes.

Shocked security staff handing out ear-plugs - people making rapid exits, hands clasped over their ears - from those around me half smiles and grimaces.

I stayed for every blissful minute and left with a juddering sense of euphoria which is still with me.

I forwent ear-plugs and my ears still feel numb 24 hours later, but it was worth it - once in a lifetime worth it.

This vid captures it beautifully.

[thedesiresymposium]

Cool and inventive - reminds me of Midnight Cowboy except a hundred times more psychedelic

[jetcarjohnny]

Caught wonderfully. The sound sounds like it did when you were actually there! Of course, nowhere near as overwhelming though...

[4trongate]

great clip - nice work

[solar418]

nice!

[perpitbla5]

It was ace

[colamoonpig]

Cool ...... wish I could have been there, very trippy !

5 Stars

Hans