Anyone Familiar with Slowdive Tunings? (Concert Photos Added)

[Unicorn Warrior]

Yeah, I'm still thinking about the Colombus show. Wish I would have taken more pictures. I had a prime location for it. I did get quite a bit of video footage though. They played in Asheville, NC (a favorite place for my wife and I to visit) on their last US show. If I hadn't had a show myself I would have been there.

I really would love to see them make more music as the new album is great. "Everyone Knows" has turned into my favorite.

BTW,...back to the original topic of this thread... I'm thinking most of their songs are played out of standard.

[rank]

They played in Asheville, NC (a favorite place for my wife and I to visit) on their last US show. If I hadn't had a show myself I would have been there.

I was at that show. It was amazing & also the first time I had gotten to see them. I was impressed by how much weight the songs had. They were much heavier than on record, due in part by the bass player that was anchoring everything.

[thedude99]

Definitely not in standard tuning. I remember them saying they had a hard time figuring out the tunings to some of their songs when they came back.

[gusgorman]

You're all making me want to see them now... the last time I saw them was in 1991

[Unicorn Warrior]

Definitely not in standard tuning. I remember them saying they had a hard time figuring out the tunings to some of their songs when they came back.

Maybe not everything. But I know that at least Star Roving is standard for Christian. I also feel that When the Sun Hits is standard for Neil. I've figured both out in standard after watching them play live.

That being the case..we can probably say that each time they play the guitars used on those songs, it's likely standard. I believe Neil used the Casino on When the Sun Hits, I'll have to see, but I think it was the red Jazzmaster for Star Roving for Christian. From there I'll do some deductive reasoning and get back to everyone.

[thedude99]

Neil uses the Casino for most songs live. I could actually see him being in standard more than Christian though. I recall an interview a while back where Racheal said he had a jazz background and used to play all these “weird” jazz chords on the Slowdive stuff.

That said, when I saw them at the Pitchfork Festival a few years back I was pretty sure he was in an open tuning most of the time, based on watching him strumming the open strings during Catch the Breeze when the noise at the end first kicks in. Watch the video from that performance- you can see it clearly.

[sunburster]

Neil has a background in Classical guitar and Classical music in general. You can hear that on all the albums. I don't know about the Jazz stuff, never heard about that before, but I wouldn't be surprised. He's a versatile guitarist. He played rickenbacker 360s (a 6 and 12 string -- "Morningrise" used the 12, for example, and doesn't sound the same without it) on early EPs and the first album, then added a telecaster on Souvlaki and has played that since. After "Ask me tomorrow" he seems to have dropped the rics, and later shifted to a Casino during his Mojave 3 days. I prefer his sound with the rics, but Christian is playing one of those now on some songs, which helps compensate.

I started a Slowdive digital museum several years ago, and still occasionally update it, maybe it would interest some of you here?

www.souvlakispacestation.com

[thedude99]

^^great site. I remember finding that a while back.

[Unicorn Warrior]

....

[Unicorn Warrior]

That said, when I saw them at the Pitchfork Festival a few years back I was pretty sure he was in an open tuning most of the time, based on watching him strumming the open strings during Catch the Breeze when the noise at the end first kicks in. Watch the video from that performance- you can see it clearly.

Okay, I watched it. And yes, I agree..it looks like he's in an open tuning judging by those open strums. However, in the same show and same guitar he can clearly be seen playing power chords on the lower strings of "when the sun hits" at around 2:25. I can't quite put my finger on how he's hitting those open strums on "catch the breeze"


Just realized I accidentally quoted when I meant to edit ..not used to the mobile view yet