During one of Slowdive’s gigs on their recent tour of Asia in support of their 2023 album everything is alive, singer and guitarist Rachel Goswell found herself having an extreme coughing fit in the middle of “Slomo,” brought on by a hot flash. Goswell was playing keyboard but could no longer sing. “At the end of that song, I literally had to go off stage,” she says. “For the first time ever, I just left. I went to the bathroom and thought, ‘What the hell am I going to do?’” Her coughing was so intense she was almost vomiting. The rest of the band had no idea what was going on and started “Sugar For The Pill” without her. Goswell, 52, returned halfway through the song and joined in on keys. Her bandmates – Neil Halstead, Christian Savill, Nick Chaplin and Simon Scott – obviously had no clue why she ran off but they are definitely aware of what Goswell is going through (she keeps a small fan on stage to keep her cool). “The guys know, they’re all well aware of menopause,” she says. “I’m educating them as well. They should know!”

Formed in 1989, Slowdive were signed to Creation and enjoyed modest success in the ’90s. Their initial run ended in 1995, but in 2014 the band returned to the road as conquering heroes. Their 2017 self-titled comeback album was just as rapturously received.

In 2024, Slowdive are revered as one of the most beloved shoegaze bands by fans both original and new, who are young. This has been revealed in the audiences at their gigs, a phenomenon Goswell thoroughly enjoys; you can see it in the way she’s always smiling from ear to ear when looking out at the crowds. “It’s like my youth reflecting back at me because I used to be down the front at gigs when I was younger,” she says. “And it’s quite life affirming in that way. It gives me hope for the future. It’s just that thing of, like, ‘Oh, not everybody’s an idiot.’”

Touring around the world in her early fifties is a vastly different experience than in her twenties. “When I was younger, touring meant everything to me,” she says. “And it was just all-encompassing. And coming home, adjusting was very difficult.” After being on such a high, she’d hit a low and feel depressed. “The difference for me now is that I’m settled and happy in my home life. So when I come home, I’m really happy to come home to my son and my cats.” There’s also just the peace and quiet she finds when she goes out her front door; she’s met by verdant English fields, not a bustling metropolitan city with fans waiting to get her signature.

What’s not changed is her love of assembling outfits for gigs; in the ’90s she would fashion dresses out of 70s curtains. “I just love dressing up and am lucky to have the odd item of clothing made for me by various designers, which is such a treat.” Putting together gig looks allows her to access the most authentic iteration of herself. “I would say stage Rachel is possibly the most extreme version of Rachel,” she says. “I’ve always said me on stage is me being the most myself.”

And she’s always trying to get more female energy around her on tour – especially given she’s the sole woman in Slowdive – consciously choosing bands that have a woman in the band to ensure that the bill isn’t what she calls “cock heavy.” “And that was initially me right at the start.” If there are middle aged women around, even better. “What I particularly like on tour is if there’s a woman at the venue who is the same sort of age [as me]. We just end up chatting about menopause!”





Source link