Shoegaze, Dreampop And Nugaze: The Facebook Group
Shoegaze, Dreampop And Nugaze is a Facebook group created by Kevin Cleary. The group is arguably the biggest one on Facebook counting over 40 000 members. Noise Artists meets the moderators.
How long have you been and admin for this group?
Mark: I joined the group back in January 2019 and joined the admin team shortly after as a mod so i'm the new kid on the block.
Darren: For several years now. Too long to remember when it all started.
Kev: I created Shoegaze, Dreampop & Nugaze in 2009. My reasoning at the time was to find bands that kept the shoegaze candle burning (damn that sounds cheesy, lol).
Acts such as Airiel, Ides of space, Resplandor, the Meeting Places, Astrobrite, Mystery Machine, etc.
Nico: I can’t remember, I got asked maybe a year and a half ago?
What are the perks of being an admin?
Mark: Meeting all the cool bands and fans.
Darren: To be able give a platform for new bands to be heard and discovered by a new audience.
Kev: Over the years I've become a bit introverted, don't belong to a band and not hitting shows the way I once did (Dad life). The biggest perk is the music that I would never have discovered otherwise and the friendships that have developed. No gaze orgies, groupies, monetary benefit, drugs, etc. Maybe things would have been different if this was 1993, lol.
Nico: I guess, it’s like running a fanzine back in the days? it’s a lot of work for very little reward but you do it cause you like music more than anything else
What are the drawbacks of being and admin?
Mark: Dealing with disputes and arguments on the group. Why cant we all just get along people?
Kev
Darren: Having to moderate the troublemakers and haters.
Kev: "Why did you delete my Radiohead post?!Facist!!!!" It hasn't been all that easy and trust me, the page burns me out at times. Pet peeves include, getting tagged in a post bashing the group, reading a post from a FB friend, "sorry Kev, but the page....." A lot goes into running a page with over 45,000 members! Thank the Gods for the current (Darren, Mark & Nico) and past mods.
At some point we got in a war with WHIRR, which apparently wasn't the band but someone moderating their social media.
Oh shit, the whole Pranav Agrawal thing!
Where to even start with that one?! Pranav was a professional English swimmer, living in India with his boyfriend Matt. Yes. He was one of seven of us managing the page.
We were a tight bunch, often chatting several days a week. He was an integral part of the page, with great ideas and input. Things got weird when one of the mods forwarded a google image of a professional swimmer Daniel Goodfellow. Pranav had created this entire persona based on the swimmer! We called him out and poof, just like that, he was gone! Keyer Soze style.
Nico: Oh definitely the people with zero social skills and a lot of issues who are desperate for attention but know only how to seek it in negative ways. They clearly need to be educated but you can’t do that publicly because they want the attention so the only way to deal with them is to not give them any, delete, block, gone.
Is there any perks? groupies? drugs? free music? 😉
Mark: The only "perk" i've had so far is some boudouir snaps of my fellow mod Nico Beatastic!
I still havent slept since seeing them.
Darren: I occasionally get free music. People often reach out to me directly to share music that they feel I'll enjoy.
Kev: Ehhhh, not so much for a 46 year old married dad like me. The free music that group members send me! Ooooo, I listen to it all and totally appreciate it. Another perk is hearing or reading about the page in a positive light.
Nico: the true perk is having Mark to send my boudoir pics to, I know he truly appreciates them.
Mark
What do you like best about the group?
Mark: The community spirit. The shoegaze community is incredibly tightknit and supportive.
Darren: Always being turned on to new music and forgotten treasures.
Kev: The music I've discovered and friendships that I've made over the last decade. Wow, talk about generic answers! There was a time when Darren, Rayanne, Greg, Romini, Liam, Pranav and I would drunk message for hours most every Friday/ Saturday. Mind you, we were all in different time zones. Those were fun times!
Nico: when shoegaze started it was called the scene that celebrates itself, people were supportive of each other, I think that’s mostly the case, also it’s never been about who’s got the biggest one (it’s Mark) , there’s no macho bullshit.
What do you like the least about the group?
Mark: The posts that begin, Its not shoegaze but.... or What is the most shoegaze <insert inanimate object here>. Wasn't funny the first time, not funny now. Stop it
Darren: Just because some music has elements of shoegaze or exists on its peripheral, doesn't make it shoegaze. It's hard to draw the line sometimes and that comes from someone who's been listening to this music for 30 years, let alone for people who are new to shoegaze.
Kev: Damn, if I let the cat out of the bag it will invite in hundreds of trolls! Like the teenage British invasion of 2015. Darren is the only mod who was around at that time and it SUCKED!! So my lips are sealed on this one.
Nico: the little wars, the negativity, the group is meant to post music you like, no diss music you hate. If you don’t have anything nice to say , don’t say anything.
Darren
If you could have anyone join the group, who would it be and why?
Mark: Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine for he is our lord and father. All hail the Kev!
Darren: Erik Blood. He's my favorite producer and has had a hand in recording/producing/creating/performing some of the best music from the Pacific Northwest for years.
Kev: We've had quite a few genre icons come and go throughout the years. Rachel and Emma were both members until they were called out in numerous posts. I was blown away when the lead of my favorite band joined several years ago!
Nico: I’d have my fave musician ever, Billy Corgan
Who should be an admin?
Mark: Elliott Frazer from Ringo Deathstarr as I inadvertantly removed him from the group. That would let him get his revenge on me.lol
Darren: Someone who loves music, music debate, and has an insatiable hunger to hear and discover new music.
Kev: Easy; Darren, Mark and Nico! Now i'm going to try and name everyone who has helped moderate the page over the years. Rayanne Die, Vic Winters, Dean Bromley, Steven Webb, Romini, Mike Contreras, Liam Doyle, Greg Wilson, Krissy Vanderwoude.
Nico: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Nick Cave, Henry Rollins. You can’t mess with them and they’re good with words. I’d love to have The Rock turn his boot sideways and stick it someone’s arse when they make a homophobic/racist/rude/mean comment.
Who should never be an admin?
Mark: Anyone who posts It’s not shoegaze but.... or What’s the most shoegaze <insert inanimate object here>.
Darren: Someone who is thin-skinned.
Kev: Anyone not ready to put time into building and maintaining. I'm grateful that we have a great team running the page now and for all of the past admins.
Nico: I agree with Darren.
Nico
What is the sweetest thing you've seen happen in the group?
Mark: I seen a member post that they had just had a bad break up with their partner and was looking for tunes to cheer them up. The comments below that post were 100% supportive and full of some of the best music. It was testament to the family vibe we are proud to have on the group.
Darren: I've seen small unknown bands and musicians grow into being leaders of the scene that celebrates itself.
Kev: Krissy Vanderwoude and Andy Jossi collaborating! Two phenomenal musicians. I also love seeing obscure, unknown bands grow in part due to this group.
Nico: I think each time anyone posts a band they like, it’s an act of communion with the world , we share what we want so we can improve other people’s lives and that my friends is what life should be about.
Have any couple met on the group and got married and have children?
Mark: i have no idea. One of the other more learned admin may know.
Darren: If so, send me pics of them making babies.
Kev: I haven't received any wedding invites. Not to say that it hasn't happened. A group member did create a Shoegaze romantic connection group.
Nico: Mark and I are expecting ;)
What is the best band you've discovered through the group?
Mark: That’s not fair. There’s too many AMAZING bands I’ve discovered via this group. If you absolutely forced me to name one id have to go with The Stargazer Lilies. Occabot blew my tiny mind.
Darren: Flyying Colours
Kev: Oooooh, a "best band?" As far as my personal favorite, I'd have to say Echodrone. Dean "Shoegaze" Bromley, one of the original page members/ past admin, turned me onto them. There are SO many greats that I never would have heard of if it wasn't for SGDPNG!!!
Nico: that Russian shoegaze scene is pretty cool. Maybe Pinkshinyultrablast ?
How did it get so big? (the group Mark, the group!)
Mark: We have an open door policy and we get a lot of people inviting friends. We also have a lot of members who are in bands. It means they can interact with our members directly which is a huge thing for fans.
Darren: People love shoegaze and want a place to share and learn more about it.
Kev: Be careful of what you wish for!! There were waves of growth starting with the MBV/ Slowdive/ Lush reunions. Then there was the whole "bro gaze" movement, not the happiest of times on the page.
Nico: The big 3 coming back , the old school gazers have older kids now so more time on their hands and the brogazers. I went to see Slowdive a couple of years ago and the audience was clearly 14 to 60, lots of kids. The Rachel look is quite iconic, it appeals to a lot of young women.
Have you ever thought of making tshirts? mugs? merch?
Mark: I’d love that. We did that in another group I admin. See what King Kev Cleary has to say. He's the boss!
Darren: I would love if one day we could release music by some of the bands that we discover in the group.
Kev: A few years back I created a website with the intent of doing just that. Never materialized.
I remember what Greg Wilson, one time page mod, went through getting DKFM to where it is today. Don't have that sort of time to dedicate.
Nico: It’s all very doable, especially a compilation series, that would be fairly easy.
