A Conversation with @shoegaze_memes: On the modern resurgence of the genre, gatekeeping, and the shift from message boards to social media

Before shoegaze was bundled into TikTok trends and “Zoomergaze” discourse, there were the message boards—digital spaces where listeners went to obsess, argue, trade downloads, and figure out what this music even was. Long before Instagram flattened the genre into a visual aesthetic, Rob was deep in those trenches, moderating the MBSR forums and watching the scene unfold in real time. It was there that he witnessed the next generation of legends, like Whirr, self-promoting their very first demos.

Today, Rob is the mind behind Shoegaze Memes, a project with more than 95,000 followers across Instagram and Facebook that has become a key entry point for a new generation of shoegaze listeners. For many, it’s the first place the genre feels approachable—funny, self-aware, and human—before it starts to feel precious or historically “important.”

Rob of @shoegaze_memes

By day, he is a professional whose colleagues have never heard of shoegaze; by night, he is a “meme lord” documenting the evolution of a sound that, as he puts it, the world finally seems ready to appreciate. Having witnessed the genre’s shift from obscure forums to its massive contemporary resurgence, Rob occupies a unique space as both a scene veteran and a digital curator. His platform has become an unlikely entry point for listeners discovering the genre for the first time.

I spoke with Rob about the moment shoegaze first hit him, the experience of watching foundational bands emerge from message board threads, and the strange, formative experience of discovering Loveless through a terrible Kazaa download.

The original bands created the blueprint for how the genre should sound. However, I do think every band sounds relatively original and has a different take on the genre. People who say these bands all sound the same really need to listen more closely and explore beyond just the popular new acts.

When was the very first time you heard shoegaze? Can you pin down the exact moment—the room you were in, the atmosphere, and that initial feeling of hearing that "wall of sound" for the first time?

It was the early 2000s. I had heard about a band called My Bloody Valentine who played "shoegaze," and I was curious about what they sounded like. At the time, I was venturing into new bands and genres I never knew existed through internet forums and message boards. Since I liked bands like Radiohead, Mogwai, The Verve, and Spiritualized, MBV was suggested to me. I downloaded the tracks from Loveless in very poor quality from Kazaa and listened to them. Here’s the truth: I didn’t like it on my first listen, but something kept bringing me back. With each listen, it eventually grew on me until I could see what a masterpiece it was. The "wall of sound" totally captivated me, and it still does to this day.

At what point did you go from being a casual listener to becoming so deeply involved that you ended up moderating a shoegaze forum in the 2000s? Which forum was it, and what was the atmosphere like in that pre-social media era?

It was 2007 when the shoegaze genre truly became my passion. At the time, I was into indie rock, post-rock, and IDM/ambient. The forum was MBSR. At that point, I was aware of a few bands outside of the "Big Three" (MBV, Slowdive, and Ride), but I was about to be introduced to a lot more. I owe a lot to the other guys who were posting there. It was such a nice, friendly forum; there was none of the hostility or gatekeeping that you often find in shoegaze groups or subreddits these days.

You've mentioned on your page that you remember Nick Bassett posting about Whirr's Pipe Dreams back in 2011 on the forum you moderated. What was it like to witness the birth of a generational shoegaze band in real-time? Did you have a sense then that it would blow up the way it did, and are there any other bands you watched “emerge from the threads" to become legends?

It was crazy. There was this guy doing some self-promotion in 2011; I liked the music, but I thought they would just be another band appreciated by a small community before disappearing into obscurity. As far as I remember, no other band member self-promoting on that forum ever went on to reach Whirr’s level of popularity, but you have to remember it was a small forum with only a few regular members.

Old forums allowed for deep, multi-page arguments and encyclopedic deep-dives. Instagram, by contrast, is a flash of color and a punchline. Do you ever miss the slow pace of 2000s forum life, or do you think the "meme-ification" of shoegaze has actually made the community more accessible and alive?

I miss the message boards and forums, but the shoegaze groups on Facebook (I actually admin a group there with six others who do a brilliant job of introducing people to newer or lesser-known bands) and the subreddits are great for introducing users to releases that might otherwise go under the radar.

It’s awesome. In my opinion, shoegaze was never truly appreciated back in the '90s—I don’t think the world was ready for it, but now it is. The sound was way ahead of its time.

How did the idea for the meme account actually start? Was there a specific moment where you realized the shoegaze community needed to learn to laugh at itself? Do you have a personal favorite meme you've created?

I had a non-music meme page back in 2014 which was basically taking the piss out of my hometown. I’d seen memes on my Facebook feed and, always considering myself a bit of a comedian, I thought, "I can do this!" In 2015, I opened the “Shoegaze Memes” page on Facebook because I wanted to make memes about my favorite genre. There were a few shoegaze memes floating around before I had the idea, but since then, I’ve mostly posted original content or credited others when using theirs. I don’t really have a favorite; after doing this for eleven years, there are too many to choose from.

Credit: shoegaze_memes

Some of your 95k+ followers were probably toddlers when you were moderating that 2007 forum. How does it feel to see teenagers discovering "classic" bands for the first time through your jokes?

It’s awesome. In my opinion, shoegaze was never truly appreciated back in the '90s—I don’t think the world was ready for it, but now it is. The sound was way ahead of its time. I watched a shoegaze documentary a little while back by Kelsie The Yellow Button, and she mentioned that the younger generation is discovering the genre through meme pages on Facebook, Instagram, and X. My page even got a mention, which was awesome.

We are currently seeing a massive shoegaze resurgence that feels different than previous revivals. As a veteran who has seen the scene's peaks and valleys over the last two decades, what is your take on the current explosion of the genre, and where do you think the sound is headed next?

As far as resurgences go, I’d say we’ve had two. The first was in the 2000s with bands like LSD and the Search for God, Airiel, Ringo Deathstarr, Readymade, Malory, and Highspire (who are my personal favorite). I always feel bad making these lists because I worry I’ve left an obvious band out. The second resurgence, from the 2010s to the present day, includes DIIV, Nothing, Whirr, Pinkshinyultrablast, and Alcest. I’m only talking about the most popular bands; there are many more lesser-known ones I couldn’t possibly mention all at once.

Are there any newer bands or records you think are genuinely carrying the spirit of shoegaze forward rather than just borrowing the surface-level sound?

Here’s the thing for me: if a band sounds like '90s-era MBV, Slowdive, or Ride, they are accused of being generic copycats. If a band tries to do something different, they get accused of not being "real" shoegaze. The original bands created the blueprint for how the genre should sound. However, I do think every band sounds relatively original and has a different take on the genre. People who say these bands all sound the same really need to listen more closely and explore beyond just the popular new acts.

If you had to pick one shoegaze band that deserves a huge new wave of attention, who would it be?

There are so many to choose from, but Cigarettes for Breakfast and Glazyhaze are awesome. Again, it's a tough question because there are hundreds of great shoegaze bands out there and I love them all.

You have a "real world" job outside of the account. How do you handle the mental shift from your day job to being a "meme lord" for the global shoegaze scene? Do your colleagues have any idea about your secret identity?

My work colleagues have no idea what shoegaze even is, let alone the fact that I’m a shoegaze obsessive running a meme account.

After twenty years of watching the genre evolve from the inside, what are your "Big Three" albums? Memes and jokes aside, which three records represent the absolute soul of shoegaze for you?

Loveless, Souvlaki, and Nowhere will always be the "Big Three." Loveless is pure shoegaze. Souvlaki is shoegaze/dream-pop. Nowhere is shoegaze/indie rock. I never really considered The Jesus and Mary Chain or Cocteau Twins to be shoegaze per se, but they will always be the main contributors to the sound.