Shoegaze

Shoegaze (aka Shoegazing or Shoegazer) is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged from the UK in the late 1980s. It lasted until the mid 1990s with a critical zenith reached in 1990 and 1991. The British music press — particularly NME and Melody Maker — named this style shoegazing because the musicians in these bands maintained a motionless persona during live performances; they stood on stage and stared at their effects pedals or the floor, hence the idea that they were gazing at their shoes.