Mogwai – Barrowlands

A couple of years ago I took my son to see Mogwai and we emerged from the venue slightly dazed, partially deaf and completely impressed.

Emma, unfortunately, missed out.

She wasn’t particularly happy about that.

Ever since, she had listened to me banging on about how incredible Mogwai are live and how no recording can truly capture the sheer force of what they do on stage. Eventually I decided to do the honourable thing and buy tickets for their latest tour so she could experience it for herself.

Some lessons need to be learned the loud way.

Before Mogwai took to the stage, we were treated to a performance from Kathryn Joseph.

I’ve always admired artists who can command a room through subtlety rather than volume, and Kathryn certainly falls into that category. Her songs possess a fragile beauty that draws people in rather than overwhelming them. It made for a fascinating contrast with what was about to follow.

In many ways she was the perfect support act.

The quiet intimacy of her performance only heightened the impact of the sonic earthquake that arrived later.

Then came Mogwai.

Trying to explain Mogwai to somebody who has never seen them live is surprisingly difficult. You can play them a record and they’ll probably enjoy it. You can show them a video and they’ll get some idea of what the band are about. But until you’ve stood in a room while Mogwai build one of their colossal instrumental crescendos, you haven’t really experienced them.

They’re a band that absolutely has to be seen live.

The sheer power of the sound is part of the composition.

Songs begin quietly, almost innocently, before gradually accumulating layer upon layer of guitars, bass and drums until the whole room seems to vibrate. It’s music you don’t simply hear. You feel it physically.

Emma understood this very quickly.

A few songs into the set she had the look of someone who finally realised why I’d been insisting she needed to see them for herself.

As for me, age and experience have taught me one important lesson.

Earplugs are your friend.

In my younger days I would have stood directly in front of the speakers and considered permanent hearing damage a badge of honour. These days my hearing is already questionable enough, so for once I happily inserted the earplugs and accepted reality.

Mogwai operate at what can only be described as Spinal Tap levels of volume.

The amplifier doesn’t stop at ten.

It goes to eleven.

Fortunately, the incredible sound quality meant that even with ear protection in place, the full emotional impact remained intact. The band’s ability to move between delicate passages and overwhelming walls of sound remains one of the most impressive things in modern live music.

By the end of the evening Emma had officially received the full Mogwai experience.

Mission accomplished.

Looking back, it was another reminder of why the band have remained so respected for so long. Plenty of artists can write great songs. Very few can create a live experience that feels quite so immersive and unique.

The videos below include Kathryn Joseph’s excellent support set and the full Mogwai performance. If you’ve never seen them live before, I would strongly recommend correcting that situation.

Just remember to bring earplugs.

Trust me on that one.

Here is the full gig and for once I was happy to put the earplugs in as my hearing is bad enough as it is and these guys play at the Spinal Tap level of Eleven.  You can read a review of it here.