It was back to the Barrowland with my son for another evening of having our hearing thoroughly tested. Having already survived Godspeed You! Black Emperor together, I felt reasonably confident we were prepared for whatever sonic punishment awaited us this time. The fact that the bill featured bdrmm as support and Mogwai as headliners suggested we were about to experience a very different, but equally powerful, assault on the senses.
One of the nice things about this concert was that it brought together two bands I had become increasingly fond of. I’d already seen bdrmm supporting Ride and had been hugely impressed by both their debut album and their live performance. Their blend of shoegaze, dream pop and shimmering guitars makes them the ideal support act for a band like Mogwai. Rather than feeling like a warm-up, they felt like a natural extension of the evening’s atmosphere.
bdrmm delivered exactly what I had hoped for. Their sound filled the Barrowland beautifully, creating huge waves of guitar noise while still retaining a surprising amount of melody and subtlety. Some support acts simply pass the time until the headliners arrive. bdrmm were good enough to have people discussing them long after their set had finished.
Of course, everyone knew why the venue was truly packed.
For more than two decades, Mogwai have been one of Scotland’s most distinctive and influential bands. While they are often labelled as post-rock, that description barely scratches the surface. Their music can be delicate and cinematic one moment before transforming into something so overwhelmingly loud that it feels like a physical force. Listening to a Mogwai record at home is one thing. Experiencing them live is something else entirely.
The Barrowland proved to be the perfect setting. The venue has hosted countless legendary performances over the years, and Mogwai’s music seems tailor-made for a room that can simultaneously feel intimate and enormous. The quieter passages drew the audience in, while the explosive moments hit with enough force to rearrange internal organs.
As always, one of the pleasures of taking my son to concerts is sharing experiences that neither of us are likely to forget. There is something special about introducing younger generations to bands that have meant a lot to you over the years. At the same time, it’s fascinating to see which artists resonate with them and which performances leave a lasting impression.
What struck me most about the evening was how effortlessly Mogwai controlled the mood of the room. Without relying heavily on vocals, they managed to communicate emotion through texture, volume and atmosphere alone. Few bands can hold an audience’s attention so completely while saying so little.
By the end of the night, our ears were once again reminding us that we had spent the evening at the Barrowland. Thankfully, the temporary hearing damage felt like a small price to pay for a concert of this quality.
Looking back, this was another successful father-and-son musical expedition. Great support, a legendary Scottish headline act and enough volume to keep audiologists employed for years to come.
The videos and photographs below capture some of the evening, although — as anyone who has ever seen Mogwai live will tell you — no recording can fully convey just how immense they sound in the room.
The Photos
Cheers!
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