Glaswegian pin-up boys of post rock Mogwai treated a sold-out Hamer Hall to two hours of brooding, dense, gloomy yet ultimately exhilarating music on the first day of autumn in 2015. This was the band’s first tour of Australia since 2011 and before 2009 when the band played Golden Plains – a performance that introduced many Victorians to the inexorable power of progressive rock.
The night began with a dimming of the lights, with each member entering stage right, guitarist and vocalist Stuart Braithwaite wearing an old black cap with Scotland’s blue and white flag upon it went to the far side, with fellow guitarist John Cummings on the opposing side. In between band mates of some 30 years were multi-instrumentalist Barry Burns – who for most of the show was perched up at his various synths, drummer Martin Bulloch, and bass player Dominic Atchison, who also had a keyboard on top of his bass amp.
Mogwai took a workman-like approach to their performance, with the music being the main focus. This resulted in Hamer Hall’s high production capabilities being focused on the lighting above and beyond the band, as well as perfect sound production.
The eerie intro of Heard About You Last Night – track one on Rave Tapes –grasped all in attendance’s attention with the song’s slowly plucked guitar intro; the ‘bouncy’ rhythm enhanced the trance-like state before the song’s awesome main phrasing offered a truly transcendent experience. What I love about Mogwai’s music is its ability to allow the listener’s brain to access an emotional otherness where the feelings experienced exist in a nameless place.
At one point, the softly spoken Braithwaite said, “Hi, we’re from Scotland,” before the band launched into the instrumental Scotland’s Shame. A truly progressive number, this song builds from a lone organ into an avalanche of rolling drums and searing distortion brutality.
The night ended with each member slowly exiting to stage right as Cummings and Braithwaite manipulated their guitar pedals with the sound being reduced to a shrill feedback before the first bit of silence since the performance had begun.
BY DENVER MAXX
Loved: Scotland’s Shame.
Hated: The fact I had to let one rip and then sit there quietly as the people seated around me made muffled choking noises.
Drank: Nothing, I was seated in the middle of an aisle.
