Mogwai Fear Silence

Mogwai.  Shepherd's Bush Empire.  19 April 2001.

This is a tad naughty of me.  I don't know who owns the copyright to this picture.  If it's you, sorry I didn't ask.  I would have if I'd known it was you.

For my first concert back in the UK, what better choice than the the mighty Mogwai.  Mad Scotsmen with guitars are they.

It was a raw night on Thursday.  Those queuing early outside the Empire got a soaking just before "doors".  Difficult to find a meteorological metaphor for Mogwai.  Nevermind.  Whatever that might be it would attest to this Caledonian quintet making you forget that you shouldn't go out on a raw April day without a singlet.

Days to go before the release of the new Mogwai full length effort entitled Rock Action - eagerly anticipated after nearly a year off - the boys sprinkled the night's set with gems from therein.  There were "favourites" too.  But, in some respects the songs are irrelevant.  Mogwai create spaces with their soft-loud equation.  Sorry this is sounding pretentious - a bit too prog-rockish.

Well, there have been inevitable comparisons between Mogwai and the dreaded prog-rock moniker.  There's the three guitar attack for one.  But, the way Mogwai develop themes, parts and counterpoints is so far removed from the solo histrionics of the prog-rock vein or even Heavy Metal.  And there have been comparisons there too helped no doubt by Mogwai covering Black Sabbath.

Whatever.

The three guitar attack is what Mogwai's mostly instrumental shards revolve around.  There are exceptions such as the bass figure for "Helicon 1" - ferocious at the Bush.  Martin Bulloch's rock steady beats are nevertheless a firm anchor.  And, that teeth rattling bass is, well, thick dairy milk chocolate.

My big mistake on Thursday was the lack of earplugs.  Standing stage right adjacent to a PA speaker was no place to have unprotected ears.

I had seen Mogwai twice before, both times on the 1999 US tour.  That was a different, in retrospect, slightly hesitant Mogwai.  Time has passed since then.  But, I suspect the Bhoys are more confident on these shores and not afraid to launch into 5 minutes of feedback induced white noise.  Not once, not twice, but umpteen times.

Standouts?  The above mentioned Helicon 1 with its classic Mogwai soft-loud contrast, plaintive bass figure knocked out by Stuart Braithwaite (normally guitar engineer no. 1).  (Live, "Helicon 1" lacks the soft at the end.)  "Christmas Steps" too wound up in white noise-dom.  Of the new stuff, "2 Rights Make 1 Wrong" and the set opener "Sine Wave" show that Mogwai have developed in terms of song-writing (as far as it goes) and creation of space.  I was less impressed with "Dial:Revenge" featuring Gruff Rhys guesting on vocals.

The encore "Jewish Song", a supersonic excursion upon a simple Yiddish theme, may become Mogwai's trademark.

Disappointments?  Looking at the set lists from recent gigs, it seems we got the A-list.  Only that's the only list going.  No complaints, but that hints at a lack of spontaneity.  The brass and violin accompaniment added little to the set.  The cellist added a few flourishes, but was in the end lost in the wailing of three heathen axe wielders.

Rock Action is greatly anticipated here.  On Thursday's evidence it will get plenty of mileage on the new hi-fi.

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