Mogwai

Live - Southampton SU - March 2006
Image courtesy of Matador Records
Written by Chris Thorp


It seems that Mogwai have been taking fashion tips from rapsters Goldie Looking Chain for tonight’s performance. As they present themselves on stage in matching green tracksuit tops, it’s easy to mistake them for the kind of ruffians you would prefer to avoid on a dark night. As dubious as this decision might be, it doesn’t stop the band from performing in the spectacular way that any Mogwai fan would expect. Kicking off with the first two tracks from new album ‘Mr Beast’, their set manifests itself like a pulsating wall of noise. At times delicate, at other times the sheer volume makes various parts of your anatomy vibrate like it has a will of its own. Braithwaite can be a little off-putting with his stern looks into the audience, as though expecting us to say something back, but the euphoric sounds that wash and bounce around the venue are enough to distract us from this. Their new material is more rocking than their previous efforts, and helps to make tonight’s performance more accessible for the un-informed listener. It’s good to know that the most important name in post-rock can still affect us the same as they did 10 years ago.