That Mogwai are a band of few words is perfectly forgivable, considering their instrumental music takes centre stage – something very clear throughout a no-nonsense performance live in Cardiff. I’d already heeded warnings of Mogwai not being the quietest of performances, but nothing could have prepared me for what was to come tonight – though the free earplugs at the bar acted as a sign.
The night began with Brainiac (or 3RA1N1AC, as their name’s sometimes stylised): an Ohio electro-punk band who expressed gratitude for Mogwai bringing them back to the stage for the first time in 25 years. I hadn’t heard much of this group before the night, but soon into their 14-song set, I started to wish I had discovered them earlier. In the low-lit setting, eyes were glued to the highly entertaining jangly movements of guitarist/keyboardist Tim Kerg. John Schmersal, who took over as frontman after the tragic passing of Tim Taylor back in 1997, has an impressive vocal range too, best showcased in closing track Mr Fingers.
With a buzz of anticipation throughout the room for the Glaswegian headliners, temperatures began to rise as bodies started coming closer together for Mogwai. Despite the heat, as soon as they opened with Boltfor, goosebumps crawled up my arms. I was situated at the front left, wedged next to the speakers, which after a while I couldn’t decide was a good or bad move for the sake of my eardrums.
Stuart Braithwaite, the closest thing Mogwai have to a frontman, is stationed on the far right of the stage, another reminder that the music is their main objective. His vocals only really come in for Ritchie Sacramento, where the voice adds another intricate layer to their thundering soundscapes. Multi-instrumentalist Barry Burns runs his vocals through a synthesiser for Killing All The Flies, with spine-shivering results.
Mogwai are not a band that you’ll catch jumping around a live stage – and by the same token, looking around the crowd throughout the set, everyone is rather still. It’s clear this isn’t out of boredom, rather awe of their sheer talent in the live setting. It’s a rarity nowadays for an audience to keep their phones in pocket: this was such a night. It might not have been a setlist of their biggest hits, but it solidified their status as instrumental innovators.
Ending with an encore of great heights – 2 Rights Make 1 Wrong and Ratts Of The Capital – I walked out of Cardiff Uni’s SU temporarily deaf and fully content with this. For Mogwai, music speaks much louder than words, in a very real sense.
Mogwai + Brainiac, Great Hall, Cardiff University Students Union, Thurs 16 Feb
words INDIA MUNDAY photos HUGH RUSSELL
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