A blog on gigs, music, art and London.

Saturday 25 January 2014

Mogwai Gigs


Last night I saw Mogwai at the Royal Festival Hall.

In the lead up to the show I was scanning through my gig ticket scrapbooks which showed it was the eighth time I've seen them play (pleasingly all at different venues). I thought I'd summarise them in a blog post, although admittedly not quite as epic a post as my piece from last year on seeing Low twenty times (incidentally, also a favourite band of certain members of Mogwai I believe).

When writing this post I stumbled across the Bright Light unofficial Mogwai fan site. If you're a Mogwai fan I'd strongly encourage a visit. It is an amazing source of information - including a comprehensive gigography and setlist information.

Last night's gig took place in slightly different and grander surroundings to the first two times I saw them  play in back 1998 (16 years ago!)

Mogwai Gig 1: Sheffield Boardwalk, 30th January 1998

My first Mogwai gig was at the Sheffield Boardwalk in January 1998, in the final months of my time at university. Support came from Aerial M. There's no setlist available but it would have been dominated by the first two albums.


This was followed by my second gig later in October upstairs at the Newcastle Riverside (when I had returned home).

Two very small venues, both of which are now sadly closed.

Mogwai Gig 2: Newcastle Riverside, 29th October 1998


I can remember the Riverside gig quite well. It was part of the BBC Radio 1 Sound City event which was taking place in Newcastle that year and they played as part of Mary Ann Hobbs' Breezeblock show. I think the band came on well after 01:00. I have no idea how I got home.

I remember half-seriously noting mid-gig where the emergency exit was just in case the overwhelming volume/power of the show made the vibrating walls and ceiling collapse (at the time it felt like a genuine possibility as Like Herod mercilessly tore out of the speakers). According to Bright Light this was only Barry Burns' second show with the band and they give the set list as follows:

Mogwai Fear Satan
Ithica 27-9
Rollerball
Christmas Steps
Like Herod
May Nothing But Happiness Come Through Your Door
New Paths To Helicon Pt 1
Summer      

Mogwai Gig 3: Kentish Town Forum, 18th September 1999.


When I moved to London in 1999 Mogwai were the first band I saw in the capital, at the Kentish Town Forum. I arrived late after coming straight from work so was further back in the crowd than I would have liked. Bright Light give the setlist as follows:

Superheroes Of BMX
Christmas Steps
May Nothing But Happiness Come Through Your Door
Summer
New Paths To Helicon Pt 2
Small Children In The Background
Stanley Kubrick
Ex-Cowboy
Christmas Song
New Paths To Helicon Pt 1
Like Herod

Bright Light's review is here.

Mogwai Gig 4: Shepherds Bush Empire, 19th April 2001


In 2001 I saw them play Shepherds Bush Empire. I remember Christmas Steps in particular being punishingly, brilliantly loud and that Gruff Rhys joined them on stage for Dial:Revenge. Bright Light have the setlist as below:

Sine Wave
Stanley Kubrick
You Don't Know Jesus
Christmas Steps
Dial:Revenge
Small Children In The Background
New Paths To Helicon Pt. 1
Secret Pint
(Punk Rock sample)
2 Rights Make 1 Wrong

Take Me Somewhere Nice
Jewish Hymn

Mogwai Gig 5: Brixton Academy, 10th November 2001


Five months later I saw them again at Brixton Academy. It was great to see Yes! I Am A Long Way From Home, Like Herod and Ithica 27/9 return to the set. This is the only time I saw them close with My Father My King also. Full setlist from Bright Light below:

Yes! I Am A Long Way From Home
You Don't Know Jesus
Like Herod
Christmas Steps
Secret Pint
New Paths To Helicon Pt. 1
Ex-Cowboy
Ithica 27/9
2 Rights Make 1 Wrong

New Paths To Helicon Pt. 2
My Father My King


Mogwai Gig 6: The Scala, 22nd May 2003.


Two years later I saw them play a smaller show at the Scala ahead of the release of Happy Songs For Happy People. Quite a contrasting opening - the understated delicateness of Kids Will Be Skeletons being followed by the unforgiving guitar onslaught of Mogwai Fear Satan. Setlist below:

Kids Will Be Skeletons
Mogwai Fear Satan
Golden Porsche
Christmas Steps
Hunted By A Freak
You Don't Know Jesus
Stop Coming To My House
Ex-Cowboy
Ithica 27/9
Two Rights Make 1 Wrong

I Know You Are But What Am I?
Ratts Of The Capital

New Paths To Helicon Pt. 1

Mogwai Gig 7: Alexandra Palace, 26th May 2012


I have to confess that, quite puzzlingly, I lost track a little bit with their live shows over the next few years (I blame getting married, the birth of my son, regular trips to India and discovering other music) and didn't see them play again until I saw them headline I'll Be Your Mirror at Alexandra Palace in 2012.

It was magnificent and reminded me how great a band they are. Here's my review for musicOMH. The setlist was as follows:

Sine Wave
Rano Pano
Ithica 27/9
Stop Coming To My House
I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead
Travel Is Dangerous
How To Be A Werewolf
2 Rights Make 1 Wrong
White Noise
Mexican Grand Prix
Auto Rock
Hunted By A Freak
Mogwai Fear Satan
Batcat

Mogwai Gig 8: Royal Festival Hall, 24th January 2014.


Disappointingly, their Zidane soundtrack show at the Barbican last year fell on the same weekend I was going to WOMAD otherwise I would definitely have been there. 

So gig number 8 was last night's show at the Royal Festival Hall. The setlist featured tracks from their latest (very good) album Rave Tapes. Other highlights from their back catalogue included Rano Pano (which still seems to capture the sound of cities being brutally razed), the beautifully shaded subtleties of I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead, an exquisite version of New Paths To Helicon Pt. 2, a blisteringly powerful and perfectly executed Christmas Steps and a phenomenally loud and rampaging version of Batcat to close. 

During the gig Stuart said how earlier in the day they had drove past the first venue they played in London (supporting Urusei Yatsura). It would have been the Camden Monarch or Water Rats I think. He mentioned how incredible it was how they ended up at the 2500 capacity RFH. It did feel like a long time since I saw them in a room that could barely hold 100 people. The full setlist is below (as well as a photo):

Deesh
Friend Of The Night
Master Card
Rano Pano
Take Me Somewhere Nice
I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead
Heard About You Last Night
How To Be A Werewolf
The Lord Is Out of Control
New Paths To Helicon, Pt. 2
White Noise
Remurdered
Mexican Grand Prix

Small Children In The Background
Christmas Steps
Batcat

Mogwai on stage at the Royal Festival Hall, Friday 24th January 2014.

Hopefully I'll get to update this post next time they play in London...


2 comments:

Rob said...

Great work, thank you - and thanks for the Brightlight props.

One correction - apologies, this is my fault - you've seen Mogwai close with My Father My King twice. It's listed under its original title 'Jewish Hymn' in a fair number of places on Brightlight.

I was at four of the eight shows you've seen.

Steven Johnson said...

Thanks Rob. You have an amazing site. I was so happy to find these setlists, especially the Newcastle Riverside show...