Venue:
The Institute Birmingham
Date: 19/02/2023
Can we say that Mogwai are now entering their Elder Statesmen of Rock period? Ten albums and nearly as many soundtracks in they have a vast catalogue to choose from on a tour that feels like a victory lap for twenty years of brilliant music. The Institute is packed on a Sunday night with people singing along with every word…no not really, but it’s testament to the connection they make that virtually every song receives a cheer of recognition within a couple of seconds of the unfolding riff.
In terms of stage antics there is not much going on. Guitar, keyboards, bass, drums and guitar from left to right. Occasionally the keyboard player adds a third guitar, and Stuart, the nearest they have to a frontman, adds a ‘thanks’. What they do have to look at is a beautiful light show, with eleven all-singing all-dancing lights on tall towers providing visual equivalents to the sonic cathedrals of sound being thrown around the venue.
A set of two halves for me, the first part dominated by the more melodic and synth-driven tracks from the last few albums: Jim Morrison, Dry Fantasy and Boltfor being » Continue Reading.