Review of Mogwai at The Olympia Theatre on February 15th 2011
Review by Tadgh O’Connor
Photos by Alessio Michelini
Despite suffering from an untoppable debut album, in the form of 1997’s “Young Team” Mogwai have had a solid career. Becoming a staple of post-rock, lending a hand in shaping and defining the genre itself. Their latest album “Hardcore will never die, But you will” follow in the footsteps of previous albums. Both in the amazing song titles (“George Square Thatcher Death Party” being a personal favorite) and epic, linearly structured ballads. As the band come out and embark on the poly rhythmic “White Noise”, the opening track from their latest album. They add layer upon layer of thick melody the crowd take in every moment and love it.
Where the new album differs from earlier Mogwai albums is that it doesn’t build upon one phrase, it build with phrases. The song changes leaving no semblance of what it once was, replacing it with this dense sound scape filled with subtle details. Eventually the dirty-as downstrokes of “Rano Pano” ring in hard and loud, and the pulsing synth-bass resonates through the rib cages of everyone in the crowd. When the song lulls and strips back to the bridge, you can hear chatter around you. Mogwai’s priority of volume as a dynamic is fantastic. It’s used as liberally as melody, tone and texture to accent something particular in their music. The lull ends and the rest of the guitars come in more intense than before.
The contrast is beguiling. They continue to play songs from their latest album, a peculiar thing for a band this far in their career. But the Mogwai are far from has-beens. Sure they have a very solid back catalogue of work, but their latest album is as strong as any of them. This isn’t their “Farewell XIV” tour, this is a band truly alive and well playing the music they love.
A fantastic gig, despite some inappropriately chatty people (who were put in their place). Mogwai throw off any doubts that they “don’t have it in them anymore” and play a stormer, pleasing their fans without bowing to the temptation of fan service (though I wish they played “Stop Coming To My House”).
