Live Review: Mogwai - The Garage, London
6th February 2023
Words: Julian Pepper
The last time that Mogwai rolled into London they played at the iconic and much larger Alexandra Palace. On the evening of Monday 6th February as part of the venues 30th birthday celebrations they played the intimate surrounds of The Highbury Garage to a sold-out crowd of 600 lucky gig goers.
As guitarist Stuart Braithwaite commented during the set, whilst it was great to be back at the Garage, it did present logistical issues. No more so than trying to find space for their vast array of distortion and effects pedals that were used to great effect (no pun intended!) during this mesmerising 1 hour 45 minute career spanning set.
Mogwai themselves are currently celebrating 25 years since the release of their 1997 debut album 'Mogwai Young Team' by reissuing both that and follow up 'Come on Die Young'. This career spanning set kicked off with 'Yes! I Am a Long Way from Home' from their aforementioned classic debut and went on to cover all bases in between up to and including latest single 'Boltfor'. The tracks 'George Square Thatcher Death Party' and 'Summer' received their first airings since 2015 and were received with rapturous applause, as unsurprisingly was every track during the evening.
The strength of most recent album 'As the Love Continues' was exemplified by the fact that four songs were included in the set (Ceiling Granny, Drive the Nail, Midnight Flit and Ritchie Sacramento) and fitted in right alongside classics such as 'How to be a Werewolf' and 'Hunted by a Freak.'
The Mogwai live experience is always a loud one and this was no exception - I was immensely relieved to have my ear plugs to hand! At one point during 'Mogwai Fear Satan' a couple of bits of confetti were shaken loose from the ceiling to the bemusement of bassist Dominic Aitchison. No doubt they had been up there for nigh on 30 years and were finally shaken free by the sonic thunder being unleashed below!
The set is concluded by the 20 plus minute feedback drenched epic that is 'My Father, My King'. Starting with soft guitars that gradually build and build into a monster of a riff and increasing levels of feedback, this is post rock nirvana to me and I was just a bit overjoyed to hear it played! At the close each member of the band drifted off the stage one by one to an ecstatic reception as befits such a gig until the switch was finally switched off on the overworked amps!
As the sweat drenched and deafened crowd rolled out into the cold streets of Highbury, they know that they’d seen something a bit special tonight that’s most definitely fitting for such a celebratory occasion. Now if only I had a ticket for the Tuesday night gig.
