Mogwai in Brighton (13-10-99)


Alright, last night's Mogwai show was incredible. How a band can manage to be as 
consistently brilliant as Mogwai has proven to be is absolutely beyond me.

I managed to convince 3 other people in my halls to join me at the concert, and only one
 of them had ever even heard Mogwai before, and that was only the Peel Session. So we got
 into the Paradox (usually a really cheesy nightclub, but it worked well for a concert 
venue) just in time to see the opener, Ligament. They were a three piece guitar band with
 good, heavy, crunchy sound, but the screaming, Metallica-esque vocals got to be enough 
for me after about three songs. At this point, my friend was glad that he had purchased 
the Mogwai earplugs at the merch stand (yes, Mogwai now have their own line of earplugs!).

DJ Kool Keith ran the djing between sets, and was one of the most crap djs I've ever 
heard (and I've heard alot). I've no idea who picked him to tour, but it wasn't an 
informed decision.

Mogwai came on about 10:15, and by this time I was solidly in the front row, centre, 
and the band came on stage to a piped intro to BMX, and gradually picked up their 
instruments and joined the pre-recorded stuff. Stuart made good use of his Robocop 
figurine once again, and the entire set was just as solid as when I'd seen them in 
Philly (minus the long soundcheck like there was in the city of brotherly love).

Some highlights:
*Stanly Kubrick, since I'd never heard it before, was a great surprise. I really need 
to pick up that new EP.
*Right before "X-mas Song", Stuart explained that it was a brand new song, and he asked 
the crowd the be very quiet, as it was a very gentle song. This one was phenomenal. 
It started off with a lot of long keyboard tones from Barry, and Stuart added in the 
twinkly guitars I love so much, and Martin had the brushes going in this mad rhythm I 
can't even explain. Can't wait for them to release this.
*Stuart's guitar nearly knocking me in the head while he sat down and played during 
Helicon 1. Yes, I was that close.
*The added violinist at the end of Xmas Steps. I'm not completely sure, but I believe 
he was playing part of Godspeed You Black Emporer!'s song "Moya". In any case, very 
nice touch.
*John's souvenier Pennsylvania "JOHN" plate that he hung on his amp. ;)
*Watching my uninitiated friends jump a mile high during Like Herod, and being 
complete Mogwai fanatics by the end of the set.

We hung around the bus after the show, and I got a chance to talk with Barry about 
the lack of flutes this time around, and how much Martin LOVES the scary rabit I gave 
him in Philly (but Barry said he's frightened of it; won't go near it). Barry promised 
us that the rest of the band would come out in a short while, but after waiting 2.5 
hours in the freezing cold, we had to give up at 2am and go home without any sigs. =(

I got a setlist, and, as written:
BMX
Small Kids
X-Mas          [X-mas Steps]
Ex-Cow
Stanly K
Ithica
X-Mas Song      [the new one]
Kappa
Hel .1
Herod