Looking Out To Sea

I don’t know why, but I completely forgot to mention that I saw Mogwai last week. Clearly it’s becoming such a common thing that it’s no longer worth remarking on!

They were on at the Corn Exchange in Edinburgh, which is a grim aircraft hangar of a venue — all concrete floors and high ceilings. Helen and I went for tea at Wannaburger before heading out there, and just as we got off the bus I got a call from Martin (who had bought our tickets) to say there had been some generator failure and the doors were remaining closed for another hour or so. I was a bit worried they might cancel altogether. They’d already had to cancel the end of their US tour recently because the drummer’s pacemaker broke skin…

We met up in the Corn Exchange Bar until a replacement generator turned up. Thank god we didn’t have to wait outside the whole time. I would have been considerably more irritable after an hour in the rain. The quick turn-around meant neither of the support acts got to do sound checks, so there were lots of adjustments mid-song.

Support groups were Errors and Fuck Buttons. Former quite good, in a Kling Klang/Battles kind of way. Fuck Buttons were a bit annoying and incredibly loud. Felt quite addled by the end of their set.

Went to the back of the crowd before Mogwai started. The volume was more than enough for me, and Mogwai are super-keen on the strobes and other energetic lighting. In the old days they’d just break out the strobes for the last song of the night, Like Herod or maybe My Father, My King. No more! Nowadays it’s a “sod the electricity bill” approach to stage lighting.

I’m having trouble remembering what they played, it was not yesterday. Batcat was really good. Powerful. Almost go as far as saying a “rock” song. On the other end of spectrum, Christmas Steps was breathtaking. I love the way the crowd went instantly still the moment the opening notes were played. Of course they spoiled this by breaking into rapturous applause a good two minutes before the song ended.

I’d heard rumour they had been playing Mogwai Fear Satan again, with Barry Burns’ flute getting a look in, but not this time. But I’ll be back and so will they.