Of all the 90's survivors Mogwai are perhaps the most interesting. The Scottish 5 piece have always been a confrontational band both musically ('Like Herod' is still the heaviest 'non mental' song in existence) and in person (who could forget their legendary "Blue are shite" t-shirts?) but this cock-sure swagger has been undercut by some of the most beautiful, crushing rock music of the the last 20 years. Their debut album 'Mogwai Young Team' was a defining statement in the fringe genre of 'post-rock' (a label even it's practitioners fail to acknowledge) and since that albums release in 1997 they have consistently evolved and reinvented themselves moving through periods which touched upon traditional indie rock ('Rock Action') and startling, intricate delicacy ('Happy Songs For Happy People') before coming full circle with their last release 2008's 'The Hawk Is Howling'.
In my reckoning Mogwai have never released a bad album, it's true that their recent releases might not seem as 'fresh' but this is simply because we've acclimatised. MYT came out of nowhere, taking the template set by american flag bearers such as Slint and Tortoise and adding some real Scottish grit to the classical-indie-metal stew. It's fitting that in this, their first official live album they would pull so heavily from that seminal record with both the albums centrepiece tracks 'Like Herod' and 'Mogwai Fear Satan' taking pride of place in a live compilation that truly displays what a powerful force they still are. The live CD compiles the best performances from the 3 shows the band played at the Music Hall of Williamsberg in Brooklyn New York last year and the sound is incredible. If it wasn't for the applause which followed each track you wouldn't guess it was a live album and this is both the albums greatest strength and weakness.
To witness Mogwai live is truly something special as the immense volumes force clouds of feedback through your veins and each chord progression elicits a fresh wave of goosebumps. Here most of the rough edges you'd usually associate with a live show have been wedged down at the mixing stage to the extent that the record comes across as more of a 'live performance' CD than a 'concert' CD. This doesn't affect the music one bit of course and if anything it underlines what a tight unit Mogwai have become. Highlights comes thick and fast with the delicate 'Friend Of The Night' and 'Hunted By A Freak' sounding as utterly spell binding as ever as the double guitar interplay wraps webs around Barry Burns sparse, melancholic keys and vocoded vocals. 'Cody' meanwhile sees band leader Stuart Braithwaite singing softly over a spindly arrangement not a million miles away from vintage Sigur Ros (you know before they sold out to the BBC).
This is a side to Mogwai that many take for granted but it's still the heavier songs which hit the hardest. 'Mogwai Fear Satan' is a behemoth in every sense of the word and the moment where it suddenly goes from very very quiet to REALLY fucking loud still gives me chills every time I hear it and here it's possibly even more grandiose sounding than the original. There's a depth to songs such as 'Glasgow Megasnake' (which honestly I didn't care much for in it's original form on 'Mr Beast') which comes from an expert layering of instruments and textures which Mogwai have always done so well, nothing here is particularly involved or complex but every single note is struck with the passion and intensity of an imploding star, the same could certainly not be said of Blur.
The accompanying DVD in the collection is far from a traditional concert DVD but you'd expect nothing less would you not? Directed by Vincent Moon (who's also provided similarly esoteric works for bands such as The National, REM and Sigur Ros), the 45 minute feature is a mood piece which splices footage of the band's performance with artful shots of New York City. It's a truly striking film with the grainy, black and white camera and slanted long-shots lending the movie a real sense of otherworldliness. We also get a few extra tracks not found on the CD with more of an emphasis on the bands latest album 'The Hawk Is Howling'. While the album is arguably their weakest the songs here have far more bite than they did on record with 'I'm Jim Morrison I'm Dead's' deflated grandeur gently unfurling over 6 minutes of chainsaw guitar and haunted synthesisers. 'Batcat' meanwhile is one of the best things they have ever put to tape, a truly menacing work of metal infused rage which is the equal of anything in the released deceased 'Isis's back catalogue.
As enthralling a live band as Mogwai are though the real star of the show here is Moon. The films ponderous, reflective tone is similar to Grant Gee's classic Radiohead documentary 'Meeting People Is Easy' but without the unfortunate inter-band squabbling. In fact there is barely a line of dialogue uttered throughout the entire film, even between song "thank you's" have been edited out. The sole piece of spoken word comes during the credits as a young fan gushes about the band to the director post gig in a state of rapturous euphoria. It's this kind of response that sums up the band for me really, hell I've seen grown men cry at Mogwai shows, they genuinely are that powerful and with the exception of maybe Radiohead and Low a Mogwai show might be the most emotional you'll ever attend. Frankly if this wonderful package doesn't inspire you to book a ticket then you truly have no right to call yourself a music fan.
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