photos by: Tamara Lee
I was skeptical that an instrumental group would be much of a performance. I did my usual crowd bartering to squeeze to front-stage but the stoned crowd was mellow and friendly; I was told “of course you can stand here- were Mogwai fans, we don’t mind”. Well, that’s a nice change.
Once begun, this Scottish group had the same genuine and grounded vibe to their show. There were no antics; there was no egotism. They shied away from my camera, as if to say “we are just the musical messengers”. They delivered us only a potent, large sound that invited the audience to take a journey with them. And we had no choice. I felt myself zoning into the strong emotion that seemed to melt all thoughts completely from my mind. Every now and then and would snap back (usually when a song ended), having no idea where I had been; feeling raw and slightly exposed.
Contrary to how it might sound, I was not inebriated with any substance. But I supposed that is the genius of Mogwai, in all their intense instrumental glory.