mogwai @ freebutt, brighton, uk

09/11/1996

with dakota suite and alienne

review, from melody maker, 14/12/1996

mogwai are fucking mind blowing. back in the early eighties, sonic youth once played a show at a south london college where the soundman - wanting to leave early to attend a party - starting dismantling the pa around them, nicking all the mics and mic stands, turning everything off, bar the guitar amps. thurston, lee and kim continued playing regardless, shredding our ears with the most gorgeous, consdered guitar harmonics, continuing for an hour or more- way beyond the call of duty. often tonight. mogwai recall the same feelings i experienced back then: delight, confusion, awe. often tonight, mogwai make me think that, yes, there is a future for unassuming white boys who require nothing more from life than to pick up a couple of guitars and make music that transcends the everyday.(and, believe me, that ain't an easy feat to accomplish in a packed-out, throbbing freebutt.)

so, who are mogwai? don't be confused by the fact that they share a record with the truly dire dweeb, or that their slightly shoddy - although enthusiastic - debut single harked back to the glory (ahem!) days of shoegazing. nah. mogwai (like many young bandscurrently living in glasgow) have a perchant for underground us music. specifically, the thrill jockey / drag city axis in chicago (labradford, fsa, pavement et al) and old slint records. their control is immaculate, their timing impeccable. their use of space cannot be faulted, nor can their way with a timely spot of feedback. just when you think the guitars can't get any louder, any more gloriousoverwhelminghelplessly laden, they'll drop everything down to a smudged cymbal, a pitch-perfect shiver.

and you'll notice that your breathing suddenly seems like the loudest sound in the world.

-everett true

melody maker review scan