Glasgow’s Mogwai have embarked on a world tour in support of their critically acclaimed album The Bad Fire. Stopping at Exeter University’s Great Hall, the band brought their iconic trance-like rock to an audience spanning all generations. With 11 studio albums in the bag over the last 3 decades, they still continue to amaze.

Ambient producer Forest Swords (aka Matthew Barnes) opened proceedings from a table in the centre of the stage, opening with slow, calming sounds. Accompanying him to transform his set into a full A/V show was a projection onto the black curtain that covered the rear of the stage. Strange droning noises were eerie yet beautiful, and took the forefront until bass kicks eventually entered the mix. This bass was accompanied by odd, spooky sounds – perfectly matching the dark lighting and thin fog in which Barnes was shrouded. Though he played for a full 45 minutes, this only covered a few of his long, entrancing tracks. Throughout his performance, the crowd accumulated slowly, but was out in almost full force by the time he had completed his set.

Beginning with new album tracks ‘God Gets You Back’ and ‘Hi Chaos’, Mogwai created a vivid soundscape from the very start, building up tracks from bassy synths that slowly incorporated all instruments in the 5-piece band. Moody and atmospheric, these songs were long. Sonically epic and ambient, the band played in perfect synergy, with members switching between guitar and keyboard for different songs. Pulsating light tubes illuminated the stage for slower songs, with strobing lights emerging for heavier parts.

It’s always interesting when a band switches up their setlist each night, and Mogwai were no exception. Barring a few songs like ‘Ritchie Sacramento’, and a few from The Bad Fire, large parts of the set featured completely different tracks to the night before. It has to be said that Exeter was lucky. ‘Kids Will Be Skeletons’ and ‘I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead’ were played towards the start of the set, both big-hitting crowd pleasers.

After feigning a retreat offstage, the band returned to perform an encore consisting of ‘Every Country’s Sun’ and ‘Mogwai Fear Saran’. The latter was a slow burn, which resulted in the layering of distorted guitars to create an overwhelming yet peaceful barrage of sound. Mogwai harness the ability to make such long pieces enthralling. Perhaps one of the greatest bands to emerge from Scotland, their latest journey across the country has been no less than marvellous.

Images: Ava Manthorpe

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