To be perfectly frank, we thought about blowing off Record Store Day this year. It’s not that we don’t support record stores – far from it, it’s what 37 of 38 employees prefer – but the huge glut of supposedly limited-edition releases, the scrum to get to the counter in the morning, and then the instant reappearance of many of the records on eBay at inflated sums are all an unintended and unwelcome side-effect of the event.
That said, we couldn’t help ourselves, and neither could three of our artists, so we proudly announce the following limited-edition items. They’re all awesome, they’re all limited, and if you don’t succeed on getting your hands on them on Record Store Day, just remember that the prices on eBay will (most likely) come down over time.
SO, on Saturday, April 16, Matador will have the following RSD exclusives:
From Byrdesdale Garden City in the UK comes the compilation album DAVID’S TOWN. Featuring 11 unreleased tracks from local bands including Gacy and the Boys, Animal Man, Grain and Hateful Coil, in styles varying from DIY to post-punk to power pop, this limited edition from FU-Discs was recorded in Byrdesdale between 1976 and 1979 and not released until now. An essential document of a thriving scene.
Next comes the new 7″ single from THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS, “Moves.” Currently moving up the radio charts, and of course featured in Tom Scharpling’s genius video for the track, it comes with the unreleased B-side “Drug Deal Of The Heart,” recorded at the sessions for the album Together. (Note: the band is playing Coachella on RSD weekend, and then will tour out of there through April and May.)
Finally we have the new 12″ from ESBEN AND THE WITCH, the great trio from Brighton, UK – many of you will have seen one of their great shows at SXSW this month. They just wrapped up their US tour and returned to their homeland. The single is the radio edit of “Chorea” and features a remix of their pounding classic “Eumenides” by Stuart Braithwaite of MOGWAI, along with an entirely unreleased 18-minute version of “Corridors” recorded for The Creators Project and only played at a special installation in London for Karl Sadler‘s Lit Forest. (Note: Esben return to the road in the UK starting this Friday.)
As usual, we will be taking down our webstore in observation of Record Store Day. Get out there, get in line, and spend some money, goddammit!!!
As previously reported by our buddies over at ATP you’re in for a treat if you happen to be in London this new years eve as there’s an amazing gig with Sonic Youth headlining a 4-band bill. Make sure to get down there early to see Factory Floor opening the party, followed by The Pop Group and the ‘ATP house band’ Shellac, with Mr Stuart Braithwaite spinning records between sets.
Even though we’d been convinced that all that slaving away at the myriad marketing gimmicks, “promo opportunities” and general suffering we put bands through would leave us with some very exhausted talent, it turns out that these guys just can’t stop doing thangs… read on to see what some of our beloved have been up to.
Though she’s on tour with the New Pornographers, as we speak, Kathryn Calder just put the finishing touches on her new solo record. On August 11 the world’ll be treated to ‘Are You My Mother?’ which features an all-star band featuring Neko, Kurt and Todd from The New Pornographers and a handful of other Canadian musical luminaries. Check File Under: Music for more info.
Mogwaiwill be releasing the pretty stunning looking live LP entitled, ‘Special Moves’to coincide with the release of their first live film ‘Burning’, which was filmed in Brooklyn during the band’s tour in support of ‘The Hawk Is Howling’ in April of 2009. Check Mogwai’s site for info on ordering the record and where you can catch screenings of ‘Burning’.
Following the release of their live-film, Dead Meadow released their second live album ‘Three Kings’ and soundtrack to aforementioned film, on the Xemu label in April.
Matmos‘ Drew Daniel and Martin Schmitt have teamed up with So Percussion on a collaboration entitled ‘Treasure State‘ — expect to have your mind twisted on July 8. Cantaloupe Records sez: “The record had a complex gestation period: at the invitation of Brett Allen, the members of Matmos and So Percussion went to the SnowGhost Studios in Whitefish, Montana– the Treasure State which gives the album its title– and collaboratively generated the bulk of the songs. San Francisco plunderphonicist Wobbly then chopped and edited the results on several tracks, and finally, with frequent interventions from Matmos’ M. C. Schmidt, “fifth” So Percussion member and producer Lawson White overdubbed extra elements, processed, and mixed the results.” There’s a handful of live dates, to boot!
While on their recent US tour, Mogwai’s Barry Burns had a chance to pop into a few places to flex his DJing muscles. He made it over to Viva-Radio’s Brooklyn studio on the day of the one of the band’s Music Hall show to record a DJ set and have a chat with Ted Shumaker. The results can be heard in all their glory next week.
[Photo of Mogwai at the Music Hall of Williamsburg last night by Ryan Muir]
Tonights’ Music Hall of Williamsburg show is the second of Mogwai’s three sold out shows in Brooklyn. They’re taking some time while in town to DJ at some nearby radio stations
Tonight at 6:30PM EST, tune into WNYU‘s New Afternoon Show for a DJ set and interview with Stuart. WNYU can be found on 89.1 for listeners in the New York City and streaming at www.wnyu.org for the rest.
Tomorrow afternoon, Stuart will bring his playlist to East Village Radio, starting at 2:30 PM EST.
Don’t miss it!
Catch Mogwai on their remaining dates and take advantage of the Hawk Is Howling CD+DVD/ticket bundle while you still can.
April
Tuesday 28 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall Of Williamsburg
Wednesday 29 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall Of Williamsburg May
Friday 01 Boston, MA Wilbur Theatre
Saturday 02 Northampton, MA Pearl Street
Sunday 03 Montreal, QC Metropolis
Monday 04 Toronto, ON The Phoenix
Tuesday 05 Buffalo, NY The Tralf Music Hall
Wednesday 06 Pontiac, MI Crofoot Ballroom
Friday 08 Chicago, IL Congress Theater
Saturday 09 Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall
Sunday 10 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
Monday 11 Omaha, NE Slowdown
Tuesday 12 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater
Wednesday 13 Salt Lake City, UT In The Venue
Friday 15 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up Tavern
Saturday 16 Los Angeles, CA Orpheum Theatre
Sunday 17 San Francisco, CA Grand Ballroom
We got pretty excited about the upcoming Mogwai tour so we created a special bundle for those of you who haven’t picked up The Hawk Is Howling yet.
Click HERE or on the Ticket Hawk (scalper?) above to purchase the bundle. You will receive a ticket for the Mogwai show of your choice and receive the deluxe CD/DVD version of The Hawk Is Howling in your mailbox. You get the ticket you want for the regular price and the album you need with a generous discount. Make sure to print out your order confirmation and bring it with you to the show, you’ll be on the Matador guest list for the night!
April
Monday 20 Houston, TX Numbers
Tuesday 21 New Orleans, LA Republic
Wednesday 22 Birmingham, AL Workplay
Thursday 23 Asheville, NC Orange Peel
Friday 24 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
Saturday 25 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero Theater
Monday 27 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall Of Williamsburg
Tuesday 28 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall Of Williamsburg
Wednesday 29 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall Of Williamsburg May
Friday 01 Boston, MA Wilbur Theatre
Saturday 02 Northampton, MA Pearl Street
Sunday 03 Montreal, QC Metropolis
Monday 04 Toronto, ON The Phoenix
Tuesday 05 Buffalo, NY The Tralf Music Hall
Wednesday 06 Pontiac, MI Crofoot Ballroom
Friday 08 Chicago, IL Congress Theater
Saturday 09 Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall
Sunday 10 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
Monday 11 Omaha, NE Slowdown
Tuesday 12 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater
Wednesday 13 Salt Lake City, UT In The Venue
Friday 15 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up Tavern
Saturday 16 Los Angeles, CA Orpheum Theatre
Sunday 17 San Francisco, CA Grand Ballroom
Crazy rock fest season is most def. upon us, and us such, you can look forward to the Matablog being routinely scooped this spring and summer by concert promoters and other rockblogs announcing which of our bands are playing in a big field somewhere. Today’s joyous news has Shearwater playing the 2nd edition of the All Points West festival (Liberty State Park, NJ) on July 31, on a bill topped by the Beastie Boys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Vampire Weekend.
Two days later, Mogwai — about to start a US tour two weeks from today in Houston — will play the Sunday, August 2 version of APW II , on a bill headlined by Coldplay, Echo & The Bunnymen and MGMT.
Finally, we’ve neglected to mention previously that Shearwater are playing Austin, TX tomorrow night (March 31) in support of Neko Case at Stubb’s.
This coming Tuesday, the limited-edition double vinyl gatefold 10″ EP from Cat Power hits the stores. Entitled Dark End Of The Street, it includes six bewitching cover songs from the Jukebox sessions and not included on that album. This would make a wonderful Christmas or Hannukah present for someone who likes gatefold covers, or cover songs, and it’s available for preorder now.
We have a lot of other deluxe packages from this year appropriate for stocking-stuffers or under-the-tree action. The deluxe 44-song, 48-page book, die-cut slipcase edition of Pavement’s Brighten The Corners, for example (and if you preorder now, you can still – just – get the ultra-limited live vinyl bonus LP, exclusive to this release). Two weeks ago we released Belle and Sebastian’s justly acclaimed BBC Sessions, with essential radio performances from their early 1996-2001 period. The deluxe version of the CD comes with a second disc containing a complete concert in Belfast from December 2001. The set includes covers of I’m Waiting For The Man, The Boys Are Back In Town and Here Comes The Sun. This is strictly limited and once it goes, it’s gone.
There’s also the deluxe version of the Mogwai’s latest, The Hawk Is Howling, which comes with a bonus DVD containing two videos for “Batcat” (including one nightmarish one directed by Dominic Hailstone of Chris Cunningham / Aphex Twin video fame), and a short documentary about the band by Vincent Moon.
And of course, last March, we released to-die-for versions of the three original Mission Of Burma albums on Ace of Hearts. We’ve banged on enough about the real all-analog mastering from the original tapes, the precious live footage from the late ’70s and early ’80s, the gatefold sleeves on the vinyl, and the books with interviews and photos and more. We’re prouder of these packages than any other reissue we’ve ever done. All three are available for a very short time longer in a vinyl bundle deal for 50 bucks.
There are also a few deluxe copies of Cat Power’s Jukebox left with the gatefold foil digipak and second CD. Then there’s just about every vinyl release from this year, nearly all printed at Stoughton and pressed on RTI HQ180 vinyl. Single LPs here and double LPs here.
“Zidane : A Twenty-First Century Portrait”, the feature length documentary by Douglas Gordon and Philppe Parreno, is being shown from tomorrow through October 30 at the Brooklyn Academy Of Music. As lovers of between-Matador-releases are well aware, Mogwai provided the original soundtrack for this stunning visual work.
In 2006, the Frenchman Zinédine Zidane, the most gifted—and certainly the most enigmatic—of recent soccer players, received a suitably unusual tribute. “Zidane: A Twenty-first Century Portrait,” screening at Anthology Film Archives and at BAM Oct. 24-30, is a documentary directed by Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno and filmed by the great Darius Khondji. It focusses on Zidane alone during a match in April, 2005, between his club at the time, Real Madrid, and Villarreal. There is no commentary, no buildup, nothing about his career or his Algerian background. We are granted only fleeting opportunities to observe the patterns of the game; most of the movie tracks its man in solitude as he bides his time and bursts into activity. Even when he is ejected near the end, for his role in a brawl, we barely see the incident—all of which will be exasperating, to filmgoers and soccer fans alike. Allow yourself to submit to the film’s design, however, to the scuffling roar of its recorded sound and the pulse of its music, and, like a session of hypnotherapy, it may just work its magic. – Anthony Lane, The New Yorker
We regret to be passing the following information along…
After playing at ATP last night, Martin was rushed to hospital with complications relating to his heart condition. He has since been discharged and has been advised by doctors to return home
for further medical treatment. Details regarding ticket refunds will be announced shortly on Mogwai and Matador’s website. The band however are planning to reschedule the
shows for early 2009.
More news to follow. Thanks. These are the dates affected :
Much as we appreciate the attempt to provide visual accompaniment to ‘The Hawk Is Howling”s “The Sun Smells Too Loud”, the above video is anything but authorized. Duh.
The new Mogwai album ‘The Hawk Is Howling’ can be heard from start to finish, starting today at the band’s MySpace profile. If you’re not into MySpace, be advised we thought about streaming the album from random Linkedin profiles of persons who sent us job applications, but it was suggested that would kind of stupid if we wanted many people to hear it. Besides, y’know, aspiring rock biz professionals.
Though Pitchfork, Stereogum and Wired all linked to the above clip — directed by Dominic Hailstone — yesterday, for some reason the MySpace video is no longer functioning. So here’s a YouTube clip instead of “Batcat” from the forthcoming Mogwai LP/CD ‘The Hawk Is Howling’, in stores and online on September 23.
The above video along with an animated version of the same song and a film about Mogwai directed by Vincent Moon & Teresa Eggers constitute the DVD portion of the CD/DVD edition of the new album.
We’re happy announce Pre-Order is now up for Mogwai’s new album “The Hawk Is Howling.” If you order now, you receive $1 off of either the LP or CD and a free poster! Order HERE
In addition, we’re offering a special Mogwai BUNDLE deal. You can get all four Matador Mogwai albums (including The Hawk Is Howling) plus a free poster for the insanely low price of $36! The bundle will be shipped around street date. Click HERE to purchase!
(Mogwai in Mexico City last month, photo taken from remusmx‘s Flickr stream)
We’re pleased to unveil the first MP3 from the upcoming Mogwai LP/CD, ‘The Hawk Is Howling’ (out September 23) – “The Sun Smells Too Loud” is a fairly substantial hint that said album is gonna be a scalp-scorcher.
As mentioned previously, the following North American dates are very much confirmed and tickets are on sale :
September 2008
3-Portland, OR @ Music Fest NW (Mogwai headlining ; also appearing Del The Funkee Homosapien, Steel Pole Bathtub, Polvo, Jaguar Love and many more)
4-Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
5-Victoria, BC @ Element
6-Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
8-San Francisco, CA @ The Grand Ballroom
9-Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern Theatre
10-Tucson, AZ @ The Rialto
12-Austin, TX @ Stubb’s
13-Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
15-Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
16-Richmond, VA @ The National
17-Washington DC @ 9:30 Club
18-New York, NY @ Terminal 5
19-Philadelphia, PA @ Starlight Ballroom
21-Monticello, NY @ ATP Festival
22-Boston, MA @ Wilbur Theatre
23-Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
24-Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus
25-Pontiac, MI @ The Crofoot
26-Chicago, IL @ Congress Theater
27-Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
Fuck Buttons provide support on all of the above shows.
As mentioned last week, there’s a new studio LP/CD from Mogwai coming on September 23, 2008, and it’s called ‘The Hawk Is Howling’. As per the kindly gatherers at Mogwai’s UK label, Wall Of Sound, here’s a confirmed tracklisting :
1 I’m Jim Morrison, I’m dead
2 Batcat
3 Danphe and The Brain
4 Local Authority
5 The Sun Smells Too Loud
6 Kings Meadow
7 I Love you, I’m Going To Blow Up Your School
8 Scotland’s Shame
9 Thank You Space Expert
10 The Precipice
The cover art (above) is unchanged from last week. More details and maybe, just maybe, a judicious leak of one MP3, are to follow.
Matador will be releasing a new Mogwai EP on September 9 (12″ vinyl and download), with UK/EU release coming a day earlier via Wall Of Sound and PIAS Recordings respectively. The selections will include :
1 – Batcat
2 – Stupid Prick Gets Chased By The Police And Loses His Slut Girlfriend
3 – Devil Rides
“Batcat” is featured on the forthcoming new album, ‘The Hawk Is Howling’ (LP/CD), front cover shown above) which is due out on September 23. “Devil Rides” features vocals by Roky Erickson. “Batcat” and “Stupid Prick….” were both recorded by Andy Miller at Chem 19 and mixed by Gareth Jones at Castle Of Doom. Devil Rides was recorded by Tony Doogan at Castle of Doom with Roky’s vocal recorded at Wire Recording by Stuart Sullivan and mixed by Gareth Jones at Castle Of Doom.
The following US dates are now confirmed (and probably going on sale pretty soon). Fuck Buttons support on all shows
September 2008
3-Portland, OR @ Music Fest NW (Mogwai headlining ; also appearing Del The Funkee Homosapien, Steel Pole Bathtub, Polvo, Jaguar Love and many more)
4-Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
5-Victoria, BC @ Element
6-Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
8-San Francisco, CA @ The Grand Ballroom
9-Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern Theatre
10-Tucson, AZ @ The Rialto
12-Austin, TX @ Stubb’s
13-Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
15-Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
16-Richmond, VA @ The National
17-Washington DC @ 9:30 Club
18-New York, NY @ Terminal 5
19-Philadelphia, PA @ Starlight Ballroom
21-Monticello, NY @ ATP Festival
22-Boston, MA @ Wilbur Theatre
23-Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
24-Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus
25-Pontiac, MI @ The Crofoot
26-Chicago, IL @ Congress Theater
27-Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
Martin has in the last few hours come out of surgery fitting a new pacemaker. As happened last time we will have a charity auction for his old one with the proceeds going to the British Heart Foundation. Details will follow in the next few days. Get well soon Martin! – Stuart
Link taken from The Music Slut (hat tip to the non-slutty Adam Farrell).
It's the rock biz' version of Spring Break, except Spring Break doesn't have enough cachet to lure Donnie Davies. And while Matador isn't doing a zillion dollar "showcase" (damn, we hate that word) this year, we are lucky enough to witness several of our brightest lights making multiple appearances in Austin next week…on their own dime!
OFFICIAL SXSW EVENTS (ie. those without badges, wristbands and/or having turned up way early might well be SOL)
Thursday, March 15 – Shearwater, Central Prebyterian Church, 200 E. 8th St., 7:30pm Thursday, March 15 – The Ponys, Emo's, 1am Friday, March 16 – Times New Viking, Exodus, 10pm Saturday, March 17 – Dead Meadow – Club Deville, 1am
in addition, the following parties / instores are happening and should be wide open to the public, space permitting :
Thursday, March 15 – The Ponys, KEXP taping (ACL studios), 1pm Thursday, March 15 – The Ponys, Waterloo Records, 4pm Friday, March 16 – The Ponys, Emo's (outside), 1:30pm Saturday, March 17 – The Ponys, Mohawk (outside patio), 2pm Saturday, March 17 – The Ponys, Red 7 (time TBA)
Friday, March 16 – Shearwater, Mohawk, 5pm
Friday, March 16 – Times New Viking, Long Branch Inn, 2pm
Thursday, March 15 – Dead Meadow, Instant Karma, 1pm Friday, March 16 – Dead Meadow, Red 7, time TBA (afternoon party) Friday, March 16 – Dead Meadow, Flamingo Cantina, time tba (afternoon party) Saturday, March 17 – Dead Meadow, Jamie's Spanish Village, 8pm
Thursday, March 15 – Stuart Braithwaite, appearing as part of the Roky Erickson Ice Cream Social at Threadgill's (time TBA, but it's in the afternoon)
for more info on the day parties, non-SXSW events, we suggest you check out http://www.showlistaustin.com
I've been lazy in documenting all our recent activities, but here's a quick recap of the Matador Movie Club's movements over the past month or so:
20th December: Screening of R Kelly's 'Trapped In The Closet Pts 1-12'. This was a disaster. I expected loads of people to come and enjoy Mr Kelly's melodramatic opus, but sadly it was the worst-attended screening I've ever been to. And I once saw 'Robin Hood' (the Patrick Bergin version) halfway up a hill in Donegal. Disappointing. Still, Mike and Lucy were impressed.
21st December: Pre-Beggars Xmas Party, the Matador Movie Club got ourselves in the party mood by going to see 'Zidaine', a 90-minute art film consisting of 17 cameras all focussed on Zinedine Zidaine during a football match. Do any of us like football? No. But we love Mogwai, who provided the soundtrack. Indeed, the sound is the most impressive thing about 'Zidaine', particularly on a big loud Cinema sound system. Otherwise, it's a thought-provoking, but difficult piece of work – I felt like I'd learnt something about Zidaine by the time the film was over, but to be fair I didn't know anything about him before I went in. Now I know he's a footballer who scowls a lot. The poor guy looks like he's got the weight of the world on his shoulders. For 90 minutes. If that sounds like your kinda movie, it's out on DVD here in the UK this week.
And last night, the first Matador Movie Club outing of 2007 was to see a screening of 'Old Joy', which was scored by Yo La Tengo (meaning they did the music, not sorted out the tickets for us. I'm using film terms, keep up with me now). 'Old Joy' is the first film I've seen by Kelly Reichert, but I had been informed her style was in line with those of Harmony Korine, Vincent Gallo or Gus Van Sant's slower flicks (some of you have already started falling asleep, I'm sure). But I like films by the aforementioned auteurs, so I was psyched for another film where nothing happens for a while. Artfully.
'Old Joy' stars Will Oldham (yeah, him) as Kurt, the kind of guy you used to hang out with when you were a teenager and probably wouldn't be that surprised if you found out that he was now homeless. Kurt calls up his friend Mark and invites him on a trip to the woods, where he's heard theres a really good hot springs. So they go. Uh-huh, that's the plot. But the plot's not that important, it's a film about the nuances of friendship, how it deteriorates and the emotions surrounding, to paraphrase Will Oldham himself, 'the letting go' of a relationship. To tell you any more about the film would probably involve me spoiling all the beautiful little details therein, and over-analysing it WAY too much. Will Oldham and Daniel London are effortlessly believable in their roles, relatable but distant in a very real way. The photography's wonderful – I love films that capture the universiality of working-class towns. And, of course, Yo La Tengo's score compliments the mood of the film perfectly – mournful, but strident. The twanging guitars took me back to 'Return To Hot Chicken' from 'I Can Hear The Heart Beating…', so I was very happy indeed.
In essence if you think you can handle a very slow film in which not a great deal happens, you'll be rewarded with a gentle, contemplative film about friendship and growing older. And you get to see Will Oldham in the nude, if you're interested in that kind of thing. Hot!
December 19, 2006 — The former Episcopal church that once housed the sacrilegious Limelight nightclub will be born again – as a retail mini-mall.
Now known as the Avalon nightclub, the legendary 12,000-square-foot venue on Sixth Avenue at West 20th Street will shutter its doors in early 2007.
"The landlord has decided that he doesn't want to go forward with another nightclub," said broker Frank Terzulli, of Winnick Realty Group.
"He's going to cut it up for retail tenants and a restaurant with patio seating."
Terzulli added, "The area is becoming more upscale with high-priced condos and stores, and that will make it more difficult to get permits from the community board" for a nightclub…
Sources say international discount-clothing retailer H&M is the likely main tenant for the space, which features triple-height ceilings and mezzanine levels.
A representative for Winnick would not confirm any specific names, since no leases have yet been signed.
Limelight, founded in the deconsecrated church in 1983, hosted some of clubland's wildest parties in the '80s and early '90s under now-deported club king Peter Gatien (above).
In 1996, federal agents charged that Limelight was a "drug supermarket" and shut it down.
Gatien was acquitted of racketeering and drug charges but convicted of tax evasion. He spent time in jail and was eventually deported to his native Canada.
That same year, one of the club's flamboyant promoters, Michael Alig, pleaded guilty to manslaughter for killing Angel Melendez, a club regular and reputed drug dealer over a money dispute. He's still in jail.
Limelight reopened under new management but was shuttered again in 2002.
It came back to life in November of that year as the short-lived Estate. Avalon followed a few months later.
My only memory of the place is seeing Mogwai play there last year, but I'm sure other Mata-folks would be happy to share anything they might possibly remember (as long as the statute of limitations are up).
*I did take photos at the Mogwai gig, but for some reason, WordPress is being odd and not letting me post them. It may be for the best, because, in what is becoming a habit of mine, they were really rubbish photos.
Anyways, the entire Matador Europe staff (me, Mike & Lucy), ex-Matadorian and super-publicist Sarah, and super Beggars radio lady Ruth all went to see Mogwai on Friday at the Royal Albert Hall. Now, this made me nervous for a couple of reasons – namely that we’d be going straight after work, which means I’d have to go to dinner with my aforementioned colleagues. Not that I don’t want to eat with them or anything, it’s just that my palette (when it comes to food) is, um, limited. The last time I went out to dinner with work people was last Christmas with Mike, Sarah, Patrick and Try Harder Records* supremo Alan English, and it was pretty excruciating because it was a very expensive French restaurant and I didn’t want to make a foodie faux-pas, what with me really only liking chicken and chips. I wasn’t actually a Matador Records employee at this stage either, so I was sure any display of weakness or lack of etiquette would eradicate any chance of a job I might have. I thought my best option was to order the Steak Tartare, thinking ‘Ah, steak with tartare sauce. I can just scrape the tartare sauce off, and no-one will be any the wiser, ho ho’. Some of you will be surprised to learn that Steak Tartare is actually raw meat mashed up into a kind of pudding. Not nearly as surprised as me. I nearly cried when I saw it. Summoning up all the courage I could muster, I told myself ‘You’re just going to have to eat it, or you’ll look like a tool’. Luckily Mike, by intuition (or by the look of poisoned anguish on my face) noticed that Steak Tartare may not be my thing, and shared some of his…I can’t remember what it was, but anything other than raw mashed-up meat was good enough for me. But obviously, I work here now, so that story had a happy ending – they obviously found my fear of food endearing.
Where was I? Oh yeah, having to go out to dinner with work people. Thankfully, we went somewhere that didn’t intimidate me too much (I was able to get sausages – phew) and had a lively discussion about Christian mythology and R Kelly.
Now, Matador don’t handle Mogwai’s records in Europe, so I can gush all I want about their awesomeness without being accused of nepotism. To begin with, the Royal Albert Hall is MASSIVE. MASSIVE. I’d never been before and it’s just…MASSIVE. It usually plays host to operas and orchestral stuff. We got in about 10 minutes from the end of Kid606**’s opening set, and it sounded remarkably like Jesu***. Does his new album all sound like that? It was very good, and considering the last two times I saw him he did 40 minutes of scorching noise and 1 hour of gabba respectively, it was nice to hear him kick back a little bit. 20 minutes later, the lights went off and Stuart came on to pluck the opening chords of ‘Christmas Steps’, one of many moments tonight where I thought ‘They’re doing this? Wicked, I can’t wait til it gets to the noise bit’. As a set, it was a perfect summation of Mogwai’s music – they did quiet stuff, they did the loud stuff, they did old and new stuff in equal measure. Hearing ‘Tracy’ live for the first time in aaaages was lovely, even more so when it transformed into ‘Mogwai Fear Satan’. It’s kind of useless to repeat the same things that everyone says about Mogwai (live or recorded), but they are so visceral live it’s untrue. During the closing ‘My Father, My King’ (oh yes) it was noise heaped upon noise, and when you think it can’t get any louder, someone steps on another pedal and it feels like they’re taking a drill to your eardrums (in a good way). ‘My Father, My King’ was so good, that when it was over it felt as if I hadn’t breathed for the previous half hour. Really, when Mogwai are good there’s not much that’s better than them. When they’re bad, they still fucking rule.
Because WordPress is having an off-day and not letting me link to things, here’s some further reading:
Mogwai’s contributions to the original score of Darren Aronofsky’s “The Fountain” can be heard next week when the long awaited followup to “Requiem For A Dream” is screened at Austin’s Alamo South as part of the 2006 Fantastic Fest. Aronofsky will be on hand for a little Q and A, and prior to “The Fountain”, they’ll be showing René Laloux’s “Fantastic Planet”.
Mogwai headline Glasgow’s Barrowlands tomorrow night, and they’ll be at the Manchester Academy on Sunday.
After Mogwai’s blistering set at La Route du Rock, I tore into Barry’s bottle of Scotch. The backstage area was an ancient Barn of Stone, which in my opinion, was the perfect locale for a rumble!
I know John pinned me to the ground, and I admit the fucker is strong but I was drunk! Anyway, this is what happens when you don’t let the boss win : your head goes bam! into L’ Ancienne Stone Wall!
Dead Meadow shot by 
