Brudenell Social Club in Leeds provides an intimate setting for a band the size of The Murder Capital…
Hitting their stride after somewhat of an aborted start during the pandemic, this is the second of two sold out nights in the hallowed venue, and the Irish post-punk outfit gave us a set that was both raw and refined.
Kicking off the night was Cusk, playing a set of as yet unreleased music. For a band so early in their career, they produce a well developed sound. Layered with intense guitar chords, heavy bass and violin, it’s heavy, loud, but strangely hypnotic at times.
They’ve been playing around London of late, and are preparing to release their debut EP, and they’re well worth a look when they get properly out of the traps.
The Murder Capital on the other hand, are now three albums deep and have produced a strong piece of work with their latest album, improving upon 2023s “Gigi’s Recovery.”
Frontman James McGovern describes “Blindness” as an exploration of “faith in denial” and “distorted patriotism,” aiming to bring obscured truths into focus.
The album delves into themes of identity, connection, and the complexities of modern existence, all while maintaining the band’s signature emotional depth. It is brooding, yet urgent and raw and this translates whole-heartedly onto the tightly packed stage at The Brudenell.
Emerging one at a time from the back of the stage, the Dubliners are welcomed with a noise that foretells of the chaos that the fans are expecting when the music starts. McGovern immediately calls for a parting of the audience and then, with the chords of “The Fall” ringing off the walls, unleashes the waves of a mosh pit in the opening song.
This energy is there throughout, but interestingly, not in constant bouncing and collisions on the floor, but instead as a simmering tension that builds throughout the show. It’s the kind you’d get in a horror film, before the catharsis of a jump scare, but that release never comes. Instead, we’re ensnared and held captive to the rich, layered sound that keeps us right on the edge, hanging on each chord.
In that sense, it’s a brilliantly crafted set. Building, layering throughout the 80 minutes or so that they’re on stage, with long intros, to the likes of “That Feeling”, or extended outros of “Slowdance”; there’s very little let up in the sound through the main set.
It culminates – finally offering a smouldering, rage-filled release – with “Love Of Country”, the standout song from the new record. Addressing the dark side of nationalism and patriotism, it’s a bold political statement and undoubtedly the centrepiece that this set has been building towards.
Seething menacingly at the beginning – painful, impassioned – it explodes with anger at the end, as McGovern throws his mic’ down onto the stage before pacing, stalking the stage then making his exit.
It’s an exhilarating end to an exceptional set. I’ve mentioned McGovern on a couple of occasions, but it would be remiss not to call out the performance of the rest of the band. There’s some great chemistry between the members of the band…
Stage left, Gabriel Paschal Blake (bass) and Cathal Roper (guitars/keys) clearly enjoy each other’s presence on stage, while Diarmuid Brennan (drums) and Damien Tuit (guitars) on the other side, keep the rhythm going.
The sound of them together is rich and textured, filling this legendary 400-capacity room with intense layers of sound. It’s the sort of thing you can only really achieve by playing together and understanding one another.
Across their three studio albums, they’ve honed their sound from the rawness of their debut into something equally affecting, but with a real refinement.
Two nights, playing to a packed out venue, it’s not something they’ve done before, but they’ve been thoroughly welcomed in Leeds once again…
McGovern tells us it’s the first time they’ve played the same venue on consecutive nights, but “there’s no place we’d rather be” than in the Brudenell. “We love the pies, we love Leeds”, he tells us. Everyone else simply loves The Murder Capital.
SETLIST:
The Fall
More is Less
Death of a Giant
The Stars
Heart in the Hole
A Distant Life
That Feeling
Feeling Fades
Slowdance I + II
Swallow
Can’t Pretend To Know
Moonshot
Don’t Cling to Life
Love of Country
ENCORE:
Trailing A Wing
Ethel
Words Lost Meaning
Words & Photos by Huw Williams
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