Despite continuous rave reviews and a reputation for explosive live performances, The Murder Capital saw their commercial star dim post-lockdown and never quite managed to break into the big leagues of their fellow countrymen, Fontaines DC. After spending the last few years quietly chipping away and crafting their niche, the five-piece took a bold step forward with the recent release of Blindness, an album that brims with experimentation and is perhaps their best work to date. As they find themselves back in Manchester for the second time this year amid a world tour, The Murder Capital look to regain the raw spark and momentum of their earlier days.
After a few drinks with RGM live manager Hels and a mutual agreement to resist the lure of a bender, we arrive at New Century with some spare time to soak in the increasingly palpable excitement pervading the 800-plus capacity venue. “I don’t wanna smell them, I wanna hear them,” a lad next to me tells his mates as The Murder Capital arrives on stage to a hero’s welcome. About 30 seconds into the turbulent surge of gut-fueled punk that is set opener ‘The Fall’, the lad squeezes past punters and hurls himself towards the band and into a nearby mosh pit.
The Dubliners immediately live up to their reputation for intense live shows and provide a visually compelling display from the off. Vocalist James McGovern, stylish in an Adidas track jacket and shades, carries the desirable mixture of swagger and coked-up exuberance that you want from any rock’n’roll frontman, and the rest of the band are equally self-assured and dynamic as they posture under New Century’s strobe lights.
“Energy Manchester! Energy!” McGovern demands. The crowd oblige his request during electrifying renditions of ‘More Is Less’ and ‘Death of a Giant’ – a track that follows in the footsteps of their home countries’ heralded literary figures by demonstrating The Murder Capital’s quintessentially Irish storytelling. The boys tune down the bravado and show an early glimmer of vulnerability for the slow-tempo ‘Ships Will Leave Their Stage’ and the country-tinged ‘A Distant Life’.
While starting slow with some full-bodied instrumentation, ‘That Feeling’ quickly yields to the intense and rapid vigour the band is best known for. ‘Heart In The Hole’ returns to their set list to a rapturous reception after a period on the sidelines while ‘Feeling Fades’ and the hauntingly epic ‘Slowdance I’ & ‘II’ bask in Gothic, Nick Cave-esque darkness.
The scuzzy guitars and danceable rhythms of ‘Moonshot’ see The Murder Capital at their most thrilling and rampant, and the crowd show little sign of fatigue in keeping up with McGovern’s boundless energy. At one point, he calls for Alfie, a young guy with a Ramones haircut that the band met at a recent Piccadilly Records in-store signing, to join them on stage for fan favourite ‘Don’t Cling To Life’. He is gifted a tambourine for his efforts before they all move to the wings for an intermission.
“How does this sound to everybody? We’ll go crazy in a second,” McGovern announces during the encore opener, ‘Ethel’. The audience grasps their last chance to crash into one another for a monumental mosh pit during the track’s climatic close before ‘Love Of Country’, a song written in support of Palestine, brings the night to a heartfelt end.
While their new album, Blindness, was near enough played in its entirety, it proved to be a winning decision that saw little complaint from the audience of admirers. Hits from When I Have Fear and Gigi’s Recovery made up an eclectic setlist that saw the slow and moody played against the brash and pulsating to great success. On the night, The Murder Capital’s combination of power and vulnerability created a mesmerising dichotomy that singles them out as a must-see live band back at the height of their powers.
FIND MORE FROM THE MURDER CAPITAL HERE
HEAD HERE FOR MORE RGM MUSIC AND GIG NEWS!
