Caught Live: Mogwai @ The Radisson Blu Hotel, Galway

How romantic: Mogwai’s first ever visit to Galway just so happens to coincide with Valentine’s Day, providing the perfect romantic evening for couples with a shared fondness for ear-abusing white noise. Today also marks the release of the Scots' seventh studio album, the formidably-titled Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will, which has been garnering some rave reviews for the post-rock pioneers. Yours truly isn’t so sure about it - despite being a long-time fanatic - but no matter: Mogwai are truly a force to be reckoned with in the live setting, and despite the fact that they’ve toned down their once-notorious decibel levels over the years, the Scots still retain the ability to floor an audience.

As a venue, The Radisson has had its share of critics in the past, but tonight the sound is nigh-on perfect, which is crucial when you’re dealing with a band who switch so effortlessly between hushed, atmospheric ambience and deafening guitar squalls. They kick off with ‘White Noise’, Hardcore...'s relatively restrained opening track, and it quickly becomes evident that the band have the ability to give the new material added oomph in this setting. The grinding, pulverising riffs of ‘San Pedro’ hit home with much more force than on record, while the shimmering, swelling ‘Death Rays’ is also a standout. ‘How to Be A Werewolf’, meanwhile, is bolstered by a backdrop projection of its accompanying music video (featuring footage from Antony Crook’s '30 Century Man'), and it’s a pretty effective example of well-chosen visuals enhancing a tune.

The excellent ‘Rano Pano’ doesn’t get a run-out tonight, but a host of classics do: ‘Ithica 27 ϕ 9’, one of the group's earliest recordings, is an early, delightful surprise; ‘Hunted By A Freak’ sounds as head-spinning as ever; while ‘I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead’ and ‘Auto Rock’ are both imposing, larger-than-life and (particularly the latter) dripping with menace. And then there are the showstoppers: The quiet, tension-building section of ‘Xmas Steps’ is perhaps forever doomed to be drowned out by audience chatter, but that only makes the ferocious, explosive noise assault that follows all the more satisfying. Meanwhile, ‘Mogwai Fear Satan’, with its blissful waves of guitar rumble and distortion-drenched climax, is matched in the transcendental stakes by ‘Helicon 1’, which just sounds absolutely immense – "bigger than words", as a wise woman once said. The best, most ferocious live band in the world? These guys are definitely (still) up there.

Setlist:

White Noise

Ithica 27 ϕ 9

San Pedro

How to Be A Werewolf

Auto Rock

Hunted by A freak

I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead

Too Raging to Cheers

George Square Thatcher Death Party

Xmas Steps

Death Rays

Helicon 1

Mogwai Fear Satan

Mexican Grand Prix

The night after their Galway gig, Mogwai rocked Dublin's Olympia Theatre to its foundations with another tinnitus-inducing set of favourites old and new. Mark Earley was there for us, and you can view a gallery of his photos from the night here.