With hair ranging from The Batcave brilliant spiky bouffant to the more mundane stubble on a boiled egg, the gloomily inclined were out in force on a suitably wet Friday night. The waves lapped at the beach outside making a damp rhythm to accompany the Eighties inspired indie goes goth music inside.
The Murder Capital comes from Ireland.
It would be a reasonable thing to say that they have heard a record or two by U2 from the early Eighties vintage. Like their fellow countrymen in their early days, The Murder Capital makes indie rock that’s earnest and heartfelt but doesn’t feel twee or sound crap. Music with a message if you will.
Having seen them play an in-store at Resident in August to celebrate their debut album release, When I Have Fears, I’d seen them eyeball to eyeball careening around a record store what would they do in Concorde 2 on October 11th?
Short answer, they owned it.
You worry for them in the long term as to whether they can maintain a maelstrom of emotions from despair to elation via anger and malevolence for too long, night after night. Singer James McGovern whispered and roared in equal measure over fifty minutes. They played all of their album bar How The Streets Adore Me Now. The final image of the evening was all of the band huddled on the drum riser. Them against the world. I’d bet on them.
When they return next to Brighton I doubt it will be at a venue as small as Concorde 2. Those who were here were blessed.
Openers Happy Couple were a bass-heavy sludge.
As to whether this was by design or the venue’s acoustic vagaries, I’ll assume it was the band’s sound being generous. Dressed like hipster librarians in thrall to Joy Division utilitarian chic they rocked. The feedback came loud and heavy. There were several songs played. They may have played the same song several times.
Unfortunately, when I heard the first song, I’d heard the rest of the set as well. The song element wasn’t there. They looked pretty and I’m sure hipster zines with obtuse names like curly-wurly banana will rub themselves into a frenzy for that alone.
They’ll be massive with the asymmetrical hair element.
Brighton’s often been the nation’s drug capital, or near to it. Tonight it was The Murder Capital.
Snakebite to go with your Eighties gloom sir?
The Murder Capital Setlist
- Slowdance I
- Slowdance II
- On Twisted Ground
- Love, Love, Love
- For Everything
- Green & Blue
- Don’t Cling To Life
- More Is Less
- Feeling Fades
The Murder Capital: https://www.facebook.com/MurdrCapitalBand/
Plugged In Brighton 