The Murder Capital, Egyptian Blue; Arts Club Loft, Liverpool

The Murder Capital

The Murder Capital return to Liverpool on one of the hottest days since records began and Getintothis’ Lucy McLachlan witnessed a scorcher of a gig.

The last time The Murder Capital came to Liverpool it was one of the coldest nights of the year.

There was thick ice everywhere, and we were skidding down the stairs to EBGBs basement. Today is the complete opposite.

It’s been 30 degrees, we’ve also had heavy rain, thunderstorms and hailstones in the same afternoon.

Just yesterday The 1975 released a pretty powerful song about climate change featuring Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.

And the recently announced Mercury Music Prize nominations have just a hint of punk, politics and anger about them.

There’s something in the air.

First up is Brighton based band Egyptian Blue.

Billed as post punk, they are more towards the Punk end than Post and their drummer has come dressed for the weather as Bill Murray in Caddyshack.

Live they are as dark and brooding as the sounds on brand new EP Collateral Damage.

The sound and the frustration of the band building up and up, there’s the tension we’re all feeling in the current climate.

The Murder Capital have their name pushed around a lot lately despite only having 3 songs available to listen to online.

Linked in with the current scene of Irish punk and post punk bands like the mighty Fontaines DC, Just Mustard,Thumper and Inhaler,their upcoming album When I Have Fears will be worth the wait.

So the crowd has grown since January, from just 15 people in EBGBs to filling the Arts Club Loft.

It’s only been 7 months and the weather is just as extreme so no excuses back in January that it was too darn cold to leave the house.

They appear to the wall of noise that is every pedal onstage turned on at once creating a blast of sonic noise that would suggest the aftermath of the apocalypse thus setting up the tone for the night.

It’s straight away energetic, very dark, broody, we’re wandering through a nightmare. Each band member takes their turn stepping up to the crowd looking defiant ready to take them on.

Bassist Gabriel Paschal Blake swings his headstock round as though it’s other use is a weapon, and at one point the microphone stand flies into the photo pit. It feels like we’re on the edge on something happening.

New Irish Noise: a journey to the gritty side of the Emerald Isle

As Slowdance 1 & 2 blend into each other, a beautifully disintegrating spiraling instrumental where singer James McGovern leaves the stage.

Turns into On Twisted Ground, a song so fragile and delicate but also dark and foreboding. The audience are captivated to the point where as the song ends someone shouts How do you follow that?

With this. The band declare and go straight into single Green and Blue.

Which kicks off the ‘songs we know’ section including recently released Don’t Cling To Life and ending with the epic call to arms Feeling Fades. McGovern raises a fist in the air as if rallying up his troops.

The end of the song crashes into destruction as McGovern chants la la la la la la la and the music around him falls away, like we’re coming to terms with some horrors we’ve just witnessed.

This gig has been a soundtrack to walk through a wall of heat, a new government, voices trying to be heard and a frustration of uncertain times ahead.

And it seems we have this new run of Irish bands to lead the way.

Images by Getintothis’ Lucy McLachlan