By Lucas Arthur, First Year Geography
After the release of their critically acclaimed debut album When I Have Fears last summer, Dublin's post punk outfit put on a gutsy performance to a sold out SWX.
A glance at the faces in the sold-out crowd infers a lot about The Murder Capital. At the back, old rockers come to pay tribute to the new talent. In the middle, clad in Idles merch and doc martens, are those immersed in the passing tide of ‘post-punk’ acts – Black Midi drew a similar assemblage. Front and centre are the younger fans, similar in age to the band themselves, coiled like springs in anticipation of the first mosh pit.
The band is another export of Dublin’s ongoing renaissance: Fontaines DC, Girl Band, Kojaque and Kneecap (to name a few) vary in scope from art rock to grime, but have all enjoyed commercial and critical success over the last 18 months. The Murder Capital only released their debut in August of 2019, but live performances throughout 2018 firmly established their reputation as ones to watch.
Dressed in slacks, shirts, boots and braces, under blue lights on a smoke-filled stage, the band resemble detectives in a 70s noir. ‘For Everything’ builds like a thunderstorm, with overdriven guitars and growling bass. Frontman James McGovern belts out his crafted lyrics in a voice that would stop traffic, and the crowd throws them back with fists raised - ‘More is Less’, a frantic, punky anthem, follows swiftly. Seconds later, McGovern’s in the centre of the pit, beckoning us to take a knee during the bridge before the crowd erupts into the final chorus.
Frontman James McGovern belts out his crafted lyrics in a voice that would stop traffic, and the crowd throws them back with fists raised
‘Slowdance I and II’ sees the band melt into grunge, drenched in feedback and hazy reverb. McGovern sways, lit cig in hand, draped in a floral white shirt – Morrisey with a shaven head – while Roper and Blake jam face to face on guitar and bass, working their pedals like shoegazers.
McGovern takes the spotlight for ‘On Twisted Ground’. The crowd lulls to silence. In comparison to the openers, the bleak, emo-esque vocals and ragged breathing seem almost theatrical, but its impressive to witness such a capable vocalist nonetheless. ‘Green and Blue’ slowly coaxes us back to life; The lad next to me wipes a tear from his eye.
The band is always in motion; Their real talent, besides their airtight musicianship, is how they modulate the energy of the room, adopting that ‘loud and quiet, light and dark’ dynamic so beloved by Nirvana and the Pixies, all lurching closer to the edge of the stage as they build into ‘Feeling Fades’. Brennan is exceptional on the kit, his pounding drum tattoos marching us into the finale.
| In Conversation with The Murder Capital
We end a world away from the melancholy of the middle numbers. ‘Don’t Cling To Life’ is an indie crowd-pleaser with all the trimmings: Pits open up across the floor and crowd surfers sail overhead, McGovern briefly among them. Every face is grinning by the final chorus, every mouth belting back the refrain.
Despite the theatrics, The Murder Capital come from a place of authenticity and originality. Much like Idles, Shame and others, they’re far removed from the angry-man-band archetype of old, choosing instead to rally against gentrification, divisive politics and isolationism, evolving their genre with the times. Rock music, in all its many forms, is far from dead; With bands like this, it’ll outlive us all.
Featured Image: Lucas Arthur/Epigram
Have you read our interview with the Murder Capital from last year?
