Mogwai bring their 11th studio album ‘The Bad Fire’ to Manchester
The band brought their 2025 album to Manchester’s O2 Apollo.
Photo: Madeleine Wrigley
After a busy week of shows at Manchester’s O2 Apollo, Scottish icons Mogwai took to the stage. Formed in 1995, this post-rock band stunned the audience from the start and kicked things off with God Gets You Back.
This was my first time seeing the band live — and they did not disappoint. Whether you're going through something deep, or need a new band to listen to, old fan or new, Mogwai sweep you into their community at full force, you don't even notice at first.
The audience stood before them, swaying politely to the instrumental songs, arms draped around one another as the band fed the crowd with raw emotion. The audience showed a lot of respect to the band, waiting their turn to clap and cheer after each song finished. The only chatter was seemingly related to the songs and each audience member’s interpretation of them. The crowd picked up the songs instantly, and there is a real feel of community between the payees and performers.
After an hour of music, Mogwai’s lyrics kicked in. The lack of lines spoken before this, apart from “Hi, Manchester” and gratitude when the audience claps, allowed the crowd to concentrate in the moment on the music and action on stage.
Some songs felt more sombre than others, which can often be interpreted as different things. I noticed a couple swaying together to the music, not looking at the stage but more so at one another. If not for Mogwai waiting for applause, you wouldn’t know when one song ends and the next begins. The set list felt like a story was being written, and yet the audience could choose how it played out in their mind.
The quiet moments are quiet, and the loud moments hit you hard. The kick drum’s rhythm is felt through your legs as the bass hits you one after another after another, shaking the 80-year-old building in the process. It is clear that the band wants to stay what it is: a band. Allowing each member time to shine in songs, with some focusing on lyrics, others highlighting the synths and guitar work, and drum solos appearing too.
The band stands in a line, not one specific frontman apart from microphones in front of them; there's a sense of togetherness within themselves, the idea of equality. This idea is furthered by the Trans and Palestine flag on stage. Mogwai have spoken out against Israel's actions in Palestine and called for peace and a ceasefire in Gaza. They are proud of what they believe in, and it is amazing to see a band show their heart on their sleeve like that. The band are relaxed on stage, seeming collected and cool, giving off a relaxed stage presence, and yet it is so encapsulating to watch.
I found the stage set up very interesting for this show: LED tubes at right angles hovered over and around the band, often moving hues of greens, blues and teals around the stage, allowing your focus to drift from one band member to the other seamlessly.
It is obvious that the band see the lighting and sound technicians as vital to the music and storyline they are portraying. Utilising the lights to flash to highlight certain parts of songs. So, even if lyrics aren’t used, the audience can still feel the power of the songs at hand. The impactful beats hung in the bowl as the lighting carried the emotion through fades and quick flashes of light. Sometimes scaring the audience who were getting too comfortable listening so passively. Throughout the whole show, I noticed one man who was jumping and dancing to every beat and, in a room of passive listeners, he put a smile on my face.
The band took my breath away as I watched the people around me also fall into the Mogwai trap, and no one was fighting the emotions they felt. Mogwai takes everything in their stride, and their coolness as a band on stage oozes off them; you can’t help but stare as the men on stage create magic from synths and guitar riffs.
