Review by Catherine McCauley for MPM
It’s a bright and pleasant evening as we make our way to the Mandela Hall. Since its refurb in 2022 the Students Union and concert venue is looking mighty fine.
It’s certainly a different crowd from last week’s gig – Wasp. I did spy a NIN t-shirt, a few Tool and a Jet Plane Landing t-shirt which was cool to see. Tonight’s gig will be a bit different, two Scottish bands, Cloth an alternative rock band and Mogwai, a post –rock band who have been around the block since 1995 to be exact. The buzz was contagious walking in. The stage was a simple set up with a mountain backdrop with a few carefully placed Led tubes.
Twins and multi instrumentalists, Rachael Swinton (Vocals, guitar, bass guitar, percussion and piano) and Paul Swinton (guitar and bass) hail from Glasgow, Scotland. Cloth formed in 2016 released their first song ‘Demo Love’ on YouTube and currently have an EP, and two Albums under their belt. The band were signed by Mogwai’s ‘Rock Action’ label, their newest Album ‘Pink Silence’ saw creative support and production from Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite and Portishead’s Adrian Utley and Owen Pallet. Cloth’s track ‘Old Bear’ featured on Hulu’s ‘Normal People’.
The band took to the stage, accompanied by a session drummer I assume, as the Mandela Hall was still filling. The three piece appeared with a quiet and demure presence. I’d read beforehand that the band like to focus on the guitars and drums during their live performances so I was curious how this would translate live. The band opened up with ‘Pink Silence’, the title track off their newest release. Cloth’s simplistic playing style, with the synth addition possesses intricate layers. Rachael’s breathy vocals are ethereal in nature and the twins play beautiful yet infectious guitar melodies.
Cloth followed up with songs from the newer album and from their other two recording such as the dreamy ‘Golden’, and the catchy and upbeat ‘Polaroid’, ‘Ladder’ further showcases Cloth’s ability to make poppy tunes with a minimal yet haunting beat and tone. Cloth are more than an alternative rock band they are experimental in their reverb and Rachael’s placid vocals are a perfect match to Paul’s lyrics. ‘Old Bear’, Paul tells us proudly, of how the song was used on “Normal People” with the volume at minus 11 (it was played as a background song in a café scene). He then went on to explain that it’s not a programme you could watch with the family as there was too much shagging, there was a lot of laughter in agreement.
Prior to ‘Ambulance’ Paul reflected on how amazing it was to tour with Mogwai the past week and watch them live and for free and quipped rock n roll! We heard a tale of whilst a guitar required a string change, Paul chatted to the crowd about the Pubs they’d had a chance to visit on a day off in Dublin. He then quipped that their Bar chat went down better than the music.
The band talented yet humble and are not taking this opportunity for granted. The guys finish with the intimate ‘Demo Love’ and they have certainly won over the Belfast crowd tonight judging by the response and by the queue at the Merch stand after the set. I spoke briefly with Rachael who was manning the stand. She tells me she enjoyed her trip to Ireland and they’d love to come back. Hopefully, we shall see them again at a headlining gig next time!
Mogwai
Originating in Glasgow, Scotland in 1995 Mogwai are composed of Stuart Braithwaite (guitar, vocal’s), Barry Burns (guitar, piano, synthesizer, vocals), Dominic Aitchison (bass, guitar), and Martin Bulloch (drums) – tonight’s show features, I assume, a fantastically talented session musician on Synth and guitar. Mogwai not only have released 11 albums, the most recent released in 2025 being “The Bad Fire”. They have released 14 EP’s, 3 live albums and 4 compilation albums. Plus various soundtracks for movies, TV, video games and the soundtrack for the excellent and eerie, “Les Revenants” – “The Returned” in the UK.
The lads take to the stage and the lights and dry ice set the scene for what will be a very memorable evening, of which a dear friend describes as Hypnotically Progressive!. ‘God Gets You Back’, starts with the instantly recognisable synth with Burns, on distorted vocals, slowly Braithwaite and Aitchison join the enthralling instrumental melody with Bulloch, providing a solid beat. By now the Mandela is well filled out and the heat is building. Mogwai are atmospheric and powerful – we prepare ourselves for what no doubt will be a mind blowing experience.
‘Hi Chaos’ sees Burns on guitar – the layered guitar effect of Burns, Aitchison and Braithwaite is full of intensity yet breath-taking, I observe men dotted around the audience rocking out and playing air guitars and drums whilst the rest of the audience stand mesmerised by the enigmatic Mogwai. ‘Summer’ is a stunning track, interchangeable with quieter, gentler moments with serene tinkling bells with perfectly interspaced distorted guitars and thick drums. Mogwai never cease to delight with eclectic ranges and winding musical journeys. ‘Rano Pano’ is a stonking, heavy vibe filled ambient tune, and the Led light strips pulse along to the pounding beat. Braithwaite’s end solo is stunning and then becomes a frantic chaotic crescendo before coming to a dramatic end.
Braithwaite takes on the vocal charge on ‘Ritchie Sacremento’, a song recorded by the band as a tribute to all the musician friends they’ve lost over the years. It’s a poignant and sentimental track with perfectly aligned synth, guitar and drum rhythms. ‘Auto Rock’, ‘2 Rights Make 1 Wrong’, and ‘Remurdered’, see the Mandela audience totally immersed in Mogwai’s textural musical landscape. The heat is elevated at this stage and we are glad of the occasional breeze from a back door briefly opening. Despite the temperature we dare not leave the hall for fear of missing a note.
’Fanzine Made of Flesh’, is a more upbeat, guitar laden, strong rhythmed number. ‘We’re No Here’ possesses melancholy tones, with an impassioned wall of guitar sound – simply exquisite. ‘Lion Rumpus’ sees Burns using the vocoder once again in this belting upbeat composition. The lads leave the stage for a brief intermission – the lads are finding the heat tough too but are absolute troopers. Returning for an Encore the opening guitar of ‘Every Country’s Sun’, vibrates through the hall in what appears a more sombre track. The guitar distortion is fervent as Bulloch thumps on the drums and cymbals alike.
The final song of the night is the blistering ‘Mogwai Fear Satan’. The stage is aglow with a red hue, matching the heat of the venue and adding to the feeling of being in the home of Satan himself. As the reverb and distortion begin to rise as does the force of the emotionality of the music.
The track then begins to reduce down in power, the guitar and drums are soothing and reassuring almost luring us into a false sense of security….then an almighty blast of white/blue blinding light and what can only be described as a sonic boom of sheer unadulterated noise knocked us off our comfortable feet. I stood a gasp, blown away at the sheer magnitude of the noise, the flashing lights and visual and auditory spectacle. The crowd cheered with delight and pleasure.
What a sensory enchantment Mogwai’s performance has been. I have never witnessed anything quite like it.
Photography by Darren Mcveigh for MPM
