After over three years since the release of their debut, it’s been a long time coming for The Murder Capital to once more grace their presence in Manchester, but they did so with a potent charm and vigour that meant the Albert Hall was oozing with passion by the end of the night. Alice Beard reviews.
The dark, baroque architecture of the chapel seemed the perfect match to compliment the brooding soundscapes of the band and the shards of light which refracted and rained down from the old stained-glass windows served as only a slight indication of the chaos that was sure to ensue.
Setting a precedent for the night from early on, support Heavy Lungs thundered on stage. Singer Danny Nedelko (yes, as in the IDLES song) led the charge with an unruly energy that would prove difficult to match, switching between a writhing dance akin to Iggy Pop, to doing press-ups on the drumkit. Our ears were drenched by a collection of heavily charged hits, but it was (A Bit of a) Birthday which proved to be a real crowd pleaser. By the end of this short but sweet set, excitement was already cutting through the chatter.
"The cathartic push from darkness to the light which anchors much of their songs was not confined in this modest venue, but rather flourished."
Before long, audience pleas were met as Existence fluttered in to accompany the band onstage. The quintet set straight into action with Crying, a song which was able to effortlessly float and drench the masses but it was Return My Head that was met with real surges of anticipation. From the first few beats of the drums, the crowd were eagerly drawing themselves up to belt out the punching chorus. Launching straight into More Is Less, it was clear The Murder Capital were here for business. The energy from these first tracks was converted to eerie intensity with The Stars Will Leave Their Stage. The number saw bassist Pascal Blake eyeing the crowd like a hyena on the prowl, as if searching for those in the audience who were most willing to be taken and swallowed whole by the music. Soon we were all laying our eyes upon the stark silhouettes of the quintet which became bathed in deep blue hues as cries of ‘for everything for nothing’ billowed across the chapel in an impassioned climax. A personal favourite of mine from their debut When I Have Fears, this track was all that was needed to bring the set to such roaring intensity.
Providing a much-needed rest, the band dove into an assortment of slower, emotive tracks including Slowdance I and II in which singer McGovern came to embrace members of the crowd before rocking on the barrier like a child to a lullaby. It feels unfair to say this because the band’s performance in itself never faltered, but at points it became difficult to fully divulge in these tender numbers due to small sections of the crowd showing a disparaging lack of interest- but that’s an issue of gig etiquette I won’t get into now. Nevertheless, A Thousand Lives soon pulled these sinking members of the crowd back to the surface. Dripping with shiny guitar licks and alluring drums, I felt myself slipping into a stupor that only deepened as the song progressed. Green & Blue snapped me back to reality, bringing an uncontainable stifling energy that only carried into further frenzy with title track Gigi’s Recovery.
There was no encore, but this doesn’t mean the band didn’t deliver; the final four songs were a warm blanket to send us safely on our way. As Feeling Fades kicked into action, the crowd simultaneously became a thrashing mob, flailing and writhing with every limb. Only Good Things kicked through the dirt, the crowd becoming a gleaming bundle and soaking up every inch of sound as one. This sense of unity was brought to boiling point as fan favourite Don’t Cling to Life brought forth frantic yet earnest clamours of ‘failing this, let’s dance and cry’ which bounced from every ribcage in the venue. We all knew the bittersweet end was impending, and Ethel was the perfect closer to tie the night up in a neat little package. McGovern couldn’t keep away from the masses for long and swiftly dove in to join us. Evidently the frenzy was too much even for this Irishman as he soon fell into the crowd, taking me down with him. Definitely not something I had on my cards for this year, but I won’t complain. To much dismay from fans the band exited in a manner as rapidly as they entered at the start of the night- but it had to end somewhere I suppose. The room was abuzz. On the fight through the bustle to the doors I couldn’t escape the trailing conversations of stunned excitement and immediate yearning for more.
The Murder Capital did well in what could have proven a difficult task by capturing the essence of their sophomore album perfectly and translating it to a live stage. The cathartic push from darkness to the light which anchors much of their songs was not confined in this modest venue, but rather flourished. The Irish quintet have already left their mark on the punk scene ever since their entry in 2019, but I feel the ink blot spreading wider with their promising progression. Get yourself down.
Alice Beard
Edited by: Jodie Averis
Cover image courtesy of The Murder Capital via Facebook.
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