Mogwai played Brooklyn Steel

The Scottish post-rock titans came to Brooklyn Steel in support of their latest record and tore the roof of the place in the process.

At this point in their career, there is a bit of a formula to Mogwai's sound. There are slow, steady build ups that result in blasts of guitar, there are the more glacial tunes that keep their pace while weaving in intricate details, and there are some that blend electronics into the mix as well. While their sound has remained constant over the years, they've done a remarkable job to keep things energized and interesting without falling into repeated patterns that could make their particular style get repetitive and stale quickly. All of this is hammered home at thunderous volumes when you experience Mogwai live. On their current 2025 world tour, the band dropped into Brooklyn Steel to treat their fans to a night of absolute sonic oblivion as they unleashed a steady stream of punishing force that made for one of the loudest shows I personally have ever seen at the venue. From the opening of new track "God Gets You Back" from their latest record, The Bad Fire, the bass began to rumble and you could physically feel the music take over the room. From there, the group began to pulverize the crowd with unrelenting waves of blown-out guitar and pounding drums that were overpowering in the best possible way while also interjecting rather sustained moments of dreamy bliss that helped to offset other moments of pure chaos. The triple guitar attack ripped across the crowd, scorching us with blazing blasts of furious guitar riffs that stacked on top of each other to create monstrous waves of utter annihilation. There were numerous occasions when it felt like the roar of a jet engine had entered the room as the rippling effects poured over the crowd as people let out cries of joy at random intervals, just when things started to hit. As you'd expect, the band focused a lot on their latest album, giving it proper attention next to their otherwise classics which seemed to pop up throughout the set, almost unexpectedly, making for some extra special moments that seemed as enjoyable for the band as they were for the audience. After nearly every song, Stuart Braithwaite said "thank you, thank you so much, cheers!" and no matter how many times he repeated the phrase, each one felt entirely genuine and sincere. They gave us classics like "Kids Will Be Skeletons," the tingling guitar lines hitting with laser-sharp precision, and "Auto Rock," both of which were welcomed with open arms by the crowd who let out more cheers of joy when they hit their stride. In a rather early move (meaning they didn't close with this one), the band dug deep and the notes to "Mogwai Fear Satan" began to ring out over the crowd as the stage was flooded with a devilish red glow. Slowly, as fans started to realize what was about to come, more cheers and cries of enthusiasm would spurt out of the crowd as the band meticulously laid into their hallmark track. The chugging riffs began to build and suddenly it felt like things were in free fall, the magnitude of the band's power full taking over the venue and grabbing hold with undeniable force. As the song's rollercoaster-like trajectory kicked in, things began to smooth out and as the slow drone hovered over the room, it was if you could hear ice freeze, the room silent and hanging on every note. Like the floor dropping out beneath you, the band suddenly slammed back into the song with a force that could register on the richter scale. As the music flooded the room, the release of emotions was paramount and a collective sign of relief and joy overcame us all. Still with a few more songs up their sleeves, it was hard to imagine how the band would possibly continue on, but in their own ways, they carved out more paths of sonic textures that were as gripping and commanding as anything we'd heard so far. The attention to detail and the syncopation between the members on stage was entrancing to watch all night long, their ability to read each other and stay locked in a groove that goes on and on before suddenly shifting on a dime to another end of the musical spectrum is a site to behold. After ending their main set with a triumphant "Lion's Rumpus" that gave the song a new as one of their more recent blockbuster-esque songs that is as raging as any of their biggest tracks. For the encore, the band reached down deep to turn out a bruising and epic rendition of "My Father My King." Once again the room was in awe of the power the band conjured up on stage and the all out audio assualt from the breakdowns was enough to level the entire building. Surging walls of sound descended upon the crowd and made for one final impression of just how monumental this band can be when they set their minds to the task. Mogwai are legends for their craft and this was an expert-level performance of how to blow minds and melt faces. 

Set list:

01 "God Gets You Back"
02 "Hi Chaos"
03 "Kids Will Be Skeletons"
04 "If You Find This World Bad, You Should See Some of the Others"
05 "Christmas Steps"
06 "Pale Vegan Hip Pain"
07 "Auto Rock"
08 "Ritchie Sacramento"
09 "Fanzine Made of Flesh"
10 "Mogwai Fear Satan"
11 "We're No Here"
12 "Lion Rumpus"
--
13 "My Father, My King"