Mogwai / Lankum, South Facing Festival review - rich atmospheres in a south London field

Running as part of the South Facing Festival in Crystal Palace Bowl, Thursday’s headliners, Mogwai, and their friends across the water, Lankum, were an excellent pairing, both atmospheric, wonderful musicians whose instrumental (and vocal, in the case of Lankum) virtuosity, were a real joy to listen to.

Confessionally, although I had wanted to arrive earlier to watch Caroline (much lauded by friends who also came to the festival) and The Twilight Sad (glorious Scottish misery), this was the first time that we had left our three-month-old with a babysitter, so we got to the park in time to get a good spot for Lankum. Having seen them in a darkened, moody Roundhouse a couple of years beforehand, I was curious to see how their sound would hold up in the fading daylight of a south London park. 

After what we thought was a false start, a fiddle climbed into the folk/trad standard, "The Wild Rover", a stirring song that foregrounded Radie Peat’s voice, and ended with a crescendo of drones, fiddle, and guitar. Following this, there was a timely reminder of their support of those in the Gaza strip and the complicity of the Westminster government (cue jokes about ill-advised crossings from Ireland to the UK), something that was repeated after a rousing song about vicious murder that ended in a jig. They sung of Palestinian defiance, then played a piece that was written in a concentration camp in the 1930s about peat bog soldiers, in a poignant juxtaposition. Don’t worry, they assured us, it will only be love songs after this. A particular highlight was the instrumental "Bear Creek", an excellent, almost nostalgic toe tapper that paired well with a rousing wind coming across the field. 

Mogwai followed, a beautifully performed indulgence of guitars and ambient, dreamy soundscapes. It’s not hard to see why they often compose or contribute music to TV and film – there is something almost triumphal in the way that Mogwai's pieces layer and build, rich compositions that are a pleasure to listen to in their complexity. Having less knowledge of them than Lankum (my partner is a massive Mogwai fan), it was wonderful to see them live, especially as their sound seems to lend itself to being listened to in concert, as an experience in itself. "Remurdered" was a standout for me, the synth playing around the track evocative of an 80s horror film or videogame. The only off note here was that we felt that "Mogwai Fear Satan", a beast at 15 minutes long, should have been the closing song. "We’re No Here", which finished the set, was great (musically and also for its inclusion of a farcical amount of guitars), but didn’t have the builds and fade outs that "Mogwai Fear Satan" did so well.

If I had one complaint (and it’s really not a complaint), it’s that in some ways both of these bands felt too practiced, too assured of their skill. Obviously, this is because both are well established bands, who are very used to touring and performing. In the case of Lankum, I am reliably informed that they do tend to play the same songs each time. In fact, I can verify this, having reread my review of the Roundhouse gig. Mogwai sound by nature improvisational and not knowing them as well, I can’t say the same for them. However, this doesn’t necessarily detract from either band’s act, and their ability to capture an audience with atmospheric, stirring performances that were a real treat to listen to.

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