Live Review: The Murder Capital - The Dome, London 10/10/2019
In the case of The Murder Capital, it is vital not to mistake doing things in a rush with doing them in urgency. From releasing their first singles at the start of the year, to their wildly anticipated debut album that came out two months ago; things have snowballed for the Dublin five-piece.
Their debut album ‘When I Have Fears’ is littered with musings on mortality, existence, and self-reflection. Heavily influenced by the suicide of a close friend; their sound is contemplative, poignant, and wholly gripping. The Murder Capital are a group of men whose non-descript look allows no room for people to make judgements on them before giving their songs a listen – because this is what really matters to them. If the music isn’t enough to keep you interested; their message simply isn’t for you.
This is reflected in the mix of people who fill out The Dome, in Tufnell Park, for their sold-out London show. As normal at gigs, there’s an electric anticipation that seethes through the air as the time ticks closer towards the band making their way to the stage. But there is something different here. There’s a distinct casual air amongst the crowd as if a majority of them have seen this all before but there’s something that keeps drawing them back – an unseeable, undeniable forced within the Irish lads.
After playing two songs from the band of vocalist James McGovern’s friend, The Murder Capital amble onto the stage and delve into the mellow, emotionally-charged ‘Slowdance I’ and ‘Slowdance II’. Shrouded in smoke which is amplified by his own ingestion of a cigarette, McGovern introduces ‘On Twisted Ground’ by solidifying the importance of being there for those that you are closest to: “these are my best friends and they have gotten me through the darkest and blackest times of my life […] there is nothing I could do without these boys and I tell them I love them every day.” His voice is a dominating beacon. A point of light through dense smog. As the song builds and the guitars kick in, it feels as though the band are trying to draw your soul from your body, in a state of catharsis.
Respite comes in the form of ‘Love, Love, Love,’ as the band tap into their visceral, post-punk catalogue. Bassist Gabriel Paschal Blake seethes through his guitar and bedlam exudes from the motions he makes when he stomps on his pedal board – convulsive and compelling, as McGovern rattles his tambourine as though he’s leading a séance; it is intoxicating to watch the symbiosis of the way they move on stage. ‘For Everything’ and ‘Don’t Cling To life’ are delivered with distinct attack and there’s a simple perfection in the way The Murder Capital perform the songs that they have put their lives into – but as McGovern sings “I failed you” in ‘Green & Blue’ he looks to the heavens in distress as if his words are aimed at a particular person. It’s hard to imagine that word ever being associated with the band.
As with most good things, their set comes to an end way sooner than it should. ‘More Is Less’ comes as a rattling racket; an untamable force which emulates the passion that they hold for the music. The band morph into synchronicity, facing drummer Diarmuid Brennan after a tender moment where guitarist Damien Tuit kisses McGovern on the forehead. Before checking in with the crowd one last time, McGovern raises a glass to the witnesses of this intense moment before closing out the show with ‘Feeling Fades’. Cathal Roper climbs the rig of amps for a searing final bout of shredding, whilst McGovern dives into the crowd, and with that, it’s all over.
It’s been less than twenty-four hours and we already want to see them again. That’s the kind of power that The Murder Capital hold within their palms, and it is a kind of lasting power that should see them propelled into many years of success within in the music industry.
Words by Tyler Damara Kelly