Mountain Goats - Union Chapel, London, 8/12/2007
by Anthony Dhanendran
published: 11 / 1 / 2008
intro
Anthony Dhanendran watches alternative rock cult act the Mountain Goats, the project of North Carolinan musician John Darneille, play a stunning, crowd-pleasing set at the Union Chapel in London,
The Mountain Goats are one of those bands who can make a dozen albums and yet pass undetected by even dedicated music followers. Live appearances on this side of the Atlantic – main man John Darnielle resides in North Carolina - have been rare, so it's lucky that he's chosen to play Islington's spectacular Union Chapel this time. It's part of a Pineapple Folk Christmas show, along with Emmy the Great, Alasdair Roberts and headliner Micah P Hinson. The rarity of the band's appearances and the majestic intimacy of the venue mean that the atmosphere inside the chapel is electric with anticipation. Darnielle appears on stage with current sidekick Peter Hughes, and they open their accounts with 'Wild Sage' and 'Tollund Man', two quieter songs that slowly work their way around the cracks and crevices of the old church, leaking into the woodwork and insinuating themselves in the minds of the audience. Darnielle's lyrics take in small town stories and epic fantasies, and all the places in between. A literate band, the Mountain Goats wear their nerdiness on their sleeves, and Darnielle and Hughes certainly fit the part, dress-wise, tonight. A couple of new songs see the two unlikely guitar heroes kick the pace up a notch to clear the air and shake some more excitement into the crowd. There's a fair mix of songs – with such a huge back catalogue to choose from, every Mountain Goats set must be a strange grab-bag of old songs, new songs and songs in-between that happen to fit. The duo manage to make it look both polished and spontaneous, and Darnielle certainly seems to be enjoying himself. At the end of the show, Darnielle asks whether "Eddie" is in the crowd. 'Eddie' turns out to be Eddie Argos from Art Brut, who reluctantly but gamely joins the duo for a jaunty rendition of the excellently titled 'Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton'. It's a populist set, crowd pleasing in the standard sense, but also in Darnielle's sheer ability to give a desirous audience exactly what they want. And although the crowd were on his side from the beginning – before that, even, from the time they were queueing outside in the drizzle – everyone leaves happy, including John Darnielle and Peter Hughes, who are, if anything, even happier to be have played here tonight than the audience.
Band Links:-
https://www.facebook.com/pages/the-Mountain-Goats/17314008126https://twitter.com/mountain_goats
http://www.mountain-goats.com/
http://www.themountaingoats.net/
Picture Gallery:-
live reviews |
Shepherd's Bush Empire, London, 19/11/2015 |
Daniel Cressey watches Americana act the Mountain Goats play a bleak but compelling show at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in London to promote their latest album 'Beat the Champ' on which front man John Darnielle’s songwriting focuses on the professional wrestling world |
Mountain Goats |
KOKO, London, 26/5/2011 |
KOKO, London, 7/9/2010 |
Scala, London, 23/11/2005 |
ICA, London. 30/3/2004 |
favourite album |
All Hail West Texas (2013) |
In our Re:View section, in which our writers look back on albums from the past, Dan Cressey examines lo-fi act Mountain Goats' 2002 album 'All Hail West Texas', which has recently been reissued |
reviews |
Goths (2017) |
Abstract but haunting latest concept album from the Mountain Goats upon which front man John Darnielle sympathetically examines the 80's Gothic movement |
Beat the Champ (2015) |
The Life of the World to Come (2009) |
Heretic Pride (2008) |
most viewed articles
current edition
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #15- On Being Dignified and Old aka Ten Tips From Jah Wobble On How To Be Happy.Dennis Tufano - Copernicus Center, Chicago, 19/7/2024
Elliott Murphy - Interview
Wreckless Eric - Interview
Adrian Gurvitz - Interview
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #16: Living in the Minds of Strangers
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #17: Tom Robinson
Norman Rodger - Interview
Chris Spedding - Interview
Penumbra - Interview
previous editions
Heavenly - P.U.N.K. Girl EPIn Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #5 - ‘We all have good intentions/ But all with strings attached’: Music and Mental Health Part 2
Trudie Myerscough-Harris - Interview
Allan Clarke - Interview
Dwina Gibb - Interview
Joy Division - The Image That Made Me Weep
Beautiful South - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Jimmy Nail - Interview
Sound - Interview with Bi Marshall Part 1
Nerve - Interview
most viewed reviews
current edition
Groovy Uncle - Making ExcusesBill Wyman - Drive My Car
Hawkestrel - Chaos Rocks
Philip Parfitt - The Dark Light
Ross Couper Band - The Homeroad
Deep Purple - =1
Jules Winchester - The Journey
Popstar - Obscene
Splashgirl and Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe - More Human
John Murry and Michael Timmins - A Little Bit of Grace and Decay
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart