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Mogwai was formed by Stuart Braithwaite and Dominic Aitchison in 1995. The name of the band, Mogwai means “ghost” or “devil” in Cantonese, and is named after the furry little creatures who wrecked havoc in the 1984 film Gremlins. Not that the band carry any resemblance to the creatures in the film; they have admitted that they “always intended to get a better name, but like a lot of things, they never got around to it”.

They started off with the first track of their new album, The Hawk Is Howling which is called I´m Jim Morrison, I´m dead. As with many Mogwai songs, it started with a slow riff, and escalated into an explosion of emotion in song.

The silent crowd were in absolute awe of the shy Scots in front of them, as they ploughed through the next song, Hunted by a Freak.

Then came the moment most hard core Mogwai fans had anticipated for the concert: Mogwai Fear Satan. The band made good use of the contrast between the low and the loud sections of the sixteen minute rock-epic. Though it all has the same melancholy and feel to it, there is such difference between Mogwai tracks. They are one of the few bands in the world who say so much with their instrumental music, that words are unnecessary.

It starts with soft, cottonlike chords, not unlike the tones of a music box, and escalates so slowly that you cannot notice the subtle changes in the mood of the tracks before you get hit in the face with reality, with politics, with war, with peace, with beauty, with cruelty, and with death and resurrection. Mogwai is not an outspoken religious band, but if God could create reality with music, he would have called up Mogwai and asked them to play.

They expressed gratitude to the Festival administration for inviting them to perform at the festival, and closed with an encore accompanied by a standing ovation by the audience, leaving no doubt: Perth welcomes Mogwai back, any time.

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