Mogwai

It all began nearly fifteen years ago… over the course of three lustra, the Scottish band has risen to become a leading exponent of a non-genre: post-rock. Their latest album, "The Hawk Is Howling", released on Chemikal Underground, presented the band in a renewed guise (as much as one can talk about novelty in their case): fewer guitar magmas and more melody. After last summer's show in Abruzzo, where the tracks that would go on to form the backbone of the new album were previewed, the European tour once again lands in Italy for two shows, in Bologna and Milan. The Bologna evening is anything but cold, and there's no doubt that once Mogwai take the stage, it will get decidedly fiery.

The dancing at the Estragon starts early: on stage from half past eight is Chris Brokaw, a name that on its own might not say much, but digging deeper you'll notice that the curly-haired forty-something was first a member of Codeine, as drummer, and is now in The New Year. A set of about half an hour or so, at the edge of the stage, with an electric guitar and knobs — plenty of them — and effects surrounding him, for a live performance that's neither fish nor fowl, but still enjoyable to listen to.

Next up are Errors, a very young band from Glasgow who released their debut on fellow Scots Mogwai's own label. Their live set, also fairly short, is nonetheless breezy and fun, built around a post-rock that toys with electronics and shifts between melancholy and joy, with Battles as a not-too-distant reference point.

Now it's the quintet's turn. A packed Estragon greets the arrival of Stuart Braithwaite (guitar and band leader), Dominic Aitchison (bass), Martin Bulloch (drums), John Cummings (guitar) and Barry Burns (keyboards, flute, guitar) with a roar. They open with the opening track from "The Hawk Is Howling": "I'm Jim Morrison I'm Dead" starts off subdued before exploding, though far from thunderously, in its finale. Lights slice through the venue's warm air and the guitars intertwine. The triptych "Friend Of The Night"-"Mogwai Fear Satan"-"Scotland's Shame" will surely be remembered as the high point of the whole evening: first celestial notes soaring in a classical-tinged space, then fury unleashed at full speed, then the slow, grainy advance of a sonic panzer.

The performance moves on without a break, alternating tracks from the latest album with old gems: such is the case with "Like Herod" and "Helicon 1", both fierce throughout their unfolding, followed by the metal-tinged notes of "Batcat", a full-throttle track and also a single, accompanied by an excellent video.

Before a brief pause, comes an enchanting "2 Rights Make 1 Wrong", building in an emotional crescendo that closes with an imaginative, tear-jerking celestial coda.

The crowd calls them back to the stage, and Mogwai answer. And they do so magnificently. Fury and innocence: that's what "The Precipice" and "We're No Here" are, their notes closing out an evening of great music and passion.

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