Mogwai (uk)

To celebrate our 20th anniversary we’re honoured to have Mogwai join us for what is already a legendary show. This no hyperbole, as Mogwai is the band that got us into post-rock, and as such the one band we’ve always dreamed of hosting on our stages. Mogwai emerged out of the late progressive rock scene in the mid nineties, and always possessed and displayed a unique and immediately recognisable sound. Their contribution to this genre we all love is undisputed.

Since bursting on the scene with the now iconic “Young Team”, Mogwai have always been one step ahead of the curve, first defining post-rock, then popularising it with a larger audience only to redefine its standards with each consecutive release. The early 2000’s saw the band release a string of classic albums, “Come On Die Young”, “Rock Action” and “Happy Song For Happy People” that cemented their cult status. The latter record, with its chilling and haunting tracks remains a milestone of post-rock music; a tranquil yet ominous atmosphere permeates the record, spelling impending disaster and drawing it nearer with each consecutive track. Like the most thrilling of crime novels, the climax, once it comes, is somehow both a relief and a shock. After suspenseful and anxious watching, with terrified relief you snap out of your trance, and letting go you realise you’ve bit your nails to the bone. Songs like “Killing All The Flies” and “Boring Machine Disturbs Sleep” in hindsight also possesses a foretelling quality, showcasing the band’s innate soundtrack scoring ability that the band is so well loved for today.

The band’s 2011 effort “Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will” saw them reaching new compositional heights and introduced them to a wider audience, cementing the band’s legacy while propelling it to new vertigo-inducing peaks. With newfound fame came the opportunity to move to cinema, and the critically acclaimed soundtracks and the scores of new fans that followed are one indication that Mogwai are not only stellar musician, but highly adaptable too! The band also provided proof, if proof was ever really needed, that post-rock for its unmatched cathartic quality remains the most scrabble of rock subgenres.

Almost 30 years on the band is far from done. It’s in this spirit that we welcomed the band’s new album “The Bad Fire”, a whirlwind of sounds old and new, of new climaxes and new “huh?” moments, that is so uncompromisingly Mogwai to be a classic in its own right already. Perhaps in response to this time of instability, the band provided their most lively and explosive record in a while, as if to remind us that even during the greatest of challenges there’s hope, and also, time for play.

It goes without saying, but we will say it anyway: we’re tremendously excited to be having the one and only Mogwai headline Day 1 of our 20th anniversary edition. A dream 20 years in the making, this show will cement dunk!festival’s legacy as Europe’s finest post-rock festival. So see you there and let’s make history together. And who knows, maybe the band will even delight us a few new songs as a birthday gift!

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p.s. guys, this only took us 20 years! Now, we’re not saying it’s going to take another 20 for it to happen again but you know… you really don’t want to miss this!