Irish post-punks The Murder Capital make their Australian debut on a whirlwind, three-day tour, in support of their most recent album, Blindness. With stops in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney, Adelaide’s Swap Meet are joining them for all three dates, with local band Miss Mardy opening tonight’s show at The Brightside in Brisbane.

The Murder Capital formed in Dublin in 2018. In addition to Blindness they have released two records, 2019’s When I Have Fears and 2023’s Gigi’s Recovery. Having recently returned from a European stadium tour supporting Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, there is a a great deal of buzz around the band and a sense of anticipation to see if they can match the freneticism of their recorded output. Initially, the evening’s attendance was looking pretty grim, with Miss Mardy playing to a handful of individuals. Thankfully, numbers did increase in time for Swap Meet and by the time the headliners took the stage, the venue was fairly packed.

Despite performing for a small crowd, Miss Mardy’s performance was full of energy and enthusiasm. Drawing their influence from the early 2000s garage revival and Brit Pop, they play with far more confidence and authority than one would expect from their youthful appearance and —in time— one can see them making waves within the local scene.

The second act, Swap Meet, had the benefit of playing to a larger and more engaged audience who responded enthusiastically to the group’s indie-punk energy. Their sound falls somewhere between The Breeders and Superchunk and they performed with a spirit of conviction that heralds bigger and better things ahead.

Despite The Brightside’s reputation for lateness, tonight’s performances were remarkably punctual. The Murder Capital strode on stage at their designated 9:20 PM start time and after a few brief pleasantries they tore straight into The Fall, one of Blindness’ many highlights. Unsurprisingly, the bulk of the set was drawn from their new album, featuring ten of the record’s eleven songs, with Born Into The Fight being the only song they didn’t play.

Singer James McGovern spent most of the show hiding his eyes behind a pair of wrap-around shades, which he only removed for the night’s final song, a rousing rendition of Love Of Country; the group’s charity single for Medical Aid for Palestinians. Other standouts were the double header of Slowdance I & II, from When I Have Fears and Words Lost Meaning, which was one of Blindness’ early singles. One persistent fan was keen to hear Ethel, off Gigi’s Recovery, even going so far as to imply it was their birthday. Not skipping a beat —and ignoring the punter— McGovern informed the crowd that it was bassist Gabriel Paschal Blake’s actual birthday, leading to a spirited round of applause from the crowd. In the end, the fan’s persistence did pay off, with the band eventually playing Ethel, right at the end of the set, before Love Of Country.

A month of playing stadiums in Europe alongside Nick Cave hasn’t dulled The Murder Capital’s ability to perform in more intimate spaces; and if anything, it seems to have sharpened it. McGovern prowls the stage, pacing back and forth, while the rest of the band attack their instruments with a vigour that shows little concern for the cramped confines of The Brightside’s small stage. Given the critical acclaim for Blindness and the hype the band are attracting worldwide, I doubt cramped stages are an issue they will have to deal with for too much longer.

Word by Nick Stephan

Photo courtesy of thesesubtlesounds.com