The Murder Capital – Manchester New Century Hall – 18/4/25

Reviewed By: John A Gilman

They say some of the best nights out are the ones you don’t plan—and this one absolutely proved it. A spontaneous decision two hours before doors opened, a ticket bought on a whim, and barely a cursory knowledge of the band. What followed was the perfect kind of musical blind date—intense, thrilling, emotional, and completely unforgettable.

This was only my second time at Manchester’s New Century Hall, a venue with proper character and a lot of history in its bones. Once a dance hall that hosted legends like Hendrix and Jerry Lee Lewis, it’s been refurbished, complete with its listed sprung dance floor that echoes the bounce of The Ritz just across town. It’s the kind of place that already feels special before a single note is played.

I’d heard The Murder Capital’s name knocking about—mostly good things, particularly about their live shows—but had never dived in properly. That made this even more exciting: no expectations, just going along for the ride. The Dublin post-punk outfit has carved out a reputation for dark, emotionally dense songwriting and intense live performances. With their third album ‘Blindness’ only just released in February, most of the set was fresh to me—new material played live before I’d only had the chance to quickly stream it on the V1 bus into Manchester. But that unfamiliarity didn’t matter one bit.

They opened with ‘The Fall’—a blistering track that instantly lit a fire under the crowd, pulling everyone into their world. Then came ‘More Is Less’, an early fan favourite and a punchy throwback to their earlier days, its furious “more more more” chant sparking a pit that was wild, sweaty, and joyful in that way only a really good live band can provoke. It felt like a moment. The band had us, fully and completely.

Frontman James McGovern stalks the stage with the presence of someone born to front a band—equal parts rockstar swagger and poetic intensity. There’s a Gallagher-esque confidence in his strut, but it’s mixed with something more introspective, more considered. You can feel the Fontaines D.C. influence for sure, and the whole set carries echoes of the current wave of post-punk revivalism—think Idles, Soft Play—but with a depth and emotional charge that’s uniquely theirs.

Midway through, they flipped the mood with ‘Slowdance I & II’, and the shift was stunning. Where the first half of the set surged with aggression and energy, this pairing gave everyone a moment to breathe and feel. Minimal lyrics, but maximum emotional punch—’Slowdance I’ building slowly before giving way to the sweeping instrumental crescendo of ‘Slowdance II’. It was cinematic, and you could feel the whole room swaying with them, caught in the moment.

Then it was back to full throttle. A flurry of tracks— ‘Swallow’, ‘Crying’, ‘For Everything’, ‘Can’t Pretend to Know’, and ‘Moonshot’ — all delivered at breakneck pace, the band feeding off the crowd and vice versa. The energy was electric. Fans on shoulders, voices screaming back lyrics like they were gospel—it felt like a shared catharsis.

One of the standout moments of the night came with ‘Don’t Cling to Life’, a ferocious yet deeply poignant song that hits hard live. Written in the aftermath of personal loss, the rawness of the lyrics — “Don’t cling to life, don’t cling to life, there’s nothing on the other side” — landed with gut-punch force. It’s not often a mosh pit pauses to reflect, but you could feel a collective silence after that one.

After a short break, the band returned for a four-song encore that felt more like a victory lap. ‘Trailing a Wing’ and ‘Words Lost Meaning’ were met like old classics, even though they’re new cuts, a testament to how quickly fans have connected with this latest material. Then came ‘Ethel’, a massive track from their second record that had the whole room bouncing, and finally, they closed with ‘Love of Country’ — a powerful, politically-charged anthem that doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable truths. Before playing it, James told the crowd that all profits from the single had been donated to Medical Aid for Palestine. The message, and the song, landed like a final rallying cry.

As far as last-minute nights go, this one will be hard to top. A band that absolutely lives up to the hype, and a crowd that gave everything right back. If you’re into the likes of Idles or Soft Play, don’t sleep on The Murder Capital—catch them in venues like this while you still can. Nights like this are a reminder: live for the moment, because, well… there’s nothing on the other side.

Setlist:

1. The Fall

2. More Is Less

3. Death of a Giant

4. The Stars Will Leave Their Stage

5. A Distant Life

6. That Feeling

7. Heart in a Hole

8. Feeling Fades

9. Slowdance I

10. Slowdance II

11. Swallow

12. Crying

13. For Everything

14. Can’t Pretend to Know

15. Moonshot

16. Don’t Cling to Life

Encore:

17. Trailing a Wing

18. Ethel

19. Words Lost Meaning

20. Love of Country