Latest news with #TheMurderCapital
RTÉ News
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
The Murder Capital: life on the road with Ireland's most ferocious band
The Murder Capital are back in Ireland to play the Iveagh Gardens this July. We caught up with front man James McGovern as the band take their blistering live show around Europe If it's Tuesday, it must be Zurich. James McGovern, the brooding front man of The Murder Capital, is somewhere in the Swiss city, psyching himself up to unleash his band's primal post-punk onto another audience on another night of their seemingly never-ending tour. Following shows in Australia in April, the road hardened Irish five-piece are deep into their latest foray around Europe. After their Dublin gig at Iveagh Gardens in Dublin on 19 July, they embark on UK and US dates, which will take them up to October on their campaign of world domination by stealth. 27-year-old McGovern has the demeanour of a man constantly on the move with barely time to take it all in. Originally from Cork via Dublin, the deep thinking and articulate singer now lives in London but these days, he spends most his life on the road. He is talking today to plug that Iveagh Gardens gig and it's a place very close to his heart. In fact, he used to live around the corner from the Dublin city centre park, which has hosted some memorable gigs over the past decade, including The The, Burt Bacharach, Pixies and Richard Hawley. "Yes, and my dad still does," he says. "I feel a big connection with the Iveagh Gardens. Having started my life off in Dublin, I went to school in Cork but both are my home. "Iveagh Gardens was always one that was in our sights to play. It has such an unbelievably atmosphere for shows and for an outdoor show in particular, it always captures big energy. It really feels electric there and I couldn't be more buzzing for this show." Like their mates Fontaines D.C., The Murder Capital really are gigging relentlessly. But what is life like on the road for Ireland's most riveting live act? Is it a tale of late night excess or bed at 10pm with a battered copy of The Outsider by Camus? McGovern smiles wryly and says, "I play a lot of pool, I play a lot of pool . . . " The Murder Capital have earned their reputation as one of the most ferocious live acts in the world. They're a band who hammer mere rock `n' roll angst into something far more elemental and meaningful and all eyes are on McGovern, an electrifying and menacing stage presence who looks like he's having an out of body experience when he performs. "No matter how you're feeling you have to find a way to connect with the audience," he says. "It is about the show for us. Because of the nature of our band, I always feel very connected to the songs, very connected to what the music is about and what it is we're trying to express." McGovern and his band mates - Damien Tuit (guitars/sampler), Cathal Roper (guitars/keys), Gabriel Paschal Blake (bass) and Diarmuid Brennan (drums) - first shot out of the traps in 2019 with their critically acclaimed debut album When I Have Fears, followed by 2023's enigmatically titled Gigi's Recovery (a No.1 album in Ireland). Last February, they released Blindness, their starkly atonal, urgent and expressive third album. Recorded in just three weeks in LA, it is a raw departure from the almost poppy Gigi's Recovery and finds The Murder Capital in ambitious form with a lot to say. "On every album we've made, we've always wanted to evolve and not repeat ourselves," McGovern says. "That's a natural state for us. For this album we wanted to understand what first lit the fire under us. We also wanted to make an album that excited us and made room for unpredictability on stage. "We didn't want to overthink anything. We recorded it quicker and we were a bit less harsh on ourselves. It is easy to be cruel to the songs as you're recording. We had to let them be what they are." Two songs from Blindness have become talking points in the past few months - Born Into the Fight, a bloodletting maelstrom about Catholic education, and Love of Country, a blunt rejection of the warped nationalism that reared its ugly head over the past few years in Ireland. Last December, The Murder Capital announced a special 7" vinyl edition of the song, with all proceeds going to Medical Aid For Palestinians as the war in Gaza rages on amid an increasingly loud chorus of international condemnation. In fact, just a few days after I speak to McGovern, The Murder Capital are in the news after their show in Berlin's Gretchen club was cancelled after the venue refused to allow a Palestinian flag on stage, just weeks after Irish rap trio Kneecap had several concerts in Germany and the UK axed. In a statement at the time, McGovern said, "It's not just about national flags, it's about political statements, and to us, this isn't just a political statement, it's a humanitarian statement. It's about people who are dying and are being slaughtered every day and that's happening right now." In a post on social media, the Gretchen club said it was "very sorry" that the show did take place and that it has had a "no national flag" policy for many years. "That means that we do not tolerate any kind of national flags in our venue," the venue said, adding, "We try to be a safe place for many different communities and really believe that music is able to build bridges, beyond borders and nationalities. Therefore, we deeply believe that national flags are not helpful at all." Naturally, it leads onto a question about the ongoing controversy around Kneecap, who have been condemned after historical video footage emerged of them appearing to support Hamas and Hezbollah and urging their fans to attack Tory politicians. It has led to a very live debate about freedom of expression and the limits of artistic licence. Last Wednesday, Kneecap's Mo Chara was charged with a terrorism offence by British police over the alleged display of a flag in support of Hezbollah at one of the band's gigs in London last November. The Murder Capital were among hundreds of signatories of the recent letter defending Kneecap's right to free speech and artistic expression. "Look . . . we did sign the letter because I do believe it was the right thing to do," McGovern says, haltingly. "It's not easy to separate things into completely right, total moral uprightness, I believe, in its essence, it was the right thing to do to sign it and I think there is more nuanced conversation that needs to come from the situation itself. "Obviously, what Kneecap said are stupid things to say. I think they could have very much have been said in jest. Blindboy did a good thing of pointing out that `kill your local' is a memetic turn of phrase, which it is, and is used as a way of protesting against the way landlords treat people in this country, often times you see that spray painted around. "I don't think it means anyone is wanting blood, I don't think anyone is saying it in that way. What was said, `up, Hamas, up, Hezbollah,' are not the best f***ing thing to be saying. I think Kneecap have come out and said that." He adds, "Of the three lads in Kneecap, nobody could say they're trying to cause harm in any way. I think they're standing up for people who don't have a voice and they're doing it again and again and again and they're doing it in a way that is causing conversation to occur." He pauses and says: "It's also weeding out people like Sharon Osborne and her schtick. It's a powerful thing. They're affecting the culture. They will be fine I believe, they'll be fine. I think they'll probably be a little bit more careful with their words. "People get full of adrenaline on stage and say stupid s***. As Massive Attack so eloquently put it, `Kneecap is not the story. The story is the genocide in Palestine'. It is hard to reckon with the fact that this is the world we're living in." It might be said that it is good that music is finding its voice again and having an impact on the culture and politics. "Totally," McGovern says. "There are plenty of bands around the world who are too cowardly to say anything and it's clear as day that there are plenty of them at home as well." Would he care to elaborate on that? "There's no need to. It's obvious." Right now, the stage is calling and it's nearly time for The Murder Capital to once again deliver maximum ferocity. "I'm enjoying being on the road more than ever but I also love being at home," says McGovern. "I'm subconsciously hugging my suitcase as we speak. That's where I'm at." The Murder Capital with special guests Soft Play and Mary In The Junkyard play The Iveagh Gardens, Dublin on 19 July. Tickets priced €39.90 are on sale now through
Sunday World
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
The Murder Capital can't wait for big moment at the Iveagh Gardens
While BIMM was their third level education, The Murder Capital earned their Masters touring with the legendary Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. The Murder Capital singer and songwriter James McGovern tells how Joe Wall of The Stunning played a role in encouraging him to become a frontman in the band. As the group gets set to play Dublin's Iveagh Gardens in July, James also tells Shuffle that he's totally at home in his role as the singer in the band. 'I feel being on stage is a very natural place for me to be,' James says. 'There's never a nervousness…I enjoy it in the way I enjoy eating food. One of the things we never want to do is go through the motions.' It was while in Dublin's BIMM music college, where The Murder Capital originated, that lecturer Joe Wall suggested that James had frontman potential. 'We were doing a cover of Chris Isaack's Wicked Games and I was playing the rhythm guitar and singing,' James recalls. 'I don't know what he saw that day, but he pulled me aside and said, 'I think there's a frontman in you and just consider that.' It wasn't like some moment of revelation for the two of us. So I did and here I am now.' Back with a new album, Blindness, The Murder Capital tell how the benefited from their college days in BIMM. 'I would definitely recommend BIMM to anyone going into music as a career,' bassist Gabriel Blake says. 'The education we got in those four years to focus on being a musician is invaluable, including the business side of being in a band. The lecturers are the lifeblood of that college." The Murder Captial. 'And if it wasn't for BIMM we would have had to rely on fate bringing the five of us together. I guess the reason we got off the ground so quickly is because when the five of us were in the room together there was a collective decision made to rehearse more because there were so many bands around us further down the road and we wanted to get up to that level. 'In the early days of the band we rehearsed from 10am to 5pm every day. We gave up our jobs to just focus on it and really hope that it was going to work out. And that determination and that focus that we had collectively paid off.' While BIMM was their third level education, The Murder Capital earned their Masters touring with the legendary Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. James says: 'Nick was unbelievable…what an unbelievable performer and a very generous spirit who took the time to invite us in for dinner, listened to our record (Blindness) and told us what he thought about the record. Nick is a very open book kind of person and truly born to do it as a performer. The whole band was so sweet and kind. The education we got was invaluable.' The band are forward to their concert at The Iveagh Gardens on Saturday, July 19, with pent up excitement. 'With this album we had to do something special in Ireland,' Gabriel says. 'The birthplace of the band was Dublin when we were in college together and the Iveagh Gardens always felt like a moment for a band, even if it was a band coming from overseas. So we're very excited.' James, who watched Fontaines DC in action at the Iveragh Gardens, adds: 'It contains some amount of energy in it. I couldn't believe the energy for an outdoor space because it's hard to always capture that kind of energy. I love theatres and arenas for the way that they contain energy, but it kind of does the same thing. I can't wait to find out what it's like to play it.'
Irish Daily Mirror
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
'People need to be able to talk about what's going on in Gaza'
Dublin post punks The Murder Capital are gearing up for their 'biggest headline show to date' this summer at the Iveagh Gardens. The five-piece outfit are currently on tour around Europe after dropping their third album, Blindness, earlier this year. The record was penned throughout Europe and recorded in a three-week stretch in Los Angeles. 'It had been a dream of mine to just go to LA in general in my life', The Murder Capital's bass player Gabriel Paschal Blake told the Irish Mirror. 'When I was a kid watching Illegal Civilization skate videos and wanting to hang out in North Hollywood, and for whatever reason, I was just really taken by witnessing in LA from being a kid. 'But at the same time, it was so amazing to have gotten there, but we still had a job to do. 'That was a big thing. I felt the responsibility almost of the opportunity that was in front of me. I was very aware that I was doing something that I've dreamed about since I was a kid, and that just made me lock on. This is an opportunity, a huge one, and it's to be respected in that way.' Last year, the group played a string of dates supporting Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Gabriel revealed that the legendary Australian songwriter 'completely broke down any sort of barriers or hierarchy' when the group first met him. 'It was funny, the two songs that he pointed out,' Gabriel said. 'I think, on the second or third day we came in, and we just went into the canteen to get some lunch, and he was sitting there all on his own, in a beautiful, powder blue shirt. 'He looked amazing… that was the first time meeting him. 'And obviously, I thought that there was going to be... prior to meeting him, he's quite an enigma, he's almost like a character in a story book rather than somebody in real life, but from the jump, he completely broke down any sort of barriers or hierarchy. We were just talking to each other. 'The first thing that he started speaking about was the album, because he went out of his way to hear it before it was out… which, in and of itself, was a crazy feeling. 'But it was funny, the two songs that he pointed out as his favorites were Love of Country and Swallow, which is mad, because those are the two songs that were almost not put on the album. 'It was really interesting that the two that nearly didn't make it were the ones that he liked." The Murder Capital recently joined over 100 artists, including Fontaines D.C., Lankum and Massive Attack, to sign an open letter in support of Kneecap organised by the trio's record label denouncing what it described as a "clear, concerted attempt to censor and ultimately deplatform" the group. 'People need to be able to talk about what's going on in Palestine,' Gabriel said. 'People need to be able to talk about what's going on in Gaza. 'This is as old as the hills, 'don't speak about the abuse that's happening'... 'Everybody just shut up and go along with it and sweep it under the carpet'. 'The thing that's been going around my head a lot is, and through navigating ourselves as a band, through a time like this is Sinead O'Connor, post her SNL (appearance where she tore up a photograph of Pope John Paul II), where she called out the Catholic Church for its abuses in Ireland. She was bullied and everything that happened to her was, it's just catastrophic and horrific. 'After her performance, Joe Pesci was talking about smacking her like and people were laughing at the idea of somebody hitting a woman, because the industry made it okay for people to bully, be misogynistic towards and just degrade her for speaking out about a truth.' 'She's such an inspiration to us,' he added. 'Not only because of her music, but how she carried herself as an artist, and especially as an Irish artist. 'If people can't speak out about atrocities that are happening, then they're just going to continue to happen.' The Murder Capital's third record, Blindness, is out now. The post-punk outfit will play their biggest headline show to date this summer with Soft Play and Mary in The Junk Yard at the Iveagh Gardens in Dublin, on Saturday, July 19. Tickets cost €39.90 and are available on Ticketmaster.
Sunday World
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Irish band Murder Capital have second German gig cancelled over Palestinian flag on stage
"The Palestinian flag itself needs to be on our stage, needs to be as visible everywhere in the world as possible' The Irish band The Murder Capital performed an acoustic set at Rheinpark in Cologne after a second German gig was cancelled over the band displaying the Palestinian flag on stage. The Dublin-based post-punk band was scheduled to play at the Berlin club Gretchen on Saturday, May 10, and Gebäude 9 in Cologne on Sunday, May 11, but both gigs were cancelled. The band said they had hoped 'what had happened in Berlin' when a gig in the German city was also cancelled over the flag 'would be an isolated incident'. "But tonight's venue, Gebäude 9, has also told us that we cannot have the Palestinian flag on our stage,' front man James McGovern said in another video posted to social media. 'We've tried everything we can to find another venue for tonight's show, but it's been impossible. "So we'll be putting on an acoustic show outdoors in a park somewhere this evening.' McGovern continued: "The Palestinian flag itself needs to be on our stage, needs to be as visible everywhere in the world as possible. "These people are being eradicated, being starved, being bombed, and these war crimes and this genocide is being committed by the Israeli state and funded and supported by governments around the world. "Us having a flag on our stage at a rock show is not a political statement, it is a human reaction to a horrific and unimaginable situation. But this is not history, it is happening right now, today. "We stand forever with the people of Palestine. Free the people of Palestine. Love from us." The band later announced the unscheduled park performance on social media, saying "everyone welcome' and urging fans to 'bring acoustic guitars'. The Murder Capital News in 90 Seconds - May 13th The band later shared a clip of them performing their song "Words Lost Meaning." "Free Palestine," the group said in their post alongside the clip. In an video posted to the band's social media accounts on Saturday, McGovern - holding a Palestinian flag - explained what happened in Berlin, "from the band's point of view." McGovern said: 'We pulled into Berlin this morning, we had no idea that we weren't allowed to fly this [Palestinian] flag here today. We found out early this afternoon. "This is from the band's point of view. 'We discussed it for an hour at length, what we should do. We came to the decision that we were not going to take the flag off the stage, that was a decision pretty easily made, but we discussed possible outcomes – what if they decide to cancel the show? We thought about all of you deeply, because we care about you deeply, and I mean that. "And our decision was that we're gonna put the flag on stage.' McGovern said the band discussed whether to switch the Palestinian flag for a banner that said "Free Palestine," but said the venue "wouldn't allow us to do that either." "So it's not just about national flags, it's about political statements," he continued. 'And to us, this isn't just a political statement, it's a humanitarian statement. We've been saying that in interviews for the whole time that we've been speaking about it as people. "It's not all about politics; it's about people who are dying and being slaughtered every day, and that's happening right now. 'So, for us as a band who has had this flag on their stage for countless shows now, it would be the wrong thing for us to do to take it off the stage just so that the venue is kept happy. "We don't agree with that." McGovern continued: 'We wish live music and art and theatre could be free of political discussion and things like that, but as the world as it is, unfortunately, it just cannot be. "That's the way it is. "We'll be back to you as soon as we can. We appreciate all your support deeply, but most importantly, free Palestine.' The Berlin club said in a social media post that they were "very sorry" that The Murder Capital's show did not take place, but said it has had a "no national flag" policy in place for "many years." The Murder Capital has shows scheduled in Belgium, the Netherlands, and France this week and will play their biggest headline gig to date at Dublin's Iveagh Gardens on July 19. In September and October, The Murder Capital is set to play more than a dozen shows between the US and Canada. It comes as several shows have been cancelled in Germany over Irish artists' public support for Palestine. Several gigs by Belfast rappers Kneecap were pulled due to their vocal support of Palestine and an investigation by the counter-terrorism police in the UK over on-stage comments that 'the only good Tory is a dead Tory'. Their headline shows in Cologne, Berlin and Hamburg in September, as well as performances at the Hurricane and Southside festivals in Germany, were cancelled. Irish folk group Lankum had a gig in Leipzig cancelled in November 2023 due to the band's support for Palestine. In April, an Irish citizen was reportedly arrested in Berlin during a pro-Palestinian protest in front of the Irish embassy for leading chants in the Irish language at a demonstration. In the same month, two Irish protesters were facing deportation from Germany after taking part in pro-Palestinian protests. Shane O'Brien (29) and Roberta Murray (31), Irish citizens, were among four, including a Polish and a US citizen, facing deportation.
The Irish Sun
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘We had no idea we weren't allowed' – Irish band breaks silence on having gig in Berlin cancelled over venue complaint
IRISH rock band The Murder Capital have broken their silence after having their gig in Berlin cancelled. The 2 The Murder Capital were set to perform in Club Gretchen in Berlin Credit: Getty Images - Getty 2 The Dublin band made a statement after their show was cancelled However, when the band were setting up the stage on Saturday and displayed a Palestinian flag, as they have done at many shows, venue management informed them that this wasn't allowed. The Murder Capital took to their The band's frontman, James McGovern, told fans that he was just speaking "totally from the band's point of view". In the video, he said: "We pulled into Berlin this morning. We had no idea that we weren't allowed to fly this [Palestinian] flag here today. read more on concerts "We found out early this afternoon. We discussed it for an hour at length, what we should do. We came to the decision that we were not going to take the flag off the stage. "That was a decision pretty easily made, but we discussed possible outcomes - what if they decide to cancel the show? "We thought about all of you deeply, because we care about you deeply, and I mean that." James then discussed why they wanted to put the Palestinian flag on stage. Most read in Celebrity He added: "We put it up at about 2pm as we set up the stage, ready to play. After that, we said: 'We discussed a little bit on and off, would we replace the flag with a banner that said: 'Free Palestine'? They wouldn't allow us to do that either. "So it's not just about national flags. It's about political statements. And to us, this isn't just a political statement, it's a humanitarian statement. Grammy-winning rock singer CANCELS tour in emotional statement after pulling out of a string of gigs – leaving fans devastated "We've been saying that in interviews for the whole time that we've been speaking about it, as people. "It's not all about politics. It's about people who are dying and being slaughtered every day, and that's happening right now. "So for us, as a band, who's had this flag on their stage for countless shows now, it will be the wrong thing for us to do to take it off the stage, just so that the venue is kept happy. We don't agree with that." He then went on to say: "We spoke earlier today about this, about how we wish live music and arts and theatre could be free of political discussion and things like that, but as the world as it is, unfortunately, it just cannot be. 'WE'LL BE BACK' "That's the way it is. So we'll be back to you as soon as we can. We appreciate all your support deeply. But most importantly, free Palestine," which was followed by applause from the crowd. The concert venue in Berlin also posted a statement to their social media addressing the situation. The spokesperson said: "We are very sorry that the show with The Murder Capital didn't take place. "We, as venue, have a 'no national flag' policy since many years. That means that we do not tolerate any kind of national flags in our venue. "This is also written down in our venue specs, so that also artists get to know about that. During the sound check this late afternoon, it turned out that the band had a Palestinian flag on stage. "We asked them to take the flag away, but they decided that for them and their show, this flag is too important to be able to do the show without." "We try to be a safe place for many different communities and really believe that music is able to build bridges - beyond borders and nationalities. Therefore, we deeply believe that national flags are not helpful all at."
