The Murder Capital: life on the road with Ireland's most ferocious band
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 Ticketmaster.ie
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