It was lovely being back at The Dome — a venue that holds many fond LOUD WOMEN Fest memories for me, as does the Boston Music Room downstairs. (Also: I had forgotten just how many stairs there are between the two. My knees reminded me immediately.)
Katie Malco opened the night with a warm, steady confidence – the kind of presence that explains why Bob Mould keeps inviting her on tour. Her solo electric-guitar set had an understated atmosphere, her lyrics cutting clearly through the reverb without ever leaning into melodrama. She was charmingly funny between songs too which broke the tension just enough to make space for the emotional weight of her songs. A quietly effective and unfussy start.
Then Bob Mould walked onstage, and the energy shifted instantly. London hasn’t had a full-band Mould show in years, and the difference was explosive. His solo sets are powerful in their own right, but the trio format hits like a train.
He tore through songs spanning his solo back catalogue – material that, somehow, keeps growing more potent as he does. Songs from album Here We Go Crazy performed tonight sounded massive. Cuts from Blue Hearts were especially ferocious, with ‘Next Generation’ and ‘American Crisis’ as raw and politically charged as anything he’s written. Mould spoke briefly about the state of his country – the kind of weary fury that rings unsettlingly close to home here too.
No Sugar songs this time (those are coming with next year’s reunion shows), but a generous helping of Hüsker Dü sent the room into joyful chaos. The encore – ‘Something I Learned Today’ followed by ‘Makes No Sense At All’ – was perfection.
Bob Mould remains one of the most commanding performers on the planet. The night was powerful, ferocious, moving, and full of that unmistakable Mould intensity. With Kate Malco setting things up with understated strength, it made for a night that felt both historic and very, very LOUD.