IRISH quintet The Murder Capital will be making their Glastonbury debut on Friday – and the band are looking forward to playing to two packed stages. 

The Dublin post-punk rockers will bring their dark, introspective music to the raucous Woodsies tent (previously named after DJ John Peel) in the afternoon, before taking to the smaller, more intimate stage at Strummerville, the festival's ‘oasis of calm’ located high above The Park.

And the variety their two slots offer is something the band are relishing. 

“We’re as excited as can be,” frontman James McGovern told the County Gazette. 

“It’s always a bit of craic to get to rock two shows out in one day.

“I think the scale of Woodsies will be a very different vibe to Summerville, which we enjoy; we like doing little club shows every now and again and feeling that energy.”

He added: “Live shows are really where we’re at our best.

“We take time to make setlists that have the right flow and bring ourselves and our audience to as many different places as possible.

“It’s mainly about bringing as much energy into that room or tent as possible.”

Their two performances at Glastonbury will follow live shows at Coachella in California, Primavera in Portugal and Medimex in Italy, marking a busy touring season for the band after the release of their sophomore album, Gigi's Recovery. 

“It’s mad. We’re just trying to keep the body and the soul in one place, to be honest,” said McGovern. 

“We get to see some mad places and some beautiful things. The shows have been amazing.”

A concept album dominated by ‘mood and melody’, Gigi's Recovery takes the band in a new direction but has maintained the critical acclaimed enjoyed by their 2019 debut, When I Have Fears.

Popular songs from the new record, such as  ‘Return My Head’, ‘Ethel’ and ‘A Thousand Lives’, add depth and nuance to their live shows.  

McGovern said: “Before the pandemic, we toured our first record.

“It becomes pretty restrictive as you only have those nine or 10 songs to play live. To have the new record has changed the flow of the live set and brings a new energy.

“The two albums play off each other beautifully.”

Since arriving back in Ireland from Italy, the band have been “getting in the right headspace and getting ready for our first Glastonbury jaunt”, which will mark all the members' first time at Worthy Farm. 

“I don’t think any of us have ever been,” said McGovern. 

“There’s plenty of memories growing up in Ireland and watching the BBC and performances at Glastonbury. It’s iconic.

“We’re hoping to see those two stages packed. We’ll bring the show, for sure.”

The Murder Capital (James McGovern, Damien Tuit, Cathal Roper, Gabriel Paschal Blake and Diarmuid Brennan) will perform at Woodsies on Friday at 3.15pm and Strummerville at 9pm.

Their Woodsies set will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer.