THE BIG MOON // SUMMERHALL, EDINBURGH
The Big moon return to Scotland’s capital for intimate show at summerhall
THE BIG MOON PERFORMING AT EDINBURGH’S SUMMERHALL - 29.02.2020
PICTURE BY: | KENDALL WILSON PHOTOGRAPHY
★★★★☆ (4/5)
If there was ever any question over the popularity of guitar bands in the last few years consider this; The Big Moon are on their second round of touring through the UK since releasing their sophomore record at the beginning of January. And they've only gone and sold the place out! Following on from a successful run of shows supporting Bombay Bicycle Club earlier in the month they return to Scotland on the very last - leap - night of February to headline Edinburgh's Summerhall.
Anticipation is palpable with a queue snaking down the stairs and out into the courtyard. Fans are eager to get in early and snag a good position. They're also keen to look the part and the merch table is already busy flogging t-shirts and albums; a positive sign for any artist in the streaming age but especially for new and breaking bands.
There's a big portion of the audience already in place when tour support Prima Queen take to the stage. They don't say much for the first few songs and only really get chatty before the end of the set when they mention that their bassist got dumped 20 minutes before soundcheck - "so rock'n'roll" - and that they put their band name on the drums because they forgot to mention it at previous shows. The mood is light and the band have a great chemistry on stage. Lead vocals are shared between guitarists Louise MacPhail and Kristin McFadden. They have that kind of effortlessly powerful command of harmonies, familiar to fans of boygenius and Alvvays, and with tones and melodies made for summer festival afternoons blissing out under blue skies. It's a gentle kind of warm up set that closes out with Milk Teeth and Mexico and leaves the crowd slightly swaying, slightly nodding, ready for the main event.
From the moment The Big Moon appear there's a buzzing warmth in the room. It's not quite Beatles hysteria but it's damn infectious! They meet that audience energy with the scratchy jangle of debut album opener Sucker which, despite its usual dynamic shifts, remains buoyant throughout. They follow up swiftly with the pulsing disco vibe of Don't Think before settling into a lyrical groove with Take A Piece. The new songs are just as enthusiastically received as those from the band's Mercury nominated 2017 release Love In The 4th Dimension despite being vastly different in both sound and subject matter. Of course in the live setting there's minimal production to hide behind and every catchy chorus and driving guitar feels just as vibrant and raw as it should. Lyrically, Juliette Jackson's direct and literal style is engaging whether lamenting youthful relationships, wrestling inner demons or staring defiantly into the void. Witty couplets cut through the repetitive choruses and reconnect the audience with the characters and emotions at the heart of each song. There's flutes, there's sing-alongs, there's even a Fatboy Slim cover, either side of which Jackson is off the stage and down on the barrier leading "a gentle song with some yelling at the end" (Waves) followed by a riotous crowd favourite (Bonfire). The end comes around too quickly for fans who are vigorous in their applause and even after the last song, after the house music starts playing, are unwilling to accept that there won't be an encore tonight. Naturally it's disappointing for everyone who wanted to hear more from the band but there's something so heartening about an authentic rock performance that elicits such an organic reaction from those present. It's refreshing. It's invigorating. It's healthy. Guitar bands like Prima Queen and The Big Moon are good for the health of the industry.
