THE BIG MOON @ THE DEAF INSTITUTE, MANCHESTER [28.04.17]
‘We’re sharing the enjoyment and it’s Friday night and it’s sold out and I have quite high expectations… Maybe I should manage them.’ – said Celia to SCAN before the concert. Considering the number of people queuing for a front row space, you could tell the crowd was equally excited to see one of the hottest UK debut bands perform. The gig was part of the band’s tour promoting Love in the 4th Dimension, and it was The Big Moon’s first ever headline show in Manchester.
Before the main act, we were warmed up with Francobollo’s set. The Swedish band was a weird mix of Noah and the Whale, Dog Is Dead and a sprinkle of LCD Soundsystem. Although the support was not as eventful, the music group had a positive vibe and enough energy to excite people before the headliner, especially with singing the chorus of The Big Moon’s ‘Cupid’.
The show started off with ‘Silent Movie Susie’. With its jumpy indie-rock riffs and catchy chorus, the crowd couldn’t help but sing along, chanting ‘Come back for the summer!’, which immediately showed that Love in the 4th Dimension was made for live performances. The whole set was full of rock ‘n’ roll energy, yet being performed by four down-to-earth girls, who did not play as a stuck-up, experienced band, but as a group of friends sharing their passion for playing music. We also experienced toned-down songs such as a cover of Madonna’s ‘Beautiful Stranger’ or ‘Something Beautiful’ which was performed for the second time ever. However, I much preferred livelier tracks where the band showed their full potential, such as during ‘Bonfire’ where you couldn’t help but shout: ‘We’ll start a bonfire, to make the time fly’.
You could tell how passionate Jules Jackson was about her songs such as ‘Happy New Year’ or ‘Pull the Other One’, where the singer seemed to be sometimes shy and in her own world, yet still remaining absolutely charming. Of course, singles such as ‘Cupid’, ‘Formidable’ and the finishing ‘Sucker’ would loosen up the atmosphere with the crowd’s singing and Jules encouraging everyone to dance. Although the band worked really well together, the bass player – Celia Archer, was the star of the night being mostly engaged with talking in-between songs and jumping to almost every song. Seeing all of the members’ confidence shine, despite being together for only three years, showed that these girls have great potential in the indie-rock scene.
The night was unfortunately quite short, lasting just over an hour. Still, I could not imagine myself spending it better than listening to those four girls from London. The album version does not do justice to how amazing The Big Moon’s songs are. They are a collection of sad stories with sassy and empowering comments. Although I wish to see the band being even more engaged with the crowd, I can see them growing bigger and bigger with every concert, drawing us closer to reliving Jules’s experiences.
