Live Review: John Moods - Sneaky Petes, Edinburgh 07/12/2022
Taking to the stage in Edinburgh for the first time, John Moods and his band throw everything and the kitchen sink at their performance in the Scottish capital.
Wacky, immensely talented, and self-professed cult leader John Moods’ performance in Edinburgh was everything you would least expect to find in Sneaky Pete’s but like hidden treasure, was a night full of fun, laughs and great music. It's their second Scottish pitstop on the first leg of their European tour which in the new year is headed to Switzerland, France, and just about every city in their stomping ground, Germany. Written a lot like poetry, their sound pushes the boundaries of popular music and is full of experimentation and fun. With everything from a flautist to a grim-reaper groupie, these guys were the embodiment of alternative and kooky artistry.
Warming up the stage was local Edinburgh band ‘Waverley’. They had their debut gig here a while ago and were psyched to be taking to the stage again. Even with a man down, these guys got the energy in the room going. Lead vocalist Donnie has a fantastic tone and sings with loads of passion. Excited to play material they’re set to release on an EP sometime in the new year, they open with ‘An Encore’ and ‘Townside’. The guitar lines, played brilliantly by Leo, immediately hook you in while drummer Rory and bassist Jake head up the rhythm section with ease and style. They bring the energy down with ‘Open Bar’ and as they’re lit in blue hues they showcase the depth of their music - light and shade but filled with passion and emotion regardless. They close their set ‘Missing Things’, one of just three great songs they have out at the moment. As they’re packing up and letting Moods’ crew set up the stage, we chat about how they’re off to record more material next week for the EP. While they haven’t got a clear release date yet and explain that the stuff is still very much in progress, they’re super keen to get it out ahead of all the festivals in the summer. Watching these guys was a joy; the chemistry they have onstage is so warm and genuine and their passion for what they do is infectious. Promising to come to another gig when fellow frontman and songwriter Ewan, who was stuck in London, will make an appearance, it was really exciting to get a glimpse of what these guys are doing and they certainly will be on my radar in 2023.
John Moods’ band begin with ethereal soundscapes, creating ambience and setting the scene. He noticeably is offstage, lurking somewhere at the back of the venue. The sheer amount of stuff onstage is bewildering and raises so many questions about what is to come. Keyboards, drums, multiple synthesisers, guitars, wind chimes, a flute, maracas - these guys really do have everything. John himself walks through the crowd, making eye contact and touching the shoulders of those he passes like some messiah we have been waiting for. The whole thing feels incredibly spiritual and ritualistic. He climbs onto the stage, takes several deep breaths into the microphone and against sounds of birds, insects and running water, welcomes everyone and begins to sing.
They start with ‘New Skin’, a perfect track to open the show. Moods’ tone is buttery smooth and is fascinating to listen to against his eccentric, bubbly and chirpy demeanour. He is full of extremes, something which as the band continues through the set becomes one of their defining and endearing qualities. As the second song begins, they welcome a mysterious figure to the front of the audience. Masked and wearing a long cloak, they introduce this person as ‘Death’, a friend of theirs who has accompanied them throughout the tour. It feels incredibly campy and theatrical and while a bit confused, the crowd are all for it. It's brilliantly fitting that the song they play after this exchange is titled ‘Coming to Life’.
From the get go, the audience is captivated. Perhaps a combination of the shock of what is happening around them along with the music which fills the room, to call these guys psychedelic would be an understatement. This performance is sensorial and you can tell they have put a lot of effort and thought into the aesthetics and ‘feel’ of it. They’re milking the effects and lights guy for all that he is worth and in each song they make full use of the wind and smoke machines. Moods’ hair is its own band member and throughout the set gives main character energy, transporting you to 1970s shampoo adverts. The Sneaky Pete’s stage is tiny but they are all determined to dance along, their erratic movements reflecting the wild music they play. Huge kudos has to be given to the instrumentals in the performance. The flautist in particular is a huge talent, navigating through trills and runs at a stratospheric register. All of the band members play with such effortlessness and moments of improvisation give the impression that the music just sort of comes out of them. There are so many layers to the band which gives their sound so much light and shade. The blending of technical elements with plain-old musicianship is masterful and is a way in which Moods can commentate on the organic and synthetic means of music-making. There is so much intent behind what they are doing and the more you listen and look, the more thought you see behind the performance.
Moods’ lyrics are really interesting to listen to. Reading almost like poetry, they are full of spiritual and religious imagery and talk about everything from the meaning of life and existence to love and human nature. ‘It Ain’t Your Time’ is a particularly brilliant track for this; the upbeat and happy-go-lucky stuff you hear is juxtaposed against lyrics which upon second listening are actually quite dark and philosophical. There’s something very endearing though about how Moods’ delivers these lines - you’re never quite sure whether he is being ironic and its fabulously comical. He has a massive vocal range, something he gets to off with adlibs and scatting in ‘I Wanted You’. Moments when he is joined by backing vocals are really powerful, particularly in sections of the performance where they are isolated and sing with little or no accompaniment.
The chemistry between the band is very sweet to watch. In between songs there is dancing and jokes whereby you as the audience feel as though you are looking in at a group of people in their own world. We are all invited to sing happy birthday to the drummer, something which Moods’ says is ‘all he’s ever wished for’. Theres a lovely moment in ‘Atlantic Stations’ where there is an instrument switcheroo for the bassist and Moods’ puts an echoey tuner effect on his vocals where there’s lots of laughing. The chemistry bleeds into the audience, who by the final song (dedicated to Death, of course) have become part of the stage setpieces. The ending really bookends the whole piece, Moods’ strolls into the crowd and saunters to the back of the venue leaving his band to milk the moment onstage.
While they’re taking a break for Christmas and the new year, the tour is set to continue in the spring. Moods’ explains to me there’s some plans in the future for a release or two but having just dropped an EP he’s wanting to give the material space to breathe before working on new stuff. He’s keen to not give too much away, leaving you intrigued and with a curiosity about what possibly we can expect next.
Words by Kirsty-Ann Thomson
