Live Review: The Big Moon - The Leadmill, Leeds 19/09/2022
Human flutes sound as The Big Moon open the doors to the world’s best sorority on the opening night of their “Here Is Everything” tour at The Leadmill in Sheffield.
Embarking on their first post pandemic headline tour just weeks ahead of the release of their brand new album “Here Is Everything”, The Big Moon would have been hoping for things to get off to a smooth start on opening night at The Leadmill but, it appears the universe had different plans for the London four-piece . With crucial equipment stuck in Spain following their show at Our Fest Xacobeo, the band faced a last minute scramble to put on their performance however, with the help of a social media plea and local generosity, they managed to put together an unforgettable night at the legendary Sheffield venue.
Since the release of their previous album “Walking Like We Do”, there has been plenty of change inside the world of The Big Moon, namely for principle songwriter Juliette Jackson who became a mother, giving birth to a son last year. Despite these changes, the band still posses the same resolutely joyful bond that has defined their career to date. Intensely infectious, their energy overflowed from the outset engulfing the Leadmill crowd in communal ecstasy from the very first notes of show opener “It’s Easy Then”.
Being in the crowd at a Big Moon show is like being a part of the world’s best and most inclusive sorority. There is a unique symbiosis that exists between the band and their fans which makes for a truly unique experience and an almost unparalleled atmosphere. With songs such “Take A Piece” and “Cupid”, the interplay between the crowd and stage bordered on electric and provided some of the best moments of the evening.
Throughout the remainder of the performance, the band played through tracks from across their back catalogue, including a number of cuts from their upcoming record. Tracks such as the previously unheard “2 Lines” and “Daydreaming” chart Jackson’s experience of motherhood and its subsequent trials and tribulations. Recounting the moment she discovered her pregnancy and topics such as breastfeeding through the lens of the pop song gives you a measure of the band’s songwriting capabilities and offered fans an exciting taster of what they can expect from “Here Is Everything”.
As opening nights go, The Big Moon’s performance at The Leadmill will certainly be one that lives long in the memory. The nuance of the band’s rig for the evening filled the show with some unforgettable idiosyncrasy’s, no more so than with the opening interplay of flutes on “Barcelona” played by Celia Archer on borrowed flute and Juliette Jackson on human flute, as the bands instruments lay somewhere on the continent. An ironic twist of the fate pulled straight from the Alanis Morissette playbook. All of this, added to the almost palpable energy pulsating through the Sheffield venue made for what was one of the most joyous evenings of live music of the year and one that confirm The Big Moon as one of the best live acts in the UK.
Words by Jordan Corrigan
