York was the penultimate stop on The Big Moon’s current tour of The National Lottery’s United By Music Tour with Music Venue Trust in support of grassroots music venues and where better for them to come but The Crescent.

Review and Photos by Graeme Smith

A former working men’s club, The Crescent has seen a complete turnaround in recent years. Now it’s a venue that caters for all in the community and provides arguably the best stage for alternative acts in a city crying out for a few more. As well as being vital for up and coming local acts, they’ve hosted some big names too. ’00s pop rockers The Big Moon were the latest added to that list.

Judging by the crowd they still have plenty of pull too. The place was packed not long after doors and support act Liz Lawrence had a decent audience to play her soulful indie rock for. She had an impressive range to her sound for a solo act, at times venturing into country but finishing with something Talking Heads would be proud of. Going on how many were singing along to some of her songs, she had audience pull of her own.

With all those who have come since, it’s easy to forget just how good The Big Moon are. Their stage presence oozes charisma and they deliver melodic rock at its finest. With some beautiful harmonies and a lot of swagger, I found their set utterly magnetic.

They played plenty of crowd pleasers, particularly towards the end of the set when the big guns came out. Formidable was a highlight, as were the two track encore – Bonfire and Your Light – where audience participation was a must. Fans of the band may never get a chance to see The Big Moon play in such an intimate venue again and they certainly made the most of the opportunity.

There was just enough time to reflect on the importance of grassroots venues once more. The message is simple: use them or lose them!

Liz Lawrence and The Big Moon played at The Crescent, York on Saturday 16 September 2023.