Flat Moon | With Just A Hint Of Mayhem

Flat Moon – The Fulford Arms – Thursday 26th February 2026 March 8, 2026

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 5:09 pm
Tags: Everything After Midnight, Flat Moon, Fulford Arms, Gents and Ginger, Heartsink, No Cameo, Punk Ass Kids, Sweeping Statement, Vagabond

It had been quite a while since I last saw Leeds Funkateers Flat Moon. In fact it was back in August 2021 when they stepped in to replace YouVee supporting TommyRot at the Vaults in York. So have they got better, stayed the same, got worse? Read on to find out dear reader, because first I need to tell you about the two rather splendid support acts.

First up it was the always delightful Gents and Ginger. I reviewed their album ‘Githerments In Groove’ 18 months ago. Sadly it was just the Gents as Ginger was unwell. But they didn’t let that deter them. They were still cranking the funk dial up high with some dirty, lowdown, bluesy bass heavy jams. I love how this lot are not afraid to use the space between the notes too. At times they reminded me of the early days of iconic Scottish funksters the Average White Band. Their cover of Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” really got the whole room grooving.

Next up it was No Cameo from Leeds. This was funk rock with a hard edge or perhaps math rock on speed. I sensed an occasional nod to the Red Hot Chili Peppers too. The band’s new single “Win A Fortune”is a sonic nuclear explosion with the power to wipe out a small country. No Cameo signed a record deal earlier in the day with the same label that Flat Moon are signed to. Their music won me over easily, but the band chanting “fuck the far right” sealed the deal!

Finally it was time for Flat Moon. This was a fiery, funky mix of the likes of Parliament, Funkadelic and Pigbag. A truly funkbustible combination. Flat Moon can move, they can groove and they can fucking party too! They played a new song (something about a layby I think) which was very special indeed with elements of James Brown and Sly Stone. Can white boys sing the blues? (To paraphrase Deacon Blue). Possibly but this bunch can outfunk the best of them! But it is not just the funk, their salsa and Latin beats are so authentic I thought that I was back in Cuba. The band did a great ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’ skit in the set and it was on a par with classic US comedy show Saturday Night Live from the 1970s. Has there ever been a funk mosh circle before? I have no idea, but there fucking is now!

It was also good to see so many members of great bands past and present in the audience. I bumped into members of Sweeping Statement, Heartsink, Punk Ass Kids, Vagabond and the now sadly departed Everything After Midnight. What a fantastic night!

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Tommyrot – York Vaults – York – Friday 6th August 2021 August 9, 2021

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 6:27 pm
Tags: Eddie Parkinson, Flat Moon, Pleasure Centre, Simon Pattinson, Tommyrot, Where's Slater?, York, York Vaults

This was my first proper non-seated gig for 18 months and it felt great, a little weird, but great nonetheless. First on stage were Where’s Slater? These guys formed while at York University and on their social media they say that they “could be defined as a band, we prefer ‘search party'”. Personally I reckon they are a good band, I have no evidence to say how good a search party they are though. Although I think they were missing two band members so maybe they aren’t ready to be a search party just yet. Anyway they played a barnstorming set the forefront of which was the great vocals from their singer who has a touch of Kurt Cobain spliced with a pinch of Jim Morrison. They did some great covers including Nirvana and Queens Of The Stone Age. But the highlight for me was their quirky and brilliant cover of XTC’s “Making Plans For Nigel”.

Unfortunately YouVee were unable to make it so their last minute stand in was Leeds band Flat Moon. The hit the stage like they owned it. The drummer is one of the finest that I have heard in a long while. That added to booming and choppy bass and Billy Whizz funky guitar made a sound like Parliament/ Funkadelic fronted by Nile Rogers but with a deep rock vibe. Their cover of the James Brown classic “Sex Machine” was off the scale and through the stratosphere. I loved the way they had so much fun with it, even changing it briefly to a funky love song about a washing machine! One of their own compositions, “Demise” I think was late night jazz club in style, and my good mate Eddie Parkinson remarked that the band could do a great take on the theme tune to any Pink Panther remake. Their Hendrix cover was hard heavy and oozed funky blues. So if George Clinton had P-Funk I reckon Flat Moon have F-Punk with their funk sounds supported by a punk attitude. I am now a huge Flat Moon fan!

Pleasure Centre from Sacrbados were next and at the start I thought they sounded a bit proggy, but I mean that in a good way. I think the band have great potential but I don’t think they are quite there yet, not for me at least. The guitarist and the drummer are extremely bloody good at what they do. I felt the vocals were mixed a little low down tonight, which was a shame as it felt like the singer had a good voice, which was more apparent standing near the stage. and I need to explore some of the bands recorded output to get a better feel for them. I mentioned Prog earlier but maybe they are a bit shoegazey too. A hard band to put into a specific genre box.

Finally it was time for Tommyrot who formed while at the Access Creative College in York. I have reviewed a few of their singles before and everyone of them has been great. They are a truly eclectic band who looked like they were having great fun while they were on stage. I once described them as “Weird, wacky, wayward, waggish, witty, wonky, whimsical, wonderfully eclectic, stylistic nut jobs” and having finally seen them live I stand by every word of that. They transfer their recorded work to the live environment incredibly well. The highlight for me was my favourite Tommyrot song “Drugs”, even if you don’t do drugs you need to do that song and you need to become a Tommyrot fan!