With Just A Hint Of Mayhem

Music reviews, gig reviews, fun trivia and extra added random stuff!

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

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 5:09 pm
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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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Love Music Hate Racism (LMHR) – First Gig February 20, 2026

Filed under: News,Observation — justwilliam1959 @ 9:38 pm
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A few regular readers may know that I am now the chair of Love Music Hate racism in York. I have been in this role for just a few months, along with a fabulous team of music loving anti racists! Anyway we have organised our first gig and the press release for that show (which I wrote) is copied below. If you are going, you are very lucky, because it is sold out. But we will be doing more so keep your eyes and ears peeled!

Love Music Hate Racism (LMHR) uses the energy and vibrancy of the music scene to promote unity and celebrate diversity through education and events. Our message is simple; there is more that unites us than divides us; and nothing demonstrates this more than music.
Whatever the genre, music is living testimony to the fact that cultures can and do mix. Music has the power to unite, to give strength and to effect positive social change.
Racism, on the other hand, weakens us; it creates barriers and turns friends and neighbours against one another. Sadly, racism is on the rise in the UK and internationally. We believe that if we work together, we can harness the power of music to stop this destructive force in its tracks.
Our aim is to use the power of music to bring together individuals and communities in a beautiful resistance against bigotry and hatred.


We are utilising the power of music by putting on gigs to raise awareness and support. Our first gig is at the Basement at City Screen on Friday 27th February and it is sold out! It has been badged as Love Punk Hate racism!
It is headlined by young York band Vagabond. They have played the Cavern in Liverpool, opened Mothership Festival in York and are talented and established York buskers. They are a punk band, but they have so much more. It is a solid and curious amalgam of the traditional and the modern. Punk, pop punk, power punk and funky punk.
Second on the bill are the Blair Bitch Project (now named Bitchcraft after a complaint from the horror film franchise). They are an all-girl band who know how to rock. Think Sabbath, Girlschool and Siouxse rolled into one massive sonic onslaught. They conjure some scary, monumental, weird and wonky riffs.
Also, on the lineup we have Sweeping Statement. They encompass post punk and prog in a delightful melting pot of sonic excellence. If you used Artificial Intelligence to create a band that mixed largely unrelated genres and encouraged moshing it might well deliver Sweeping Statement.
Our second gig is scheduled for Friday 27th March, keep your eyes on social media and the streets for more news on that soon!
Finally we would like to thank all the bands for their passion and commitment to the cause by being so willing to give their time and performance for free!

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Pedestrian – Fulford Arms, York – Friday 10th January 2025 January 13, 2025

Filed under: Review — justwilliam1959 @ 9:22 pm
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Four bands in one night is how I kicked off my gig journey for 2025. All at the fabulous Fulford Arms and promoted by Northern Radar. Simon P, head honcho of Northern Radar, has never let me down with his choice of bands. Would tonight be that moment? Read on to find out dear reader. The evening kicked off with the Unnamed Band. It’s not that they don’t have a name, the Unnamed Band is their actual name, genius! They played mostly covers, but they played them damned well. The selection of covers was gloriously eclectic. It ranged from Chuck Berry to the Killers. They also included the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kaiser Chiefs, the Fratellis, and Queen along the way. The band’s original songs are good, but probably need a bit of polishing. Arthur Kay is a great frontman and I believe that this bunch have potential.

Second on stage were Sweeping Statement. I would describe their sound as Post Punk Prog. I suspect that if you used Artificial Intelligence to create a band that mixed largely unrelated genres and encouraged moshing it might well deliver Sweeping Statement. At one point I thought that this band were very good but probably wouldn’t set the world on fire. Then they did a Pixies cover and an original called “Working Man”. Those two blew me away! They also get a bunch of extra points from me for hating Reform UK and GB News. Check them out!

The penultimate band was Birdlands. I reviewed their debut album ‘Season Of Loss’ back in October. I love that album and I have an apology to make to the band. Due to a clerical error it never made it onto Mayhem’s Top 20 albums of 2024. John Peel would have loved Birdlands. They are very much post, post, post, post punk with an added pinch of funk, punk and jazz. The band were on fire. At times, their sound reminded me of David Bowie’s touring band from 1978’s Isolar 2 tour. Frontman Billie’s vocals were a little Bowieesque at times too. Evoking the Bowie of Tin Machine and ‘1: Outside’. Billie’s angular, motorik, Ian Curtis style dancing was a sight to behold. This was an almost perfect set. What would have moved it to absolute perfection? More time! Apparently they only rehearsed once for this show, now that is fucking awesome!

Finally it was time for the headliners, Pedestrian. They might be called Pedestrian but you could never describe their music or performance as such. They absolutely fucking smashed it with their delicious funky, angular art rock sounds. Flo’s vocals are truly ‘out there’ in a simply perfect way. Her performance was powered by some kind of perpetual motion. They have been a band for just over a year and this was, surprisingly, their first headline show. One of their songs gave birth to a mosh conga, I kid you not! Their is a dark funk vibe to some of their songs, particularly the slower numbers, and I love this. There was also some classy threads of Lene Lovich in Flo’s performance too. The cover of the Beatles “She Loves You” was great. Did they perform that one for Battle Of The Bands at the Fully last year? “What’s In The Box” and “Rush Hour” were two massive highlights in an awesome set. The latter turned the funk up to 11. Personally I would not have fancied following Birdlands onto the stage, but Pedestrian blew the fucking roof off. In a sad footnote Pedestrian will be bowing out as a band. (is that why the grim reaper style character was the centrepiece of the gig poster?) This was their penultimate gig. But I suspect that the individual members will go on to new musical projects. I certainly hope so!

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