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Yes!! This is going to be a good night ! prophesied Moon's lead
warbler Noel McCalla to a packed Marquee early on in the proceedings.
And sure enough, brothas n sistas, he did not tell a lie. In fact,
from the moment they nosedived into the first number, Van Morrison's
'Moondance' (subtle eh), you rested easy that the set would be
stylish, assured and ultra-tight.
Since their emergence on
the London pub/club circuit two years ago, Moon have proved
themselves to be ascendant over most of their beer-drinking musical
buddies. They are very much a part of the sixties soul and R&B
tradition but have spiced this up with a sizeable helping from the
jazz world. Little wonder then that they should have chosen to open
with that R&B jazz influenced Belfast cowboy.
The
technical skill of this six man unit borders on the impeccable. The
rhythm section, consisting of Graham Collyer (rhythm guitar), Ron
Lawrence (bass) and Luigi Silvani (drums), provides a bedrock steady
enough to prevent the leaning tower of Pisa from sinking any further.
The only criticism here is levelled at the drums. It
would make for more variety if Luigi diluted his rigidly precise
approach at times in favour of a more loose, suggestive style. Dougie
Bainbridge (congas, flute and alto sax) together with the remarkable
Nicky Payn (tenor sax and flute), whose dexterity equals and even
surpasses that of Kokomo's revered Mel Collins, help join up and
colour the dots laid down by the previously set of gentlemen.
In
spite of a tendency to be jarringly frenetic, Loz Netto (lead
guitar), is a fine soul exponent. Last but no means least, Noel
McCalla sings with a range, control and sensitivity that has not been
heard in British haunts for, dare I say, many moons.
After
the good news, the less good. Though their crisp, meticulous
arrangements speak of long dedicated rehearsals, they end up sounding
too close to one another for comfort. More flexibility, more light
and shade would probably have swung the Marquee audience sooner than
actually happened (ie. In the last couple of numbers when ignition
was finally made and we had lift-off).
As it was the
arrangements were so smooth that it was difficult to maintain a
foothold without sliding off. A pity, since their own compositions,
which take up most of their act ('its getting better' is especially
recommended) are strong. Also a more positive stage presence would
not go amiss.
In particular Noel McCalla, a constant focal
point, seems unsure whether or not to take the plunge and enlist in
the Joe Cocker school of manic handshakes.
Still, a
powerful, sinewy band more than worth checking out. Now with a CBS
contract tucked up their instruments, keep your fingers crossed that
they manage the transition to vinyl successfully - it can often be a
dicey business.
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