It’s approximately 479 degrees and we’re in Mad Cool’s Thunder Bitch tent to watch The Big Moon. By the looks of the ‘gram, the London four-piece have spent the day bobbing about Madrid having the type of wonderful time that a person has when they’re a bonafide Mooner.
“Thanks so much for coming.” Celia yells at the dedicated fans, braving the sweatbox to bounce around to the band’s infectious blend of indie belters. Considering they’re up against At The Drive In on the main stage, there’s quite a crowd forming.
“You all look really hot. In every sense of the word. I like your yellow hats, you look like Bob the Builder” jokes Celia. It’s true though, the freebie canary yellow fedoras being handed out around site do have an air of cartoon construction worker about them. Someone chucks one on stage and whoops are heard when lead vocalist Juliette momentarily pops it on her head.
As the first notes of ‘The Road’ begin to play, we are reminded why this band are just so very special. Juliette shimmies up to Celia, poking her tongue out as they thrash their guitars. As the song draws to a close, the four of them march, like toy soldiers, up to the drumkit surrounding drummer Fern. It’s wonderfully silly.
For song three, they whip out their much-loved cover of ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’. “Now we’re going to play a song by Bonnie Tyler. She’s a cool dude. Would you say she’s Mad Cool? Sing along if you know the words.” And they really do.
‘Formidable’, as always, is a weepy triumph. For ‘Bonfire’, Juliette ditches her guitar and skulks across the front of the stage, playing with the crowd as she whispers the perfect “we’ll start a bonfire/to make the time fly” before exploding into a thrash of noise.
And then, just before everyone melts like wax into the floor, it’s over. “This one’s called Suckerrrrrrrr”. The crowd sing along and sway and wonder how the heck they can be a part of this brilliantly perfect little unit. For half an hour, we were allowed into the Big Moon’s gang and we didn’t want to leave.