It feels appropriate that The Moonlandingz – the mysterious, ever-changing, ‘fictional’ group who toured the land no end in 2025 – decided to round off the year with one final gig on the ‘Mad Friday’ before Christmas.
The Trades Club is sold out for the occasion, full to the brim with people I’ve somehow never seen before. The room feels twitchy. Frontman Lias Saoudi dominates the stage as soon as he stalks on. The energy that surrounds him is charismatic, controversial and addictive. Before the band is even settled a light-hearted ‘come on!’ is shouted from the crowd. This sets Lias off on his first rant of the night. He is seemingly not impressed. It is the first of many spoken interludes.
They finally launch into The Insects Have Been Shat On from their second studio album No Rocket Required. Its energetic and downright bewildering melodies urge the crowd to dance. Lias Saoudi and Jeanie Crystal [of Jeanie and The White Boys] thrust about on stage screeching the vocals out into the audience. The chorus is shouted back at the band, everyone familiar with the setlist. The band is consistently engaging. Between every song there is some form of banter or bickering between either the band or someone in the crowd. Lias then intermittently drinks beer during the funky Black Hanz. Jeanie and Lias’s voices melt together in a moreish manner. The pair’s on-stage theatrics create a spellbinding show.
Next comes I.D.S from Interplanetary Class Classics. The grinding, relentless sound is thrilling to experience live. The band transports you to some Lynchian, nightmare-inducing hellscape. Between the politically sensitive and the drug-addled antics of the group, they deliver finely-crafted music and a performance you simply can’t tear yourself away from. Give Me More does not divert from this path and the almost Daft Punk-esque electronics draw you in. The crowd loves it. Everyone is moving in some way. We are all charmed by the whining, desperate sound of Lias relentlessly singing “give me more”.
The Moonlandingz’ live setlist is unforgiving. There is little time for a breather. It’s piercing and yet immensely pleasing. The only time they stray from the passion-fuelled electro punk is when Adrian Flanagan performs It’s Where I’m From. The ballad, originally performed by Iggy Pop, is complimented by Adrian getting personal with the crowd. In this segment he sings directly to multiple people, instructs us to crouch so he can “piss on our legs” and points an accusatory finger directly in my face. It’s all rather beautiful.
There are many moments during the gig where my understanding of what is happening is tested. At some point, around the middle mark, Lias harasses the crowd about some ketamine, wraps a plastic bag around his hand and enquires about a ‘compressed Louis Theroux’. The cantankerous energy is suffocating. I am quickly won back with the modern classic The Sign Of A Man, which as a song really does beg to be loved. It’s playful, humorous at times and dance-inducing. It’s an immediate crowd-pleaser. Lias’s star status shines during the track; he’s owning every word. The Strangle Of Anna, described as a tale of “trying to convince yourself you’re Lou Reed when on drugs in your twenties”, is a breath of fresh air. The musicality is incredible. The night is wrapped up with the interminable Krack Drought Suite. It’s abrasive, harsh and a perfect way to end it all.
The Moonlandingz, evidently fatigued by a busy year, are still in top form for their final gig of 2025. Past turbulences and breaks have not slowed them but instead propelled them further into the zeitgeist. It’s always a joy.
Words by Poppy Cortese
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