Luna Marble | Flat Moon | The Prior
Academy 3, Manchester
3rd October 2025

Luna Marble take over Manchester’s Academy 3 and impress with a show that suggests the sky’s the limit from here.

Mesmerising Mancunian rockers Luna Marble pour heart and soul into everything they do and hate leaving anything to chance. From their lovingly crafted music through to their fan engagement, striking stage sets and hand-picked support acts, their workaholic DIY approach is starting to pay dividends. Tonight, however, it seems the rock ‘n’ roll fates are conspiring against them. It’s bad enough that the other Academy venues are hosting several big-hitting rock acts in the very same building, competition you hardly need on an already typically crowded Manchester Friday night. Add to that some equally typical awful Manchester weather, and you start to wonder whether the weeks of planning for Luna Marble’s trademark Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus might meet with scant reward.

The luck doesn’t seem to be changing when opening act, young Manchester band The Prior, encounter a few early sound gremlins, but they ride it out like true professionals and quickly grow into their act. Theirs is a pleasing sound which, in keeping with the mood of the evening, is at times hypnotic with a hint of mysticism. Elements of country, rock and harmony-drenched folk soon become evident in a well-paced and varied set. They even throw in an imaginative reworking of House Of The Rising Sun, which keeps the older members of the audience (and those with a good upbringing) happy. And thankfully, those early concerns are laid to rest as more than a few hardy and enthusiastic souls have already braved the elements to give the opening acts the support and acknowledgement they deserve, setting the scene for a fantastic night after all.

The ludicrously bouncy, over-enthusiastic and gaudily dressed Flat Moon take the stage like a bunch of escaped puppies and immediately demand attention. ‘Manchester Academy 3, make some fucking noise!’ The giddy Leeds-based six-piece feature sax and bongos in their armoury and produce an uplifting fusion of funk, jazz, hip hop, reggae and more funk, to the delight of what is now a proper crowd. Their humour (‘Does anybody want to hear a Luna Marble song played by Flat Moon? Well that’s too bad cos we don’t know any…’), and boisterously choreographed moves only add to the appeal as the party gets into full swing, until they play out with their playfully irreverent anthem, Too Drunk To Funk.

Luna Marble unquestionably have their roots in 70s rock, blues and psychedelia, so it’s a delight to behold a sea of mainly youthful faces bearing witness to the fact that great music never goes out of fashion. And while the band undoubtedly want and deserve to be playing at one of Manchester’s arenas, for their ever-growing legion of fans, it’s the best of all worlds – a great act in an intimate setting at a fraction of the cost. The dreamlike stage is fittingly set for our hosts’ arrival, featuring an array of stars draped from the ceiling, the central mic stand adorned with fairy lights and suitably cosmic backdrop completing the effect. Bedecked in matching black and silver, the musicians take their places as the ethereal intro music reaches a crescendo, closely followed by dynamic singer Maria Rico, who cuts a striking figure in similarly coordinated one-piece.

What follows is a set of old favourites and newer material which simultaneously whisks us back in time while still feeling very much of the moment. An energised rendition of The Ride, the grandiose Sea Of Sorrow and thunderous Redemption are early demonstrations of the sheer power of Luna Marble, with Maria in breathtaking form as that remarkable voice swoops and soars, soothes and snarls, reminding us we’re in the presence of a very special talent. The perfect foil to Maria’s vocals is guitarist par excellence, Dragos Colceriu, a technically accomplished and imaginative player who suffers not one bit in comparison with his influences of yore. Never wasting a single note, he glides between heartfelt blues, subtly soulful passages and bombastic rock with consummate ease, demonstrating an ability to enhance the essence and meaning of the songs with every riff and solo. At times, it’s impossible to look away as his fingers weave their magic on the fretboard.

The crowd-pleasers keep coming in the shape of the smouldering Begging Mercy (that voice again!) and a high-octane, headbanging All Of My Love. But the band aren’t afraid to slow things down, with Dragos providing swooning slide for one of their earliest songs, Mad World, and the beautiful Misbelieving (featuring Maria on acoustic) giving pause for reflection. In the couple of years since LTW last featured a Luna Marble gig, they’ve fine-tuned their act, extended their repertoire and added an even greater degree of confidence and charisma, giving the impression that they are starting to realise themselves just how good they can be. This translates into an electric stage presence, especially as the numbers are tonight augmented by additional keys and backing vocals. A smiling Maria builds a warm rapport with the audience, while Dragos is clearly in his element as he proves he has all the guitar hero moves as well as technique.

The less familiar tracks only add to the enjoyment as Luna Marble keep things fresh, each song an individual firework contributing to the spectacular display. Latest single, the sultry, Western-tinged Crazy Lovin’, has been a live staple for a while and promises to be a huge hit with the fans. ‘Alright, shall we get the party going?’ the buoyant Maria asks, before the band really let their plentiful hair down to the stonking So Long, complete with that authentic 70s organ sound which so suits them and a funky bass workout from the ever-impressive David Grundy. Waves is a real tour de force which allows every member to shine before things are rounded off with another smoking rocker in the form of Running, as Maria takes to the floor to lead the audience in a communal jump and we’re showered in glitter, bringing the triumphant evening to a close.

There’s a sense tonight that Luna Marble have really arrived – that the first chapter is drawing to a close with bigger and better adventures within their grasp. Already boasting a strong enough catalogue to play a full 90-minute set, they release their self-titled debut album on 7th November in celebration of this initial phase. From there on, the sky’s the limit for this prodigiously creative and talented band.

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All words by Robin Boardman. More writing from Robin for Louder Than War can be found at his author’s archive.

All photos by Harry Proctor