Recent winners (for good reason!) of the Ultimate Battle of the Bands, Moonlit, headlined Rough Trade Nottingham alongside fellow NTU artists Skunk and Emily Sanders…
Sadly, I arrived too late to catch Emily Sanders’ set, but word around the room was glowing. Described as an R&B-meets-indie-pop artist with heartfelt lyrics and effortless vocals, she’s definitely one to keep an eye on.
As I walked in, Skunk were just hitting the Rough Trade stage - face paint and all, true to their name. Their set was an unapologetic burst of energy: guitar-driven punk that was as loud as it was fun. The lead vocalist, guitarist and bassist all stepped up to the mic at times, adding layers to their rowdy, rebellious sound.
Then came the headliners: Moonlit. This was their first-ever headline show, and they brought the kind of genre-bending confidence you'd expect from seasoned performers. Self-described as "bisexual jazz fusion", they opened with Something About Her, a song about strippers that balanced cheeky honesty with smooth grooves.
Vocalist Aminat charmed the crowd with her candour between songs, even admitting she doesn’t always remember the titles. “Forgive me, I’m just a girl,” she laughed - before launching into a stream of tracks including I’ll Be On Your Mind, Just Friends (a heartfelt fictional story about unrequited love), and Who You Are. The latter was written just two days earlier about a boy who broke up with her mid-process: “But he was broke anyway, so who cares?” she laughed.
The addition of PJ on saxophone has transformed the band from great to brilliant. Introduced warmly as their newest band mate, he shone especially during an instrumental track early in the set. Other highlights included the breezy Again, a bossa nova-style song inviting someone to skip work and stay home - with Aminat assuring us the lyrics were PG.
Daddy’s Girl and the closing track You Got It Girl (described by Aminat as “very gay”) rounded out a diverse and intimate set that made me think that Moonlit would be a perfect fit for a venue like Peggy’s Skylight. Here’s hoping this is the first of many headlining slots to come.
Moonlit performed at Rough Trade Nottingham on 7th May 2025. They will be playing at Splendour Festival in July. Don't miss our interview with the band here.
We have a favour to ask
LeftLion is Nottingham’s meeting point for information about what’s going on in our city, from the established organisations to the grassroots. We want to keep what we do free to all to access, but increasingly we are relying on revenue from our readers to continue. Can you spare a few quid each month to support us?
