The Reflex, Galactic Funk Militia, The Levons: Lost Inhibitions, Constellations, Liverpool

Lost Inhibitions

With an odd mish-mash of talented bands, artists and DJs, Getintothis’ Shaun Ponsonby checks out Lost Inhibitions Vol. 1.

This is a weird little event, and a cross-section of audiences who have been brought together that you might not necessarily see in the same room otherwise. There were two stages at Constellations; the garden and the warehouse.

Being February, the garden was pretty damn cold, and the audience outside was pretty chatty; not really paying much attention to the people performing. This was of a slight annoyance, especially given that most were playing acoustically.

There were a handful of acts who are well-known in the city for being quite reliable, such as Thom Morecroft. We just missed Sam Cooke as we entered, so we can’t really comment on his set, although he should probably change his name, lest he is ever mistaken for the legendary soul music pioneer.

The Levons announced that we were watching one of their last ever gigs as a band, and provided one of the highlights in the garden, along with L’Shia (though we could have done without the Jess Glynne cover!). Rootnote, meanwhile, proved to us that the influence of Oasis isn’t going away any time soon, for better or for worse.

Check out our huge 2016 gig calendar, here

The warehouse was much warmer, both in temperature and atmosphere. Bear Growls provided an ever-reliable DJ set warming up for Galactic Funk Militia, playing an undeniably cool mixture of classic Ray Charles R&B and the 70s disco-funk.

Galactic Funk Militia proved to be the highlight. They have only been performing as a unit for a few months, but they are solid, loose and funky. Our photographer approached this writer halfway through their set and just screamed “These are fucking great!” They filled the stage behind the decks, a 15-man assault of guitars, horns, percussion, singers, horns and rappers. Deciding they weren’t quite done when they ran out of songs, they jammed towards the end and kept the crowd grooving.

Unlike most bands in the city, if feels like there isn’t just great songs (especially the make-out anthem Hush) and solid performances, but also strong character and this definitely adds to the overall experience. Perhaps this writer is shooting his load by calling them “the best band in the city”, but I am genuinely starting to believe it.

Headlining in the warehouse was The Reflex, a legendary funk and soul DJ lauded by the likes of Gilles Peterson and Craig Charles. His remixes of classic tunes are tasteful and respectful. There’s no EDM bullshit being added just because it’s popular at the moment, it always feels like an extension of the song, whether it’s Earth Wind & Fire’s September or Michael Jackson’s PYT. The crowd goes nuts at the front, and we couldn’t help but be a part of it.

Overall, it was a great night, but it is still hard to figure out what Lost Inhibitions is all about. The eclecticism is part of the charm, but it also seemed to draw quite a disparate audience, so it will be interesting to see where they take it. Whatever it is, they’ll hopefully take it to the summer where the laid back outdoor acoustic performances would likely be much better suited.

Photography by Getintothis’ Peter Goodbody