Elliot Minor + Mission District @ Birmingham Academy 2 – 2nd July 2009
Walking into tonight’s gig I am certainly amazed by the amount of teenage girls wandering about. The average age of tonight’s crowd seems to be around 15 years old and as I look around I see that many of them have parents with them standing around looking out of place. One may feel that tonight’s gig is a play pen where the adults have just put their kids into a big square for a few hours! Although it is only half past 7 the place is already absolutely packed and the atmosphere is buzzing and, even though I feel too old to be there, I feel that it’s going to be an excellent night.
Shortly after getting a drink the lights go down and the support band, The Mission District come on stage. They appear to be quite young in age, I’d say late teens at most, so I am not expecting anything brilliant. A band from Montreal, Canada they are very electro pop punk and although their music is catchy it is indistinguishable from any other famous band that is from this genre. Saying this however, the crowd seem very entertained and the band works hard through their set to keep the crowd involved. Halfway through their set they decide to do a Lady Gaga cover which is definitely not my cup of tea (I don’t even know who that is) but the girls seem to have enjoyed it and most knew the words. They also do a Michael Jackson cover which I feel is slightly disrespectful but yet again seems to be a hit with most of the crowd It appears by the end of the set this band have won over the crowd, they’ve certainly hit their target audience. Overall I think they are worth a listen.
As they wander off stage I decide to go for a look around and as I walk into the main pit area the heat hits me and boy is it hot in there! I’m surprised there haven’t been girls fainting everywhere but then again, as a lot of them have parents near by, they will be getting drinks regularly. I also notice quite a few teenage boys have joined the crowd now looking thrilled to be there and obviously anticipating Elliot Minor‘s arrival. I realise that, to these boys, Elliot Minor are good role models. The wait isn’t long though and, as the lights go down, intro music begins to announce the appearance of the band coming onto the stage.
As they kick into Jessica I realise their sound isn’t as crisp as usual, the band are playing brilliantly but the actual sound guy doesn’t seem to have the settings quite right for them. I notice that quite a few of the older people know the words to this one as it is one of their most famous songs. The crowd roar in applause at the end of the song and you can just hear loads of girls screaming. The set runs smoothly from the start and there’s so much jumping and dancing about that the floor is bouncing and it feels slightly like its going to fall through! Time after time was a particularly popular song with the crowd, all of the crowd knowing all of the words. When Ed and Alex realise this they let the crowd sing a chorus for them which thrilled the crowd. In each song they make sure they give the audience lots of eye contact and interaction which is brilliant. When their first new song, ‘The Courtroom’ kicks in it becomes an instant hit with the crowd clapping and dancing along.
The story is the same through the next few new songs and a few people know the words to ‘Discover’, as they sort of released it without it going commercial. Then I see and hear something amazing – at the beginning of ‘The White One is Evil’ the guitarist does an wonderfully brilliant toccata intro and it shows just how talented he is, I stand there in awe at his solo and slightly mesmerised. The crowd seem to feel the same way as me but perhaps don’t appreciate it as much as me as they are still new kids to the music scene and have a lot to learn about good music. ‘Solaris’ is played next and this will be their next single and already looks to be a hit so I won’t be surprised at it hitting the top 10 in the UK charts.
All too soon the set is over though and they walk off stage, but in true band style they come back to do their encore much to the happiness of the girls next to me. They perform one new song first and then they come to ‘Still Figuring Out’ which is one of the best songs in their entire set and the crowd agree with me here, the whole room is bouncing and dancing and just generally going crazy! All in all, it’s an amazing set and, although I feel that down to the age of the crowd the talent isn’t fully recognised, everyone has still had a very good time.
Setlist:
Jessica
Running Away
Time after time
The Courtroom
I Believe
Discover
The White One Is Evil
Solaris
The Broken Mirror
New York
Parallel Worlds
Encore:
Electric High
Still Figuring Out
Review – Shaz R
Photos – Ian Dunn
I enjoyed this review, it was a very energetic gig and as always, Elliot Minor played well. The one part of this review that ticked me off was “perhaps don’t appreciate it as much as me as they are still new kids to the music scene and have a lot to learn about good music.”
What a dig! I’m eighteen years old, and I know full well that Alex’s solo is a version of J.S Bach’s ‘Toccata and Fugue in D-Minor’, and I know many others know this and appreciate it too. Their fans may be young, but don’t underestimate their knowledge or appreciate of the band’s music and classical roots, at all!
I completely agree with Kelly. I’m also eighteen, but I have friends who are fourteen and fifteen who are fans of Elliot Minor, and we all completely appreciate the band’s talent. Just because we’re young, doesn’t mean that we don’t recognise good music or talented musicians when we see them. I have always thought that Alex’s version of Toccata and Fugue is incredible, ever since the very first time I heard him play it, and I know that there’s loads of fans out there who do too. This was a really great gig though, and I’m glad so many people thought so, just don’t mistake Elliot Minor fans for just a bunch of screaming fifteen year old girls who don’t appreciate the music, because I know for a fact that we all do.
I went to this gig, and enjoyed it a lot. But I have some things to pick about with this review. Firstly, there was also a number of guys there, not just 15 year old girls (By the way, I’m 18 too, and agree with both Kelly’s, and Charli’s comments. I adore Toccata so much.) Also, adults also like their music, and I have a few friends older than the band themselves who enjoy their music and live performances.
Oh, and there weren’t that many parents at the gig, maybe no more than 5?
Also, why pick on the fans so much? You’re meant to be reviewing the music and the band.
Oh, and “The Broken Mirror” is actually called “The Broken Minor”
As much as I agree that the gig itself was quite good, I completely disagree with a lot of things in this article. Firstly, you mention a lot of their younger fans don’t recognise good music, and then add that the Michael Jackson cover The Mission District perform goes down well. As someone who’s seen this band a few times whilst on the tour, I can tell you now, the crowd very nearly outsang the band during this cover – hardly disrespectful but clear proof that the legend’s music lives on, even within the young generation.
I found this article very arduous and sordid, a patronizing view on Elliot Minor’s strong and loyal fanbase – a fanbase which are a mere few years younger than the band themselves. Elliot Minor have a fanbase which have grown with the band, and continue to do so. Many are indeed young, but this doesn’t mean they are new to the music scene or indeed that they don’t appreciate the classical roots the band have. Of course ‘older people’ know the words to the song, not because the songs are famous but because they are fans of the band, and are there for a genuine reason. Just because they appear to be older and singing along doesn’t mean they only know the song because it is famous. The Toccata is infamous with ‘Minor, as they perform it in their set and have done on the past tour as well, it hardly goes unrecognised or unappreciated, as it is fantastic work on the guitar and also shows the band’s background.
Elliot Minor are always flawless with their live shows, they put on a fantastic gig for those who only have this one chance to see them live. They are a band which are incredible live, they have a very refined sound on album but live inject energy and add a completely new twist on their live shows and throw in random banter in between. They deserve far more recognition than the media give them, and are completely consistent with their level of energy through out. If they have a brilliant crowd singing back to them – as they are indeed a band that demand crowd interaction – then they will perform top notch as well. I absolutely never get tired of seeing this band live, and they have honestly outshone other bands with a much bigger status.
I have nothing more to add to that. Those comments reflect exactly what I was thinking.
i saw them in july in sheffield. i was mesmerized.
how you can think that being young means you can’t appreciate ‘proper music’ makes me heave.
i got into elliot minor BECAUSE i like Classical Music.
maybe you needed to interview someone actually there. i dont think you got the perspective.