millie manders & the shut up

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Review & photos - Levi Tubman

This is a band I’ve been wanting to see for a long time. I’ve watched too many acts take to the stage and completely electrify a crowd, only for their albums to feel lifeless by comparison like a damp Tuesday afternoon on an industrial estate. Millie Manders & the Shut Up don’t have that problem; their recordings already carry the same intensity as their live shows, so expectations for tonight are sky-high. 

Luckily I got there a little early, before the doors even open there’s a decent queue, the band have a loyal following who want to get in down to the front but the support is also drawing people in early.  You know who you're here to see the moment you're in the venue. As you walk in the merch table is serving more than one purpose, it’s there to raise funds for charity, awareness and to promote sustainability, and support social justice causes, you're greeted with a poster to end Reform UK. This isn’t a stunt, or a band jumping on a band wagon, it’s a core belief of the band. A lot of their lyrics call out injustices in the world, tackling Socialinjustice, Inequality, exploitation and Global humanitarian crises. Often criticised for being too political too left or woke. God forbid music has become more political, Joe Strummer will be turning in his grave! If someone singing about genocide being a bad thing upsets you, you have a lot bigger issues to deal with! 

Opening up tonight are a new band to me,  All Ears Avow. These guys are part of the reason the venues already pretty full and a very bold choice. Without being showing and over the top, the came onto the stage and played as if they were the headlining band. These guys should be out there on their own tour, and a hard act to follow. Catchy high energy riffs combined with a friendly down to earth humility its impossible not to like them! 

The now very eager and excited crowd felt a bit like an extended family, easier with a smaller gig, but around me fans kept bumping into people they knew from other gigs or chats online. Sponges with “fun sponge” written on the, named for the song of the same name. A song about killjoys and energy vampires that didn’t fit anyone in the room. Opening up with said song, Millie was off skanking and bouncing all over the stage. Not just a casual use of the verb, this is someone who could give tigger a run for his money, there’s no letting up from start to finish, I was tired just watching. 

Quickly firing through 3 songs from the excellent 2024 Album Wake Up, Shut Up, Work, we get the obligatory welcome and thanks for coming from the band, thanking the support and selling out of the night. In the middle the UK we don’t often get to be the first or last night of a tour, the last night is bitter sweet, itsbeen fun and its sad to bring it to a close, but as it’s the last everything feels dialled up a notch, it’s the last one so it’s a farewell party!  

No set would be complete without Can I Get Off? A politically charged anthem that expresses frustration and despair at the current state of the world. Culminating in Millie standing on the stage risers, or soapbox if you will, chanting Fannie Lou Hamer’s mantra “No one is free until everyone is free!” to thunderous applause. Yes it’s a little preaching to the congregation here, the majority of the fans know what to expect and feel the same, but a voice shouldn’t be silenced while problems continue. 

You have to talk about her voice! Its every bit as good as the albums, managing to cut through the band, with a rawness to it, managing to convey a full range of emotions. You know just be looking at her or how she sings a single phrase if the songs full of anger, joy or hope, fully leaning into heart on your sleave. In amongst the catchy melodic vocals, there’s a smattering of spoken word sections, helping bring out the story aspects of some songs. 

Backing her up is a band just as energetic, with some gorgeous basslines that made my fingers itch to go home and play mine, with runs and passing notes, its Ska with a little edge, leaning more into punk at times to bring in power and aggression. Following the bass, the guitar mixes up traditional chopped ska, opening up to aggressive punk,  switching up strokes to down, opening up the chords. Im not sure the drums where mic’d up last night, or at least didn’t need to be, hitting them, like it was the last night of the tour, the sharpness of the snare cutting out across the stage tying the beat down with fast runs and aggressive cymbals.  

It’s a fantastic night, I love their music and getting to see them live just cements that. Everything is just that bit louder, that bit brighter, that bit more aggressive and wild. Theres a connection between the band and fans, with Millie kneeling out over the crowd singing to specific fans, the request for audience participation isn’t needed, I don’t think the crowd have missed a single word since the first song. Mixed in are the messages from the band, calling on support their fans to support a range of causes, but looking out at the array or Palestine and Trans flags, with shirts calling out TERF,s in the crowd id say the support is there.  I love this band and would happily watch them any day of the week. 

Sadly the tour is now over but after being treated to some new music tonight it wont be long before they're back out on the road, i'll be there and you   better be too, before tickets sell out. 

1.Fun Sponge  

2. Windows  

3. Shut Your Mouth  

4. Angry Side  

5. Silent Screams  

6. Can I Get Off  

7. Age Disgracefully  

8. Glitter Mix  

9. Obsession Transgression  

10 .R.I.P.  

11. Me Too  

12. Break Stuff (Limp Bizkit cover)  

13. Bitter  

14. Your Story  

15. Rebound  

16. Not OK