Here we are back at Bannermans for a bit of punk pop with Millie Manders, but first up we have Death Trails from the North of England, who describe themselves as a bit Punk, Grunge, Ska, and Hardcore. The band definitely have that modern punk vibe with songs like “Live Und Let Live”, which has a great bouncy vibe about it with some killer drums.
I really liked the guitar-laden, almost grungy feel to “You Lose, Good Day”; the pace changes a bit as it opens up slowly before picking up with some killer bass lines and, again, that intense drumming. I think “Animal” was probably my favourite out of their set as it reminded me a bit of fast-paced L7 with some tasty chorus lines. It is not often a punk-style band will do an interesting cover, but I think “Pump Up The Jam” definitely falls into that category, and it was certainly interesting.
The band end a lively performance with the bouncing “Ska Dad”. Go catch them if you are a fan of lively modern punk with a few twists, as the band went down well with the crowd tonight. Muss is a killer drummer, and Luke, resplendent in his bare feet, never stayed still the whole set while nailing those bass lines. His energy was definitely matched by Catlow bouncing about on guitar.
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The main event now with Millie Manders & The Shutup. The band open up with “Fun Sponge”, a bouncy anti-killjoy song; the band are in fine form and Millie has a fantastic voice. There are a couple off their 2017 Obsession Transgression EP with “Bacchus” and the title song, “Obsession Transgression”, in which Millie breaks out the saxophone for this bouncy treat. I do love a bit of brass in a song, and it was definitely one of my favourites tonight.
The intense “Silent Screams”, one of my favourites from their 2020 album Telling Truths, Breaking Ties, was just fabulous with the album brass sections in the background. It would have been killer to have the brass tonight live on stage. The bouncy “Bitter” was killer with some fabulous bass lines and great guitar riffs, along with a bit of fun as Millie split the crowd to see who was loudest.
I have to say I enjoyed the new song “Age Disgracefully”, inspired by all those adverts telling you to change your physique. Another favourite tonight was “Broken Record”, a real bouncy song with fabulous vocals and drums; the brass on the album is killer. The band head into the final stretch with their last three songs, as Millie says “we don’t do encores”, starting with the angst-laden “Your Story” followed by the bouncy “Rebound” with its catchy chorus lines.
The band end the night with “Not Ok”, another brass-laden, fast-paced gem. This was a fantastic set played by a band in fine form, with everyone just bouncing about all night and obviously having fun, as were the crowd who were singing along and having a great time. It was a great, fun night with a lot of songs to make you think about the world we are living in and your own mental wellbeing. Get out there and catch the band when they are in your area; a fun night will be had by all. Until next time.
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Photos by Gary Cooper
