Gig Review: Millie Manders and the Shut Up +Voodoo Radio, Downstairs at The Dome, London

If you saw Ed McKay’s amazing photos, posted on Joyzine in April, you may be aware that Millie Manders and The Shut Up (for ease I will refer to them as MMATSU in the rest of this review) have been touring the UK over the last month and a bit. If you haven’t seen his photos from their Stourbridge gig, then you can see them here.

I first encountered their music late last year when I reviewed their catchy single ‘Shut Up’. More recently I got to interview Millie about her inspirations and music career so far. So when I got an invitation to come along to one of the final dates on the tour, I was all in.

This night of the tour turned out to be quite an unique one, as not only would MMATSU be playing a full headlining set, but also playing exclusive acoustic of songs from the upcoming album ‘Wake Up, Shut Up, Work’ which isn’t dropping until August.

Having to come straight from work, we just about made it on time for the first set. Already the venue was packed with people, wanting to hear the new songs, so we had to hang back a bit for the time being. But the new songs sounded wonderful acoustic, they still sounded full of life to me which is saying a lot, as I am not usually a fan of acoustic particularly. Maybe it’s because of the depth of the lyrics that it worked so well, as the upcoming album features songs about the ‘Me Too’ movement, feeling angry and despair at the state of the world.

In between MMATSU’s sets, we found a spot at the front and we saw support act Voodoo Radio. The duo are from Cumbria, and uniquely consist of a father and daughter. Paige, is a force not to be messed with on the drums and providing the vocals. Tony is the guitarist. I fell in love with this band pretty darn quickly. Their music being catchy loud rock with a pop edge, and echoes of glam punk. The dynamic between the duo was great, a wicked sense of humour as Paige gave the impression of the embarrassed daughter. Paige was energetic, dancing and pulling all sorts of faces as she drummed and sang. Tony clearly trying to channel his inner rock god as he posed with the guitar. I had never heard them before but I can honestly say they made at one new fan that night.

After a short break, we were then treated to MMASTU’s second set, the full band set. I don’t think I was prepared for just how good this was going to be. As they slayed the stage almost immediately. I’m a new fan, so I’m not familiar with their back catalogue. This sometimes can really matter when I attend a gig, but this time it really didn’t, as the whole set was just so awesome. MMASTU’s music touches upon so many genres, I think anyone would be hard pressed not to like anything they do. Rap, Ska, Rock, Indie, Metal, Punk are all covered.

MMASTU put on a fantastic, passionate show. Millie really has got an incredible rapport with the audience as she intentionally looked into people’s eyes and really knew how to get the crowd going. There was encouragement for dancing, jumping and even a fun audience participation. The whole band looked they were having the time of their life and really love what they do. This energy was infectious, meaning everyone in the crowd seemed to be having the time of their lives too.

The other thing I love about them is their intentional inclusion and their fierce unashamed beliefs. At the bar, signs stated ‘No ableism, no ageism, no fascism, no homophobia, no sexism, no transphobia’. Millie was wearing trainers, one the colour of the LGBTQ+ flag and the other the colours of the trans flag. After song ‘Can I Get Off?’ Millie yelled ‘FREE PALESTINE!’ and afterwards the audience spontaneously started chanting ‘free, free Palestine!’ – It was a powerful moment that will stay with me a long time.

I should probably also mention it was Millie’s birthday, and at some point, the audience with no prompt, started singing Happy Birthday.

I was already started to get interested in what MMATSU were doing, but after that energising and inspiring performance, I’m not only interested but invested. They have a true affinity for their audience, genres to suit many tastes and a real passion for what they do. An incredible live band who are most certainly worth your time.

The set list (for the full band performance)On was:

Intro
Here We Go Again (Black Dog)
Bacchus
Broken Record
Shut Your Mouth
Obsession Transgression
Panic
Me Too
Silent Screams
Angry Side
Can I Get Off?
Poor Man’s Show
Bitter
Right to Life
Burn Out
Glitter Mix
Rebound
Not Okay
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