Gig Review

Elliot Minor
Mission District, Fox Avenue
Spring And Airbrake, Belfast
26th June 2009
    
          
Elliot Minor                    The Mission District                     Fox Avenue
                                      
Photo Of Elliot Minor © Copyright Craig YoungPassing the venue five hours before doors opened, there were fans already queuing. That’s quite a testament for any band. Elliot Minor have made quite an impact in the last couple of years and their popularity is most definitely not slowing down. Love them or hate them, they draw the crowds and they’re here to stay.

Well, after joining the queue just minutes before the doors opened, there was a definite buzz in the air. Everyone was on a high. I entered the venue. The heat was crazy and the bands hadn’t hit the stage yet. Being an all ages gig, the bar wasn’t serving alcohol but it did supply bottled water for free until they ran out after the first band.

We didn’t have to wait long. The first band of the night was Fox Avenue, an unsigned pop-rock threesome from Dublin who were opening the Ireland dates. Most fans weren’t familiar with them but I’m sure quite a few have checked them out since the show. Their music is the usual sweet sugar pop but they do it well. They gave us an interesting pop-rock version of Lady GaGa’s ‘Poker Face’ which went down well. They are worth keeping an eye on and it would be a shame if they don’t reach the heights of Elliot Minor because they are just as good.

Photo Of Elliot Minor © Copyright Craig YoungNext up came Elliot Minor’s main support for the tour, The Mission District. Hailing from Canada, the came to impress, and impress they did. With their catchy high energy rock, the crowd were soon cheering and singing along. The five guys have that typical pop-rock/indie look and it was easy to see why they were chosen as support for the tour. Not to be outdone by Fox Avenue, they gave us a rendition of Lady GaGa’s ‘Just Dance’ which was great. They said that they threw it together in 5 minutes but it was clearly a well rehearsed routine that they’ve been playing for a while. Nonetheless, they left a great impression but I’m not sure how big they’ll be in the UK since they’ll most likely concentrate on their home market.

Finally, with everyone already covered in sweat, the kings of present day pop-rock hit the stage to a staggeringly loud reception. They have refined their stage act a lot in the last year and it showed. The whole set was fluid and fun, just as it should be. Coming onto stage with the intro for Jessica playing with low light, it was like a world famous rock outfit were coming onstage for a sellout arena show. The fans loved it. They seamlessly played through their back catalogue of familiar hits and added some new ones such as ‘Solaris’, a power ballad which works quite well live. Their sound has developed a rockier edge, including their well known songs, which keeps them very fresh. I really liked the long intro to ‘The White One Is Evil’ which had a huge rock sound to it, not what I expected from them at all.

I was pleasantly surprised by the bands, especially Elliot Minor who showed off another side to them with a fresh rock sound and such a pleasant demeanor on and off stage. They are five very likeable lads who are very good at what they do.

Fox Avenue 4/5
The Mission District 4/5
Elliot Minor 4.5/5

Review By Craig Young

 Elliot Minor


Alexander Davies
Edward Minton
Daniel Hetherton
Edward Hetherton
Alistair Paul

 The Mission District


Mike
Travis
David
Rob
Antoine

 Fox Avenue


Patrick Rhatigan
Dara Quilty
Sean Maxx

 Band Related Links
Elliot Minor Myspace
The Mission District Myspace
Fox Avenue Myspace
 Review Score Code
- Top Cheese
- Brilliant
- Pretty damn good
- Ok I guess
- What Was That?