 
 Passing
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.
 Next 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 |
