Before Millie took the stage at the Cluny, the supporting artists for this tour, Ramona’s Tea Party, set the vibes for the rest of the afternoon. With their incredible stage presence and interactions with the crowd, the Norwegian band conquered the public's hearts. Ramona Lundberg, lead singer of the band, stated, “The crowd were really cool, and they answered all my questions, which doesn’t normally happen, so I’m thrilled.”
When Millie Manders and the rest of her band took the stage, the public became incredibly loud. They opened the concert with the title track of their newest album, 'Angry Side', a fan favourite. They went on to play 'Broken Record' and 'Me Too', one of their most emotional songs.
What really captivated me was the number of times they interacted with the band and how they made the fans part of the show as much as they could. For their song 'Rebound', they sang along with the crowd during the chorus. Afterwards, Millie stated that “Newcastle have been the loudest crowd of the tour.”
Her stage presence is captivating, from dancing around on stage to interacting with her band members and crowd, and her vocals are incredible. To end the show, they performed three songs from their first album, 'Telling Truths, Breaking Ties'.
I have never enjoyed a gig as much as I enjoyed this one. Both bands transmitted nothing but happiness. They danced with the crowd and even interacted with them after the concert, taking pictures and speaking to fans. If they return to Newcastle, I will 100% see them again.
Before the concert, I had the chance to sit down with Millie and ask her some questions regarding the tour and the album. This second album was described as an “unflinchingly honest” album, with some songs with strong criticism.
“I never really set out to specifically write things, or at least I don't often set out to specifically write things. There are maybe two songs where I've sat down and actually fully researched what I wanted to write about, but largely, it just comes from anger one way or another.”
When asked about their live performances, she said they try to make the show bigger and better every time. “It's fun that everybody walks out of the room saying they've had an incredibly fun time; you know, we want people to walk out feeling uplifted.”
“We want to create an atmosphere where people feel like part of a community, not just because they're going to a show.”
She was keen to talk about the Newcastle crowd. She confessed about having her first standing ovation in the Toon: “The first time I ever played in Newcastle, the audience made me cry because it was the first time that a whole audience knew words to my songs.”
After talking about their live shows, we started speaking about the album and what inspired her to write 'Angry Side', the album track that gives name to their tour. “I was a very angry teenager. I had a lot of trauma that I hadn't processed… So, I wanted to address that younger person because those formative years played a part in my biggest mental breakdowns later in life.”
Millie Manders and the Shutup will continue touring the UK until February 13, where they are scheduled to play one of the most iconic English venues, Camden Dingwalls. “When we first booked it, I was like, guys, this is like a really big, really iconic venue," Millie told the Courier. "It's just an incredible thing to see, and not only that, but our whole thing at the moment has been trying to get more women, trans women, and non-binary people into a section of the industry that's so male-dominated."
“The vast majority of the instrumentalists who performed on our album on the stage with us are all going to be women.”
If you still haven’t listened to their music, do it. It’s a beautiful experience.