Elliot Minor - London Review

I am not generally one for nostalgia - particularly when it comes to music. Perhaps I am not quite old enough to indulge in such yet, or perhaps the fact that my music taste has evolved sustainably over the years means that there is not much of a need for it - but either way I am always on the hunt for something new, and rarely revel in the music of my 'youth'. As such, then, yesterday's trip up to London to catch the York-based five-piece Elliot Minor on their first proper tour since 2010 was something of a rare exercise in nostalgia. The band did play a handful of shows in 2014, all in London, but 2025 saw them return in something of a bigger way - with a five-date UK tour, and an upcoming appearance at Download Festival is also on the cards. Elliot Minor were a band that I got into in 2008, not long before their self-titled debut album came out. I had a few friends who were into them and I got roped into seeing them at The Hub in Plymouth (it may have been called The Hippo at the time, I cannot remember). I have always been more of a hard rock and metal guy, even back then, but I had heard a couple of the band's songs and was intrigued by their symphonic edge, their strong pop hooks, and their occasional harder rocking moments. I really enjoyed seeing them for the first time, then, and I have been a fan ever since. The band were essentially living on the road at this point, as they returned to the same venue a few months later - this time with Elliot Minor in tow. We all went again for a second time - and the second show was likely better than the first. The band's first album is a real classic of that time I think - and Elliot Minor, for me anyway, stood out in a crowded field of pop-punk and emo that did very little for me in general. They were also a band I could share with many of my female friends at the time who were not into rock and metal - so they helped to bridge social gaps and made for some memorable early concert experiences. I saw the band for a third time, this time on my own, in 2009 - at the Phoenix in Exeter following the release of 2009's Solaris. The band's second album is very good, but I do not think that it is as strong as the debut album - but the show in Exeter saw the band even more composed and assured than ever. A year or so later, though, the band slowly slipped away. They really could have achieved greatness, and I am not sure the band have ever discussed why they went away when they did, but apart from those aforementioned 2014 shows Elliot Minor have been on hiatus ever since. It is a shame that they could not capitalise on that early success and become megastars - but there clearly remains a lot of love for the band as this recent sold out tour proves. At first, only the London show was announced - with the other shows added following London selling out so quickly. I cannot remember why I did not see the band in 2014, so last night was my first Elliot Minor concert for 16 years - and was also the biggest of the four, at the grand Koko in Camden. It was a venue that I had not been to for a while, so it was nice to return, and it was great to see a full house for the band's comeback.

Opening the show, though, was Palmist - the first of two support acts. I was not familiar with the band before the show - but the London-based five-piece impressed during their short set, with a distinct and interesting sound which fused a few different genres. Mixing upbeat synth-based pop with engaging hooks, busier-than-expected guitar solos, and the occasional trumpet melody - Palmist's sound was very original despite the band essentially writing upbeat and funky pop songs. Plenty of bands have written such music, then, but the infectious and groovy nature of Palmist's material helped them to stand out - as well as a meatier guitar approach which included a few heavier riffs and some high-octane solos. I liked the approach to vocal harmonies, too. I cannot find a bio of the band so I cannot namecheck anyone here - but the band's frontman, who was active all over the stage, reminded me a bit of Adam Lambert vocally whilst the band's keyboard/trumpet player added lots of melodic harmonies with her sweet voice. I liked the vocal interplay, then, as well as the general vibe of the music - with the strong synth hooks and trumpet melodies adding some further jazzy grooves into the driving pop rock of the band's core sound. There was a lot to like, then, but sadly the band's set was very short. I would not have minded hearing another couple of songs - and the band generally received a pretty strong reception, too, which suggests that others were also into what Palmist were doing. I am certainly going to check out the band's singles released so far - and I would be interested to see where they go from here.

I was much less taken with the main tour support Call Me Amour. Another very synth-heavy band, albeit this time in more of a gothic/pop-punk vein, Call Me Amour reminded me somewhat of some of the more synth-heavy end of bands like Papa Roach - albeit with less weight overall and songs which were generally not all that memorable. In fairness, frontman Harry Radford was a captivating presence, and is certainly made for the stage, but I found his voice a bit lightweight and I also felt that, for a support act, he spent far too much time talking and trying to get the crowd to act in a certain way. Each song just seemed like a vehicle for some gimmick (e.g. jumping with the person next to you, getting down on the floor, etc.) - rather than being well-crafted songs which would naturally elicit crowd interaction. It all felt a little laboured at times, despite plenty seemingly into what Call Me Amour were doing, and I just found it all a bit try-hard after a while - with Radford starting to grate towards the end of the set despite him clearly being a 'rockstar'. The band also rubbed me up the wrong way in the sense that there were some songs where the guitar and bass barely got touched. The band's core sound was largely just synths and drums - and even when there was clearly bass of some description coming out of the speakers the bassist on stage was not playing. The guitars and bass tended to crash in for each chorus, with the synths and drums handling everything else. Bands like this never really feel 'live' as a result - and the ravey synths all just felt a bit old-fashioned at this point. In truth, I was likely in a minority as Call Me Amour received a strong reception on the whole - and it probably shows that bands like Elliot Minor are more the exception to my music taste rather than the rule, meaning that I was something of an 'outsider' at the show.

With the doors opening at 6pm and everything over by 10pm, the changeovers between each band were pretty quick - so it did not seem long before the lights went down and Elliot Minor took to the stage, launching into the up-tempo Jessica whilst doing so. Given that for most it had likely been at least 11 years since they had last seen the band, the atmosphere was electric from the off. Elliot Minor's songs, despite their intricate arrangements and harmonies, are, on the surface, very easy to latch onto. Chorus after chorus was sung loudly back at the band - and the five musicians on stage all seemed quite overwhelmed by the reaction at times. Alex Davies (vocals/guitar) did most of the talking, but the whole band took part in some great banter between themselves and with the crowd - with the whole show feeling like something of a party. Unsurprisingly, given how long they have been away, the band were not as tight as some - but the raw power of the material, which was heavier live, saw them home. No-one minded the odd clunky transition or ropey guitar solo (Davies' solos were the weak link in the evening) when the band was rocking hard and the choruses were flowing - with each song greeted as warmly as the next. One thing that was on-point, though, were those vocal harmonies. Davies sounded great vocally, with Ed Minton (vocals/guitar) adding those trademark harmonies like no time had passed - with the latter occasionally also taking the lead vocally to provide a point of difference. Dan Heatherton (drums/vocals) also added his vocal heft to a few tracks - and there was a choral approach to some numbers as a result. Most of the debut album and half of Solaris was featured over the next 90 or so minutes - with big anthems like Electric High, Time After Time, and Discover (Why the Love Hurts) all hitting the spot early on. Sound-wise, things were pretty much spot on, too. The vocals always cut throughout nicely, whilst the guitars had plenty of heft and the keyboards were very present. Ali Paul (keyboards) often dictated the play with his classically-influenced piano playing - with slower numbers like Lucky Star and The Liar Is You really shining the spotlight on him. Elsewhere the band rocked out harder, though, such as during the riffy Shiver and the bombastic Last Call to New York City - the latter of which was deployed late on in the set. Another highlight, though, was the new single How Does It Feel, which fit in with the classics nicely, but it was perhaps left to the two songs which brought the main set to a close for the biggest reactions up to that point - with the smooth and soaring Solaris seeing perhaps some of the most singing during the evening, whilst set-closer Still Figuring Out was given a bit of a harder rock makeover with a riffy intro and more soloing. A few of the songs were shaken up somewhat with extended intros and outros - and it was good to see the band jam out a bit and not just stick to the formula. There was time for a little more, though, and a three-song encore followed. All My Life, the single which accompanied the 2014 shows was up first - before the pop-punk vibes of Better Than the Courtroom was a real hark back to the late 2000s. It was left to the band's anthem, Parallel Worlds, to finish things up, then, and the bombastic early single filled the room with energy one last time - and it was a great to cap off what had been a powerful night of live music. The setlist was:

Jessica

Electric High

Running Away

Time After Time

I Believe

Discover (Why the Love Hurts)

Shiver

Lucky Star

How Does It Feel

The White One Is Evil

The Liar Is You

Last Call to New York City

Solaris

Still Figuring Out

-

All My Life

Better Than the Courtroom

Parallel Worlds

It was great to catch up with Elliot Minor after so long - and it was good to see the band in such rude and hard-hitting health. At this stage it is unclear what lies in store for the band post-Download - but they did hint on stage that more would be coming. Whether that just means a few more shows or whether more new music is planned remains to be seen - but I hope that something more concrete than a nostalgia tour does materialise, as it would be great to see the band have another proper stab at it.