After two sold out shows in The Limelight, Elliot Minor return to Belfast on Sunday 18th May for an all ages show in Queens University’s Mandela Hall. With four hit singles under their belt, York quintet Elliot Minor have quietly infiltrated the charts and are poised to crash into the mainstream in a major fashion.
Recently praised by Kerrang!, the band have already charted with their debut ‘Parallel Worlds’ and the Top 20 follow-up ‘Jessica’ and the latest hit “The White One is Evil’. ‘Still Figuring Out’ can currently be heard on Radio 1, Kerrang and Virgin Extreme and can be seen on Kerrang, MTV, The Box and The Hits. It’s evident that Elliot Minor are the biggest best kept secret.
Musically, Elliot Minor mix influences ranging from the piano-infused hard rock of ‘Time After Time’ to the sonically charged ‘Parallel Worlds’, which is embellished with grandiose orchestration. They deliver pitch perfect three-way vocal harmonies on the infectious ‘The White One is Evil’ and add an undertone of ultra-melodic punk to ‘Still Figuring It Out’. In the live arena, Elliot Minor perform with an accomplishment that belies their youth.
Davies provides the central thrust of the band’s creativity. A classically trained musician gifted with an innate gift for melody and an ability to turn his skills to whatever instrument he picks up, Alex is the sort of the person for whom music is a life-affirming necessity rather than a mere interest. A highly prolific writer, he has a unique take on life that makes him a fascinating personality and a thoroughly engaging front man. Always eager to express his musicianship in new and creative ways, Alex has the talent to ensure that there’s so much more to come in the future.
Like Alex, the other four members of Elliot Minor are also from classically trained backgrounds. The band’s roots were cemented when Ed Minton introduced his friend Alex, then obsessed with classical music and playing the organ, to the world of rock and riffs. Green Day, Blink 182, Goldfinger and The Ataris all became particular favourites as the duo started writing songs together. But it wasn’t until 2005 that Elliot Minor became a concrete proposition when a chance meeting united them with drummer Dan Hetherton. The line-up was soon solidified with the addition of Dan’s brother Teddy on bass and Alex’s childhood friend Ali Paul on keyboards.
Elliot Minor’s potential was soon recognised and the band departed for the sunnier climates of Los Angeles for three months to record their debut album with producer Jim Wirt ( Incubus, Hoobastank, Something Corporate ) and later mixed by Neal Avron ( Yellowcard, New Found Glory, Fall Out Boy ). It was here that Alex’s varied musical talents came to the fore. Aside from being the band’s creative force and main songwriter, he utilised his classical background to write all of the album’s orchestral arrangements with strings, flutes, organs, synths and choirs all developed by his skills of composition. Alex and Teddy contributed violin and cello to the recording sessions and also called upon the expertise of Eric Rigler, whose ulian pipes graced the scores to Braveheart and Titanic. Elliot Minor’s sound grew cinematic and ever more adventurous as a result.
Elliot Minor have since hit the road in relentless fashion, having headlined countless gigs the length and breadth of the UK and in Ireland. It’s a beneficial strategy as every tour sees the venues becoming bigger, the fans ever more devoted and the reaction all the more frenzied. Their debut album is set for release in late July and if their gigs are anything to go by will sell hard and fast.
myspace.com/elliotminor
CDC Leisure Presents
ELLIOT MINOR
SUNDAY 18th MAY
MANDELA HALL
TICKETS: £12.00
DOORS: 6:30pm
****ALL AGES SHOW**** (no alcohol served)
Tickets on sale now from Katy Daly’s, Queens Union Front Desk, Zavvi & all usual Ticketmaster outlets. Credit card bookings & info: 0870 2434455 or book online at geturticket.com /ticketmaster.ie
