Hot Milk are one of the hottest up and coming rock bands in the UK at the moment. If you haven’t heard them before then read on to find out what they were like live, when I had the pleasure of going along to catch one of the shows on their recent UK tour. Arriving at La Belle Angele in Edinburgh I had to already fight through the crowd which were queuing out the door to collect my pass and get into the intimate venue.
Once in the pit I could see people getting excited and I got in position for the first and only support act to take to the stage. Mouth Culture are another band I had heard of but had never listened to or seen live. I am now regretting that decision (conscious or not). The alt rock band from Leicester have made big leaps in the alternative music scene in recent years and are hot off the back of supporting their idols ‘You Me At Six’ on some of their farewell tour dates.
The band came to the stage hard, like they were playing an arena, but I was instantly taken in by them. It was just raw energy and hard-hitting tunes from start to finish. Singer Jack Voss was working the crowd and stage to the max. I felt like I had been transported back to the late nineties/early noughties with their style, or like I was inside a music video on the old Kerrang channel back in the day.
Their sound reminds me of bands like Jimmy Eat World, Finch and Rise Against, and I am all here for it! You can catch them playing Leeds and Reading festivals this August, and you don’t catch them there, I would highly recommend you check out their socials to see where they pop up next. I for one, am a new fan.
Now it was time for the headliners to take to the stage, and as soon as Hot Milk came on, the crowd erupted. The English rock band from Manchester have been around since 2018 but have really taken hold on the scene in the last couple of years. They already have support slots for huge bands like foo fighters and you me at six, under their belts, as well as sets at festivals like Download and Lollapalooza. So, it’s safe to say these heavy hitters are here to stay.
Hannah Mee and Jim Shaw front the band, sharing vocals and guitar alike. Bassist Tom Paton and Drummer Harry Deller are just as noisy and let you know they are there but seem happy to take a back seat while Hannah ‘Han’ Mee struts about the stage with that Brody Dalle type presence that makes you know you’re in the presence of a rock star! The band opened with a new track ’90 seconds to Midnight’ which hadn’t been played live before, a bold choice but the crowd lapped it up.
The next two songs in the pit were a blur as I was trying to make sure I could capture all the action I could. Although the smoke machine was going a little crazy at times (not a fan of when bands use these loads). The word intimate to describe the venue it accurate, as it’s just that. Even in the pit I could feel the heat radiating off the crowd who were packed in like sardines just trying to get a good glimpse of the band on stage.
Every crevice was filled, and people were even pouring out into the hallway, where there was no view of the stage, but they seemed happy none the less to be experiencing the magic of the night. After the inaugural first three songs in the pit, I squeezed and snaked my way through the tightly packed crowd to the back where I got a couple more shots and then got to stand back and just take in Hot Milk, in all their glory.
Another couple songs down and they debuted another new track ‘Insubordinate England’ and Hannah asked the audience to just pretend like they had heard it before which of course everyone did. However, a highlight for me was when they played Breathing underwater as I love this song, and it was just as good live as it is when I listen to it on my earphones.
Nearer the end of their set, Hannah took to the mic and addressed the crowd to say how grateful they were as they hadn’t played live in while, and that this was the best welcome back to performing live that they could’ve imagined. Then without her V-Shaped electric strapped to her, Han got visibly emotional as she went around the stage hugging vocalist Jim and bassist Tom. Although, this might have also been partly due to exhaustion from all the bouncing and jumping around stage she had been doing as she leaned on their shoulders.
The night ended early at around 9.30ish, which I was surprised at but then they had squeezed a lot into their time on stage. Finishing with an encore, the band finished with one final song ‘Glass Spiders’ and the Scottish revellers left the gig sweaty and satisfied…what more can you ask for really? Hot Milk’s new album ‘Corporation P.O.P’ is out 27th June which you can pre-order now for an exclusive tour pre-sale code.
Words: Laura Muraska-Ross (Lightnin Rose Media)