Back to the Futour! The Forward Momentum of Millie Manders and the Shut up

CommentaryConcert Review
Written By John Greenwood

I have been looking forward to having a damn good reason to write about and hail the praises of this band for quite some time now.

I think it would be fair to say I am a firm believer in this product.

Lots of the bands we love sing about things that we hold dear to our hearts, that resonate or hit a chord, and are important to us in our worlds and our communities. But few, in my opinion, do it with more commitment and conviction than Millie Manders and the Shut Up (MMATSU)! With two inspirational albums under their belts already, they are by no means new. They are, however, free to be part of a changing of the guard, gaining momentum that has been taking place over the past few years. This phenomenon has become particularly noticeable on my annual visits to the Mecca of festivals in the punk world, Rebellion Festival, held in Blackpool, UK, every August.

It really is a dirty rotten shame that those of us of a certain age are mostly surviving off the memories of our beloved original heroes. We all have our own individual favorites we try to hold on to. The likes of Strummer and Stiv are never to be forgotten but are gone. And the Ramones have literally become the leather-clad "Hells Angels" they presumably always wanted to be. Lemmy rode his “Silver Machine" down the eternal highway. Johnny lost the plot and went MAGA, but wasn't he the one who said, "I don't have any heroes; they are all useless"? Many more have been lost over the years, never to go silent in our hearts and minds.

As a 1977 era punk, I feel that I witnessed and endured a long trek through some very barren decades from the 80s onward, having to survive on scraps here and there and revisiting bands I had maybe dismissed from the original wave of punk that I had to go back and find a newfound respect for. The conviction and the fire simply weren't present in some of those following decades, which could feel like wandering a desert. I'm sure not everybody will agree, but also, I will not be alone with these thoughts. However, I consider the current generation and crop of very varied bands we have spearheading our community to be breathing extra new life into the movement in a way it has not seen since its first inception. Watching them test and push on the boundaries of the establishment, with the same sort of flair and passion that ignited the original scene, brings a tear to my eye and joy to my heart. I feel inspired by them and humbled that I have lived long enough to see it, a bit like watching the grandkids grow up. Bands like Millie Manders & The Shut Up, The Meffs, Bob Vylan, and Riskee & The Ridicule are some of the more compelling cases in this crop of spirited warriors trusted to carry the torch..

Not to insinuate that this is some kind of rehashed 1977 punk, the current pacesetters have definitely evolved the sound(s), but the core of ideals is still intact.

Millie Manders and the Shut Up's brand of cross-genre punk rock is impossible to ignore.

Fronted by Millie Manders, whose staggering vocal dexterity is backed by grinding guitars and some slick horns, invoking some very thought-provoking and catchy lyrics and rhythms that just glue their way into your internal hard drive and have huge appeal on many levels. Their lyrics deliberate on themes of loss, betrayal, anxiety, heartbreak, bitterness, anger, environmental catastrophe, and political unrest. "Thoughtful," "sincere," and "honest" would be other words that would come to my mind, describing this band and their body of work so far.

They are among the most vital and fresh bands I have seen in many a decade of the spittle- and sweat-covered front rows at a myriad of seedy punk rock venues. Their live shows are renowned for the contagious energy and ripsaw dynamic power few others can create. They were my choice for best live band/show of the year in my In Spite Magazine 2025 Awards.

MMATSU are about to head out on the road on the UK tour, entitled "Back to the Futour,"

Millie Manders and the Shut Up! 2026—all photos by John Greenwood

Millie Manders—vocals, guitar, ukulele, and alto sax; Joe Quigley—guitars; Georgina Boreham—bass; and Pete Wright—drums and samples.

I eagerly await their anticipated third album, due out at some point during 2026, and being stuck here on the west coast of the USA, aren't I green-with-envy at all you lucky punks in the UK? By the nature of this testimony, I have made that clear. The original London date at the Lower Third sold out so fast they have had to add a second date in London to the tour. Not being the type of band to just "mail it in" with the same performance on the second night "as many do," 

To quote the band:

"London has been selling so well, we are adding a SECOND DATE! Not only that, but as a result, we naturally want to make our “mini residency” at the Lower Third extra blooming special, so what are we doing?”

Night ONE:

“Telling Truths, Breaking Ties” IN FULL, front to back. Plus a few bangers from album two and maybe a couple of earlier deep cuts.

Supports in the form of All Ears Avow (Pop Riffs for Emo Kids) and Bugeye (Dirty Guitars and Disco Beats).

Night TWO:

“Wake Up, Shut Up, Work” IN FULL, front to back. Plus a few TTBT bangers and a couple of earlier deep cuts.

Supports from All Ears Avow and a yet-to-be-revealed support that we know you will also LOVE.

Come one, come all. This will be special. As special as Dingwalls last year, and we CANNOT WAIT.

If this is the future of punk, it’s in very loud, very capable hands.

Hoodie money tight? Happens to the best of us. You can do your bit to help out by sharing this article with friends, family, and those who would prefer you didn’t.

John Greenwood
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