Unique nostalgia: Minds Idle at Leadmill
Playing their biggest headline show to date, Minds Idle’s sell-out Leadmill gig shows huge promise for the new Sheffield band.
After a seismic sell-out show at The Leadmill's steel stage on Saturday night, you wouldn't believe Minds Idle had only formed during the first lockdown. A couple of years have passed and the Sheffield five-piece have now emerged, ready to share new music and play live. Inspired by retro soundscapes of sixties and seventies psychedelia and indie pop, the quintet embody nostalgia in their own unique way.
If anyone was made to be a frontman, it’s Ted Mitchell. As charismatic as his songs (like opener 'Teenage Residue'), the lead vocalist showed his appreciation for fans and kept everyone swooning – often with stellar dance movements and a tambourine in hand.
Shortly after the band arrived onstage, the ethereal 'Aether' began. Full of sentimentality, the track is a reminder that familiarity can still have its own distinctive sound.
The hook-filled 'This Old House' was a great way to warm up the crowd if they weren’t already caught up in the fuzziness.
The group debuted a couple of new songs – 'D-Day' and 'Postcard' – and performed their latest single 'Spaceman'. This psych-washed track is a sweet homage to Bowie, and there were a few lighters up in the air for this one. Next was an epic cover of MGMT's 'Kids'. Ted introduced the song as “a cover we’ve never done before, and may never do again,” but judging by the crowd’s response removing it from the setlist would be a mistake.
Leadmill’s back room was a fittingly starry backdrop for Minds Idle, and just before the band ended with 'Harry', Mitchell said it was “hopefully the first of many good nights.” The bright, glittery synths of the final track rang out, and fans sang along to every word of their catchiest song. Their closing track eased the lingering Paul McCartney-at-Glastonbury FOMO, and there’s no doubt there will be many more good nights for Minds Idle if they carry on like this.
