Skiddle Review of Leeds Festival 2009 Set

Here is a review of our Leeds set and an interview with Cath Schwarz (who was lovely!) who writes for an online review site called Skiddle…

After this was our first trip over to the BBC Introducing stage for local new-comers Milk White White Teeth. I found them to be 8 refreshingly happy 20-26 year olds enjoying playing fun music which is a mixture of classic harmony’s, Caribbean, African, modern alternative and many more. All of the crowd’s attention was grabbed by singer and guitar player, Michelle’s smile which lasted throughout. Instruments being swapped frequently meant there was no risk of boredom here. I was hooked. I wanted to grab a few questions from the band so we headed off round the back of the stage, I managed to speak to the Stage Manager who very kindly let us in. I asked Jon and Gilly from the band for a quick chin wag and they agreed! I found, through a few questions, but to no surprise, that the band are a group of friends who like varying music styles with Gilly describing their genre as “Messy dancy shit thing”. Some meeting from age 14 in Rippon, North Yorkshire and later friends from uni completed the band. Nowadays they all have jobs, which range from bar and supermarket work to a nurse in a Leeds Hospital. I asked Jon if they had performed at many other festivals. He stated they had only played at Moorfest a local Skipton Festival then Reading and Leeds this weekend with the Leeds audience being the biggest they had seen. Jon also stated they have around an hour and a half of music. With no record deal or tour in the bag the band gave out 3 track cd’s at the end of the gig with Jon telling me he had already given one to Radiohead guitarist, Ed O’Brien, the night before and thinks he may have spotted him in the crowd during their own set. 

The lads were lovely. I said my thanks, took a couple of pictures and walked away still feeling happy from their performance and knowing I would definitely watch them again given the opportunity. There aren’t many bands who can seamlessly cram 11 instruments + drums into 25 minutes.