The Fill Ins Return To The Milestone For a Booty-Shaking Good Time

Local Favorites Are Back With New Music and a New Lineup

If you’re a fan of bad-ass rock and roll, full of classic rock and punk influences, the kind that makes you want to get up off your ass and shout, sing along and pump your fist in the air, then you’re probably already familiar with The Fill Ins. But in case you’re not, go ahead and look them up and give them a listen.  You can thank me later because The Fill Ins are everything that’s great about rock and roll complete with catchy riffs, sizzling guitars, grooving rhythms, banging beats, and an added adrenaline shot sure to please. Now, being a fan of the band, this may come as a surprise but I had never seen the band play live. Say what? Yes, it’s true but it seems that something always stood in the way of me getting my behind to one of their shows. So when I heard that The Fill Ins were returning to The Milestone Club for a show with a new lineup and new music, the first thing I did was check my calendar, and thankfully this time nothing was going to get in my way. 

I arrived at the music mecca of Charlotte, the legendary Milestone Club, just in time to check out some tunes from The Ellipses. If grunge is your genre, these are the guys for you. Once they got going, it was easy to imagine you were at the Central in Seattle 20 years ago and I mean that in a good way.

The band is a true power trio based out of Greensboro, NC featuring Julian Creech-Pritchett on drums, Colin Moser on bass, and Ian Waddill on guitar and vocals. Their set was strong both musically and vocally and I can’t wait to hear more from this upcoming band. You can check out a performance of their song “Window” below.

Click Here to Keep Up With The Ellipses and Stream Their Music!

Next up on the stage was the four-piece rock band Self Made Monsters featuring The Fill Ins guitarist Cap Nunn on guitar. These guys are a bit of a mystery to me but one thing for sure is they can rock. The best way to describe them is to throw in some old-school rock, mix it with a bit of punk, and throw in a super intense vocalist for good measure.

Their set was intense and fun as hell.  Self Made Monsters definitely had a vibe all their own and I was digging it. I mean they brought out maracas at one point.  Their new single “Turtle” drops on 11/30 and it is definitely one you’ll want to add to your playlist. In the meantime, you can check out their tune “Creature” below.

Click Here to Keep Up With Self Made Monsters and Stream Their Music!

After a short break, it was finally time for the main event. The Fill Ins hit the stage kicking off the evening with “Something’s Gotta Give” with lead vocalist and guitarist Alex Stiff shaking his booty like no tomorrow. Right from the start, it was clear that we were all in for a wild rock and roll ride. Indeed, “Wild Ride” was up next! Along with Alex, the band is currently made up of lead guitarist Cap Nunn and new drummer Jerry Morris. Appropriately, The Fill Ins had a fill-in on bass for the show with Eric Kisiah slinking the grooves. I’m not sure what the band has in store as far as a permanent bass player, but if you play and like their sound, you may want to hit them up and find out.

Alex’s vocals sounded great as he shook and shimmied and worked the stage like a seasoned pro. Now if you’re new to the scene, I’ll take just a second to point out that guitarist Cap Nunn is beyond amazing, a true rock star talent in case there was ever any doubt. New drummer Jerry Morris seems to be a great fit and gels well with both Alex and Cap who of course have been together since almost the very beginning of The Fill Ins. 

Their set featured a few new songs including my new favorite “Need Your Love,” some classic The Fill Ins tunes, and a few covers including a super cool cover of “Strutter” from KISS. The band really sounded tight and the night was ending all too soon but not before raising the roof with AC/DC’s “Long Way To The Top.” 

What a great night! If you want to rock and roll all night, get your ass to see The Fill Ins asap! 

Click Here To Keep Up With The Fill Ins and Stream Their Music!

Until you can get to a show, listen to “Sugar Coated Cyanide” below!

Set List:

Something’s Gotta Give

Wild Ride

Need Your Love

Strutter (KISS cover)

Personally

Better

Let Me Down

Sugar Coated Cyanide

Long Way to The Top (AC/DC cover)

Click Here For the Full Gallery of the Evening!

If you happened to capture any shots of the night, feel free to tag us on social media at Shutter 16 Magazine and throw in #Shutter16 and #TwitFromThePit for the world to see.