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Hello Minnesota!
 Why
should you get to the Big Day Out bright and early to check
out Adelaide’s all girl trio Hello Minnesota!? Because bassist
Hélène Koen has set the challenge: "Be there to see if we make
it through the set."
"I think we can do it without dissolving into giggles," Aliese Millington adds. "People have been surprised that we’ve been chosen for BDO, but if they saw us they wouldn’t be surprised because we’re very tight and very professional. A lot of people have this idea that Sarah [Masters] and I are just giggly girls, they don’t realise how hard we’re working on this."
If the thought of Millington and Masters not giggling for half and hour isn’t encouragement enough, then there’s also the question of what costumes the ladies will be adorning. "We usually have a dress up theme. We’ve been cowboys, Marilyns and pirates," Koen explains. Inside sources hint towards aeroplanes, which means the girls may have been buying up big on grey material and propellers. "We’re really encouraging people to come and have a look. The costumes tie in with the theme of the BDO posters," hints Millington. Along with the costumes comes a special dance routine which Koen says was a collaborative process. "But all the rude moves are mine," pipes up Millington. "And most of them we stole from Kylie Minogue," adds Koen.
However, Millington assures me that the band is tight and doesn’t need gimmicky appeal – that’s just a bit of extra fun. "We’ve been working on the set to get it really tight. We’ve only got a certain amount of time to impress people, so people should get there early to be impressed!"
Hello Minnesota! will be playing on the CAT Essential stage, the same stage as tough kids Poison The Well and Blood Duster which seems an odd choice for possibly the only ‘pop’ band on the BDO bill. "Maybe they’ve mistaken us for ‘Hello Metal!’" Millington suggests. "We’re really excited though because on the posters our name is actually above The Strokes."
"Because we’re on first we’re not playing at the same time as anyone else. We’re competing with ‘the doors’ again, although I think they’re all dead," Masters giggles. Playing first also means they get a proper sound check at the roll ‘n’ roll hour of nine in the morning.
Celebrating their first birthday as Hello Minnesota! on BDO day, the girls have achieved much in only 12 months – a BDO line up spot is certainly nothing to sniff at. ‘They rearranged all the other BDOs so that it would land on our birthday,"Millington asserts. "The Gold Coast were a bit annoyed, but oh well. It’s a big opportunity. A lot of bands from Adelaide that have been part of it have gone on to do bigger things."
"Like who?" Masters asks.
Millington pauses. "Well, I don’t know. Maybe we can be the first, then."
"This is the biggest thing we’ve ever done," Masters declares, to which Millington suggests their Brassy support. ‘No, this is bigger: there’s more booze. For us."
One year on and the band are still content with their choice of name. And the inspiration? "Sarah’s chest," Millington says bluntly, then the three burst into giggles. "It was on an op-shop T-shirt I had. I think it’s the equivalent of ‘SA Great’ in Minnesota," Masters explains. "There’s a lot of pressure to choose a name, but I think if a year on you’re still happy, then that’s pretty good," Koen offers.
People are often stuck when it comes to describing the Hello
Minnesota! sound. While others have made attempts, comparing
them to bubble baths and eating various sweet confectioneries,
the girls find it easier to simply list their instruments and
let people decide for themselves.
"If you just say you’re three girls that do harmonies then people
immediately think of Skulker," Millington says.
Growing up as a Simon & Garfunkel kid (Koen), Led Zeppelin kid
(Masters) and Beatles kid (Millington), the respective members
want to meet Metallica, The Flaming Lips and The Darkness –
and as a band they make pop music that has been compared to
Frenté! Taking these influences into account, it’s easy to see
the dilemma in labeling their sound. Many may have already heard
Forget Boy, a track featured on the MISA compilation
‘Set List’ which has been topping the 3d radio charts for the
past few weeks but if not, be sure to check them out on Friday.
"It’ll be a big, big day lasting till Saturday night and ending
with me leaning out of the Hilton screaming ‘Heeeeey!’’ Millington
predicts.
Cassie Hilditch
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Hello Minnesota! kick off the Big Day Out at 11am on the Essential Stage.
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