CityLife

Must see: Passion Pit / Ellie Goulding

Passion Pit

It all seems a little bit ludicrous now, seeing Ellie Goulding’s name listed as a supporting artist to a band so firmly outside the mainstream that there’s more chance of Bono admitting he’s not the kind of ambassador world peace is actually looking for than Passion Pit getting a Top 40 hit.

Truth is, though, that the golden girl of the 2010 Sound Of poll is just putting in the hours supporting a Sound Of 2009 finalist. She’s done it before: last year she supported 09 winner Little Boots and leant her skills to Passion Pit, providing vocals on Sleepyhead before her own solo career took off (she was also in college with another 09 finalist, Frankmusik).

This date at the Academy tonight is undoubtedly going to be the final tour she does where she isn’t the headline draw. And so no wonder that she, plus the mighty power of Passion Pit’s particularly wonky electronica, has sold out the Academy some months in advance.

Last year, critics praised the Pit’s debut album, Manners, to the hilt (despite this, it limped to an rather unfair 55 in the charts), but the draw of young Ellie – Critics Choice at the Brits and clearly the girl most likely to spoil Florench Welch’s party in 2010  – is undeniable.

Later this month, she returns under her own steam on March 30 (and for a follow up gig on June 8) after ironing out the creases in her now glitsy live set while she’s just the bill filler.

A cynical bit of scheduling, then, or Sound Of commaraderie in action? You decide.

Academy - March 5, 2010 - SOLD OUT.