…what on earth is the Maths Show?
With poetic storytelling and a genre-blurring sound that drifts between folk, indie pop, alt-country and dreamscape art rock, Milly and The Maths Show is a family-formed ensemble that defies easy categorisation.
Fronted by female vocalist and guitarist Milly Sargeant, the band features a powerhouse lineup of intergenerational talent — Eva Fritz on keys, Dave (Bud) Beckett, on bass, Ziggy Sargeant on drums, and Mitchell Bell on lead guitar. Together, they weave intricate sonic textures and emotionally resonant melodies that echo the haunting beauty of Joanna Newsom, the theatrical depth of Kate Bush, the grit of Gillian Welch, and the atmospheric pulse of Radiohead.
At its core, Milly and The Maths Show is a project born of connection — between family, genres, and between the universal themes of love, loss, grief, rebirth, war, and peace. Their live performances are a rich tapestry of raw feeling and refined artistry, delivering music that both stirs and stills.
Amila “Milly” Sargeant
Amila (Milly) is an Ipswich-based vocalist, composer and advocate. Milly’s music is both grounded in her European folk heritage, and the Latin-American music practices she fell in love with during her Spanish studies and travel. Deeply connected to the Latin community personally and through her work as a community translator and interpreter, she has been performing alongside the Latin diaspora in Salsa, Boleros, Rancheras and other Latin folk styles for over 6 years. Her recent conservatorium studies have opened her palate to the wonders of fusing Jazz with Folk, Classical, and Popular styles. Alongside her community development work and social justice advocacy, Milly is driven by the aim of creating genre-bending, cross-cultural music, to promote healing and positive change: both the personal and the collective.
Eva Fritz
Eva Fritz is a dynamic multi-disciplinary creative, whose artistic journey spans visual art, music and performance. With a passion for expression through diverse mediums, she has carved out a unique space in the creative world.
Her music career is marked by eclectic performances, having fronted indie rock band The Tonights as singer and keyboardist, as well as edgy punk cabaret duo, Shoot The Piano Player, where she performed as lead vocalist, keyboardist, and bassist. She wrote the music score for theatre production The Eisteddford (Lally Katz), where she also performed keys for the season’s shows. She currently performs bass and occasional vocals for high energy punk metal band, Kill Pill. Eva’s first single she wrote for Kill Pill, “Pills for Kids,” has been featured in the soundtrack of Steven Boyle’s horror film “Demon Disorder.” More recently Eva performed bass and cello as ‘Bathory’ in the metal gothic opera, The Tragic Tale of Dr Faustus, produced by David Beckett and Skill Set Productions.
Sam Knutsen
Sam has been performing and teaching cello for almost 15 years. She began studying cello in the Blue Mountains with Barbara Woolley and then went on to complete her Bachelor of Music Performance degree at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2013, after studying with Susan Blake.
In 2012 Samantha performed Schumann's Cello Concerto with the Blue Mountains Symphony Orchestra.
Whilst at the Conservatorium she had the opportunity to play for European cellists Peter Bruns, and later for Pieter Wispelwey.
In 2013 and 2014 Samantha was principal cellist in the Sydney Conservatorium Orchestra, and in 2014 she performed as soloist during the Peter Sculthorpe memorial concert broadcast on ABC Classic FM.
In 2015 she was studying her Masters degree at the Sydney Conservatorium with Umberto Clerici, when she was selected as reserve cellist for Sydney Sinfonia.
Later that year she played as Associate Principal with Opera Australia and Penrith Symphony Orchestra in 'Opera in Paramatta Park.'
After a short break Samantha returned to performing in 2019, in orchestras, and chamber ensembles around the Sydney region: most recently the Town Hall Sunset Festival on ANZAC Day 2021, and in November 2021 as Principal Cellist in November 2021 in a string orchestra and choir.
Ziggy Sargeant
Having completed his schooling in 2024, Ziggy has launched straight into drumming professionally. On top of thrash metal group Kill Pill, known for their dedicated following and stage theatrics, Ziggy brings his versatile and out of the box approach to The Maths Show.
Dave Beckett
With 30 years of experience spanning film, theatre, TV, music, and live entertainment, David brings a unique blend of craftsmanship, storytelling, and performance to the stage and screen.
He has spent decades organizing, managing, and promoting shows while performing as a vocalist, guitarist, bassist, and drummer. He collaborated with industry legends like Robbie James (GANGgajang, Yothu Yindi, Wendy Matthews) and ARIA award-winning producer Magoo. His recent creative direction has led to him playing lead guitar/vocals for the active touring metal fusion band Kill Pill and recently premiering Gothic folk-metal opera The Tragic Tale of Dr Faustus for Brisbane Anywhere Festival.
Mitchell Bell
Mitch Bell is a Meanjin/Brisbane based guitarist and composer currently studying at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Majoring in Jazz guitar performance.
Over the years, Mitch has established himself as a versatile and exciting musician/composer. Having performed in Rock bands, classical ensembles and Jazz outfits in Sydney, Newcastle and Wagga Wagga, in 2022 he moved to Brisbane to study formally under the likes of James Sandon, Steve Newcomb and Chris Stover. He currently performs as a member of the Jazz/Fusion band squibs, The Max Irvin Quartet, The QCGU Con Artists Big Band, Con Alma and leads his own Jazz Quartet, The Mitch Bell Quartet.
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