By Vicky Greer.
I had planned to write an introduction to this gig guide about how things were, as usual, wrapping up for Christmas in the live music world. Still, the Southampton scene has again proven me wrong with a long list of gigs to go to this month before we all enter our turkey-induced hibernation period. There are shows of all sizes to enjoy, and I reckon you can count on at least one cover of Last Christmas before the month is out.
Here’s what we’ve got in store:
Monday 2nd – Michael Kiwanuka, The 1865
Celebrating the release of his new album Small Changes, Michael Kiwanuka(pictured top) will be performing two sold-out sets in Southampton at The 1865, with a 5 pm set added to keep up with the exceptional demand. If you didn’t know, Kiwanuka has lived in Southampton since 2019, so this is something of a celebratory homecoming set. His folksy, soulful indie rock melds genres beautifully, and even earned him the coveted Mercury Prize back in 2020.
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Monday 2nd – Cumgirl8, The Joiners
New York electro-post-punk outfit Cumgirl8 (or CG8 where censors are at work) will be bringing their incendiary chaos to The Joiners on the very same night if you’re looking for something different. Channelling everyone from Cocteau Twins and the B-52s to Madonna, CG8 are a fresh and exciting voice in post-punk.
More information here
Wednesday 4th – Miles Kane, Papillon
Miles Kane is stopping off at Papillon in Southampton to perform his One Man Band show, which he’s taken all over Europe this year. Joined only by his drummer, this is sure to be a special, stripped-back version of the Miles Kane you know. Renowned for his solo career and his work in The Last Shadow Puppets with Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner, he’s no stranger to Southampton, having made a few appearances at Engine Rooms over the years.
Celebrating his One Man Band album released earlier in the year, this chapter takes him back to his roots with a heavy focus on guitars.
More information here.
Saturday 7th – Séan McGowan, The Joiners
Bringing a very busy week to a close in Southampton, we have another homecoming show from folk-punk voice Séan McGowan. Interestingly, he’s played more than a few festive shows in Southampton, and always seems to be taking to one of our stages before Christmas. This time, he’s bringing the full band to The Joiners to deliver some raw, folk-indebted punk in the same vein as Frank Turner and Billy Bragg.
More information here.
Wednesday 11th – The Jesus and Mary Chain, Engine Rooms
Beginning a trio of huge gigs for Southampton, post-punk favourites The Jesus and Mary Chain are coming to Engine Rooms to perform everything from their beloved debut Psychocandy to their recent offering, Glasgow Eyes. Arriving over 40 years after the band’s formation, it received rave reviews across the board.
More information here.
Friday 13th – The Damned, O2 Guildhall
A spooky date calls for a spooky band, so it’s excellent timing that rock legends The Damned are coming to Southampton to ward off any bad luck. The band are known as pioneers of both punk and goth – The Sex Pistols get all the credit for being the UK’s first punk band, but The Damned actually got in there first. In later albums, they moved to a gothic rock sound that would inspire other artists for decades to come.
All of this innovation makes for a very compelling live show. In fact, after seeing them at a festival in the summer, I was so enamoured that I bought tickets to see them support Stiff Little Fingers just six days later.
More information here.
Monday 16th – Everything Everything, The 1865
Finally, we come to another big show as Everything Everything come to Southampton’s 1865 midway through the month. The genre-spanning Manchester outfit released their seventh album, Mountainhead, earlier in the year. The concept album revolves around a fictional world “wherein all of society is consumed with the building of a giant mountain” and blends indie with synth-pop – definitely worth seeing to round off 2024.
More information here.
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