Turn It Up is development opportunity for musicians from Southampton and SO postcodes. Launched in 2024 by University of Southampton music venue, Turner Sims, the inaugural winners of the scheme were folk duo Pegasuses. Supported by funding from Arts Council England, the programme aims to help local musicians turn...
Teenage Waitress – a Rock n Roll Powerpoint on Songs, comes to the Railway, Winchester
Southampton’s Daniel J Ash, who writes and records solo music under the project name Teenage Waitressis putting on a special gig with a twist on in Winchester on April 26. He explains: “As a songwriter of quite a few years, and a lecturer in songwriting at the University of...
Southampton gig guide – April
By Vicky Greer. The sun is out, the people of Southampton are venturing outside again, and we’ve got a stacked line-up of live entertainment coming to the city. I don’t care if I’m getting ahead of myself – summer has arrived, basically. This April, we’ve got some of...
Front Line Assembly come to Southampton this month
Vancouver-based electro-industrial scene legends Front Line Assembly have been pushing the boundaries of their genre for almost four decades since being founded by Bill Leeb in 1986. Exploring beat-driven electronic body music with forays into corrosive industrial metal, the core FLA duo of Leeb and long-term cohort Rhys Fulber...
Free RSA event focuses on what devolution could mean for Southampton
Image: Mike Daish. What does devolution mean for Southampton? What are the benefits for our city? And if a new Mayoral Strategic Authority is created, how can Southampton realise those benefits? All are invited to join the discussion on Tuesday 8th April to talk about the proposal to create...
Reader’s letter: Enough is enough – we reject planned welfare cuts
By Crips Against Cuts. On Saturday 5th April, activists and their disabled allies in Portsmouth will be rallying outside the Guildhall to say ‘enough is enough’ and reject the government’s planned welfare cuts, as well as the proposed changes to assessment for disabled people to access work exemption benefits,...
Opinion: Is Saving Grassroots Venues Enough? Why Ed Sheeran’s campaign for music education is so important
By Christopher Taylor. On 23rd March 2025, Ed Sheeran shared a letter in this Facebook post calling for the Labour Government to ‘repair decades of dismantling music’ through an increase of support for young musicians. His five-point proposal focuses on increasing music provision in schools through increased funding,...
Applause review: Copenhagen, Masker’s Theatre Company
By Charlotte Ndupuechi. The Maskers Theatre does it again! This place really is such a local gem. Copenhagen by Michael Freyn was delivered to such a high standard by the Southampton-based amateur company. Three characters, and three chairs were all that was needed to deliver this highly emotional and...
Opinion: ‘public transport cuts will leave residents cut off from everyday life’
By Susan Dorsett, leaf for Knightwood/Valley Park Campaigners. Written in response to Hampshire County Council rejecting petition and letters hand delivered by disabled bus pass holders in March 2025. This is another devastating, frustrating blow to our disabled residents, not just within Knightwood/Valley Park, but throughout our beautiful, glorious...
Erasure’s Andy Bell comes to Bournemouth on spring tour
Image by Sean Black. Andy Bell has recently shared a new track, ‘Dance For Mercy’, the latest to be taken from his forthcoming solo album, Ten Crowns – set for release on May 2nd. The album coincides with a spring 2025 tour – full details below – beginning on...