by Lewis MacLean. Recent English Eurovision contender and runner up Sam Ryder needs no introduction. He will go down in history as the closest we got (since Bucks Fizz) to winning what England generally condisers the most biased and contentious global competition of all. However, enthusiastic Sotonites who turned...
Music
Takedown rock and metal festival returns to Hampshire after 8 year break with SKindred & Sleep Token
Independent alternative-rock and metal festival Takedown will make its return in 2023, landing at Portsmouth Guildhall on Saturday 8th April. After an eight-year hiatus, the much-loved festival is making a comeback with an impressive lineup, a new venue and an outdoor stage added for the first time. Moving from...
Southampton’s Interesting Wallpaper release debut EP
by Anita Foxall. March 2020 was certainly unforgettable for us all. But this is also the date that marked the beginning of Interesting Wallpaper, a Southampton based band who have now released their first EP. Pete Harvey, the lead singer and song writer, explained they started as a trio,...
Review & interview: Dub Pistols, The Brook, Southampton, December 2022
words and photos by Peter Nicholson. This wasn’t the first time the Dub Pistols had played The Brook, in Southampton, but this time it was a sell-out (December 3)! With more than 20 years since the band formed, their history, according to front man Barry Ashworth, reads like an...
Review: Marcus Mumford at The Brook, Southampton – November 2022
words and photos by Peter Nicholson. In all honesty, this wasn’t a gig that I was particularly excited about. Despite it being at my favourite venue, The Brook, Southampton, I suspected it would simply be an artist with an acoustic guitar, playing a short, forty-five-minute set. However, and for...
Preview: Maja Lena, Heartbreakers, Southampton
Having recently released her sophomore album, Pluto, Maja Lena has announced her UK tour, including a date at Heartbreakers bar in Southampton on Saturday 28 January 2023. On Pluto, Maja Lena journeys from the pastoral to the cosmic, continuing her increasing fascination with science fiction and the icy, electronic...
Review & interview: Native Harrow at Vinilo, Southampton
by Sam Wise. Hurrying into Vinilo a few minutes before the scheduled start of Native Harrow’s 45 minute in-store performance, a somewhat forlorn sight greeted me last night (20 November). The duo of Devin Tuel and Stephen Hams were set up in the corner of the generously sized record...
Review: Placebo at Portsmouth Guildhall, November 18
by Joy Richardson. In 1996 Placebo (vocalist/guitarist Brian Molko and bassist/guitarist Stefan Olsdal) hit the indie music scene with the release of their self-titled debut album and tour of the usual venues for the up and coming. There was a real buzz surrounding this band; the major scene at...
Southampton band Delays debut album Faded Seaside Glamour to be rereleased
by Sally Churchward. The 2004 debut album of Southampton band Delays, Faded Seaside Glamour, is being re-released on limited edition vinyl. The album is being released through Rough Trade Records, the label who first signed the band 20 years ago. It is expected that it will be available on...
Review: Paul Young and Los Pacaminos at The Brook, Southampton
words and pictures: Peter Nicholson. During the lead up to The Brook show, I had the privilege of interviewing Paul Young for In Common. So, when I arrived at the Southampton venue for tonight’s gig, I went backstage to say hello to the band before the show. While chatting...