words and photos by Peter Nicholson.
It’s always refreshing when artists take some chances on support acts, perhaps not going for exactly the same genre as themselves. That was certainly the case with The Lottery Winners’ gig at The Engine Rooms, Southampton (April 28).
Jerry Williams was the first on stage. Her delicate voice and solo guitar was certainly a gentle start to the evening.
We then had almost the polar opposite from Pet Needs, with some unashamed Punk Rock. They boasted boundless energy and an obvious fan base singing the lyrics along with the band.
Originally formed by Colchester brothers Johnny and George Marriott, the band have gone from strength to strength recently, culminating in selling out a huge hometown gig.
When it was finally time for The Lottery Winners to take to stage, Thom (lead vocal and guitar) was clearly as excited as the audience. Hailing from Manchester, The Lottery Winners have enjoyed a meteoric rise and are on the verge of a number one album. Thom joked about what Jessie Ware had said about them earlier in the week. She’d apparently said that she wanted to “bring them down” and get her album to the converted spot ahead of them. There was some fighting talk from Thom, although said with all the humour you’d hope for.
What I love about bands like The Lottery Winners is that they remain humble. The band are obviously excited and thankful of the success they’ve enjoyed. As Thom conceded, it had been through considerable good luck, but their talent and hard work as independent artists can’t be denied. Katie (bass guitar) joked as she likened touring with Thom with “having a toddler on tour”. His energy and excitement was fully on show. It really added to the charm of the gig.
Sharing the lead vocals and showing how a band can capitalise on every part of the talent in the ranks, the set was varied and utterly entertaining. This was the first time I’d seen The Lottery Winners live, and I’m certain it won’t be the last.
- In Common is not for profit. We rely on donations from readers to keep the site running. Could you help to support us for as little as 25p a week? Please help us to carry on offering independent grass roots media. Visit: https://www.patreon.com/incommonsoton
