Blancmange will release a career spanning new collection: ‘Everything Is Connected’ on 10th May, following this with a UK tour which comes to Southampton’s 1865 for its final date. Blancmange’s story is one of two distinct chapters. In the early ‘80s they infused the emergent synth-pop scene with oblique...
Southampton folk act Pegasuses has been named Turner Sims’ first Turn It Up local associate
Turn It Up is a new development opportunity for musicians from Southampton and SO postcodes, launched by University of Southampton music venue, Turner Sims, earlier this year in association with SoCo Music Project. Supported by funding from Arts Council England, the programme aims to help local musicians turn up the...
Winchester Poetry Festival renames Winchester Poetry Prize’s ‘Hampshire Prize’ to honour local poet
Winchester Poetry Festival has launched its globally recognised Winchester Poetry Prize for the ninth year – renaming the ‘Hampshire Prize’ as the ‘Kathryn Bevis Prize’. The Winchester Poetry Prize receives around 2000 original and unpublished poems every year from all over the world. The competition judge this year is...
Interview: Southampton singer/songwriter Welly on single Shopping and more
By Lewis Maclean. Southampton-born singer/songwriter – Welly (aka Elliott), is the frontman in a group – Welly – named after the main character (like Scooby Doo), but the other players are Joe and Matt on guitars, Jacob on bass, and Hannah on percussion/synthesisers. Welly no longer lives in/around Southampton...
Review Come from Away, Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
By Graham Hiley. Imagine 7,000 travellers suddenly turning up in your home town – a bit like Southampton when the cruise ships are all in… but without the infrastructure to cope. That was the situation for the small Newfoundland town of Gander (population 9,500) when 38 planes were diverted...
View from the Kingsland: Ruled by hope or fear?
Saints fan column by Nick Mabey. I’ve been wanting to write this for a while, but the games have come so thick and fast that it is been hard to squeeze it in. And Saints’ fortunes have remained tantalisingly unknown throughout. Every match now means something and yet...
Open mic for authors, poets and storytellers
To cater for the growing hub of authors, poets, and storytellers in Portswood, Southampton, which independent bookshop October Books is hosting regular open mic nights. The next one is to take place on Friday, April 19. Whether you’re a poet, playwright, essayist, or novelist, reading your own work or...
Real Climate Solutions screening and discussion tonight
It can be easy to feel overwhelmed in the face of the climate crisis, but Transition groups provide a way to do something concrete to help. Tonight, Transition Southampton is holding a discussion evening based around the Real Climate Solutions videos at October Books in Portswood, Southampton. These six short,...
Review: Caity Baser – O2 Guildhall, Southampton
Pictures: Callum Linklater. Words: Vicky Greer. “This is a big one,” says Caity Baser on stage at the O2 Guildhall at the homecoming show of her Still Learning tour. It’s a full circle moment as she tells us about how she came to this very venue as a...
Willie J Healey comes to Southampton in May on UK headline tour
Image by Hollie Fernando. Willie J Healey’s latest album ‘Bunny’ earned a wave of remarkable critical adoration. The album took his talents to a broader audience with highlights including the BBC 6 Music Album of the Year accolade (as chosen by Guy Garvey), BBC Radio 1 support from Jack...