By Darren Grayer. A local musician has teamed up with a bar in Southampton to host a series of open mic nights, with the purpose of providing a platform for other local musicians to showcase their material. Based in Romsey, Charlie Smith describes himself as an alternative acoustic singer/songwriter....
Lulu comes to Poole this May
Pop sensation and bona fide National Treasure, Lulu is renowned for her powerful voice and enduring career having burst onto the music scene in the 1960s with her chart-topping debut single Shout at the age of 15. Last year she played Glastonbury and completed her sold out final tour...
St Patrick’s Day: The rebel consolations of Irish literature
By Benn Orgill. The badness. It’s on the move. It was a long winter – prices rising, plagues lingering, peace talks floundering. And what’s to be done as we watch disaster strike from near and far? Try again, fail again, fail better, as Samuel Beckett would have it. And...
The Magic Mod brings magic show to south this April
The Magic Mod – aka Ben Taylor – is a card magician and entertainer of huge esteem who can proudly count himself as a member of the exclusive Magic Circle fraternity. Born in Crawley in South London, he now lives in Belfast and has previously supported The Libertines, Paul...
Disabled bus pass holders hand-deliverd letters to councillors imploring them not to impose cuts which make their lives even tougher
Disabled residents hand-delivered letters to Hampshire County Council cabinet members in Winchester this week (12 March) in a last-ditch effort to persuade them to cancel planned cuts to their bus passes. The cuts will damage the independence and well-being of thousands of people who cannot drive because of their...
Better joy comes to Southampton’s Joiners on debut UK tour
Image by Carys Huws. This spring – better joy – AKA Manchester-based Bria Keely, embarks on her highly anticipated debut tour of the UK. With 8 headline dates throughout March and April, including a headline London show at Old Blue Last, a hometown show at Manchester’s Night & Day...
Reggae Roast to support UB40 at Southampton date
Live Nation and Cuffe & Taylor have announced that Reggae Roast – one of the UK’s leading Reggae, Dancehall & Jungle Soundsystem crews, will be supporting UB40 in Guildhall Square, on Friday 15th June as part of TK Maxx presents Southampton Summer Sessions. Reggae Roast will be bringing one of the biggest names in UK reggae...
Treacherous Cretins bring the music of Frank Zappa to The Broon, Southampton, next month
Treacherous Cretins, the UK band celebrating the iconic music of Frank Zappa, has announced a performance at The Brook in Southampton featuring the legendary Robert ‘Bobby’ Martin on 20th April 2025. Following a successful UK tour last year with ex-Zappa lead vocalist/keyboardist/saxophonist/French hornist Robert Martin, Treacherous Cretins are set...
Chess mate wanted to play & run ABP Southampton marathon for charity
Kevin Sawers from Bitterne is looking for a mate to play chess with while simultaneously running the 10k ABP Southampton Marathon in April for a charity helping eradicate loneliness. The 47-year-old’s ‘opening gambit’ is to play and run the race in aid of Communicare, which helps vulnerable, isolated people...
Southampton Calling – Welly’s debut album, Big in the Suburbs, is an authentic voice of our city
By Sam Wise. Elliot Hall, the young songwriter whose nickname gave Welly its moniker, is a lightning ball of energy on stage. Having watched the band tear up Southampton’s Heartbreakers in their recent homecoming show, I was fascinated to see how such a high intensity experience would work in...