By Darren Grayer. Southampton outfit The Surge celebrated the release of their second album over the weekend with a hometown gig at Heartbreakers Bar on Saturday night (1/8/26). Following the success of their 2023 debut Amped, which gained 30,000 streams and received support from BBC Introducing, as well as...
Articles with the Tag Review
Review: Wickham Festival Day 1 – including Red Hot Chili Pipers
By Graham Hiley. The Wickham Festival got off to a sublime start with an eclectic mix of music. The opening day programme reflected the diversity on offer at this popular long-running event in the heart of Hampshire. With sunshine all the way in the run-up, the gates opened on...
Review: Atlantis – Chichester Minerva Theatre
By Graham Hiley. Three stars out of five. The middle of a freak and seemingly never-ending heatwave is probably the perfect time to deliver a powerful warning about the impact of climate change. Atlantis is both hard-hitting and tough viewing as it asks some difficult questions of the audience,...
Review My Fair Lady – Chichester Festival Theatre
By Graham Hiley. Star rating: 5/5. My Fair Lady is one of the all-time classic musicals. For 70 years it has captivated audiences around the world – but has never previously been staged at Chichester Festival Theatre. It is an odd omission given their reputation for putting on top...
Review: Our Man in Havana, Salisbury Playhouse
By Rachel Jones. Images: Jack Merriman. Star rating: 5/5 There is an old theatrical saying that limitations breed creativity, and Salisbury Playhouse’s production of Our Man in Havana is proof of exactly that. Graham Greene’s Cold War satire, part espionage thriller, part political farce and part family drama, is...
Don’t Panic with support from Royals and Hollow Afterthought – Heartbreakers, Southampton
Words: Chris Taylor. Photos: Bella Briscoe. It’s a tough weekend to try to put on a punk rock/emo show. Between the once-in-a-lifetime My Chemical Romance and Bring Me the Horizon concerts in London and Manchester, and 2000 Trees festival in Cheltenham – which always has solid representation from the...
Review: Deacon Blue supported by Lightning Seeds, Southampton Summer Sessions
By Dan O’Farrell. People Come First: Deacon Blue connect. It’s the last night of the Southampton Summer Sessions and The Guildhall Square is as crowded as it’s been all fortnight, but with a slightly more relaxed, mellow mood than my previous visit. It feels like the last day of...
Review: The Importance of Being Oscar, Theatre Royal Winchester
Words by Joy McKay. Photo credit: Marc Brenner. Star rating: 4 out of 5. The Importance of Being Oscar is a play first premiered in Dublin in 1960 written and performed by Micheál Mac Liammóir. It quickly achieved success being shown on Broadway, as an award winning television production...
Review: Billy Ocean with support from Marti Pellow – Southampton Summer Sessions
By Charlotte Ndupuechi. Billy Ocean’s still got it – and then some! Amazing weather, a fantastic atmosphere and a night packed with classic hits combined to make Southampton Summer Sessions, presented by TK Maxx, a truly memorable evening last night (21/6/26). With the sun shining down on an...
Review: Paul Weller with support from Miles Kane, Southampton Summer Sessions
By Darren Grayer. The summer sessions continued last night (20/6/26) with what was for many, the high point of the two weeks, with a headline set from Paul Weller. Tickets sold out weeks ago for an artist who has played such a pivotal part in the lives of a...