The time is now! The day is here! What time and day I hear you ask? What’s that you say, why am I quoting Les Mis? The second question I can’t answer, but the day is of course your monthly roundup of all the lovely gigs going on locally, and the time is this delightful time of year when bands launch back into tours after Christmas and I am so ready to go to every gig I possibly can this month. I hope you’ll find something you enjoy and join me there! Honourable mentions this month go to the London show of The Naked And Famous’ tour that my friend Max and I booked tickets for during a lecture (priorities), the self described “failed jazz musician, scrambling about for something else to do with his life” David O’Doherty and the incredible, sold-out, Loyle Carner.
Who? Menace Beach+Wild Front+The Manatees
Where? The Joiners, Southampton
When? February 4th
Why? Five-piece Leeds-based rock group Menace Beach formed in 2012 by the former lead singer of Komakino (Ryan Needham) and Liza Volet of Department M. They have a seemingly endless rotating cast of members and have played with everyone from Nick Chantler to Paul Draper, and have just released their second album, Lemon Memory. Their debut Ratworld only came out in 2015 and they’ve had coverage from the likes of Rough Trade and NME. Fun fact: their latest album was written in part to lift the lemon curse plaguing Ryan and Liza’s house. No, really. Joined by Wild Front and The Manatees (I’ve been hooked on their music all week), it’s going to be a super great night. Tickets available here for all of their lemony goodness.
Who? Gaz Brookfield
Where? The Talking Heads, Southampton
When? February 5th
Why? A Bristolian acoustic musician who spends most of his time touring, Gaz won Acoustic Magazine’s ‘Singer Songwriter of the Year’ in 2010 and has toured with Frank Turner, Newton Faulkner and the Levellers, all while selling out The Fleece in Bristol four times (the only unsigned solo artist to do so) and racking up over 1,000 gigs. He played at over 50 festivals in the UK during 2013 and 2014 – from bigger ones like Glastonbury to the smaller Beautiful Days and Bearded Theory. I’m heartbroken that I’ll be missing this gig so if you can make it, you definitely should. Get your tickets here for a lovely acoustic night in a fantastic venue.
Who? Twin Peaks
Where? The Joiners, Southampton
When? February 10th
Why? Twin Peaks won’t tell you any deeper meaning to their name, it just sounds cool (maybe they’re fans of 90s crime dramas?). They’re a gorgeously talented American indie band, a combination of “60s garage rock and the 2010s garage punk sound” who are very Black Lips, Tame Impala and Rolling Stones inspired. Basically they’re another one of those ‘hard to fit into a genre box’ bands which I inevitably end up falling in love with and playing billions of times, and they’re just fantastic. Tickets available here!
Who? Modern Baseball
Where? The 1865, Southampton
When? February 12th
Why? Indie pop Philadelphia band Modern Baseball came together in 2011, beginning as an acoustic duo of Brendan Lukens and Jake Ewald before going to college and being joined by Sean Huber and Ian Farmer. Inspired by a book called ‘Modern Baseball Techniques’ which they found the night they formed the band, they played across their campus in the basement scenes with bands like The Mezingers. They’ve toured with bands like Knuckle Puck, Thin Lips and Joyce Manor, and in autumn 2016 supported Brand New while touring with The Front Bottoms. Despite Brendan Lukens being unable to join the band on ‘Tourope’ because of needing to focus on his health (said in a Facebook post with links to crisis support lines), the tour is set to be incredible and one you won’t want to miss. Tickets available here!
Who? Spring King+Get Inuit+The Big Moon
Where? The Engine Rooms, Southampton
When? February 13th
Why? Post-punk beauties Spring King will be gracing The Engine Rooms with their presence halfway through the month, and we should all be incredibly excited for them, and not just because their supports are incredibly cool, cool enough to make it into the ‘Who?’ section, but because they’re just so cool. They’re this arty punky Mancunian delight who will be sharing the stage with the incredible Get Inuit and retro-rock poppy four pieceThe Big Moon. Guaranteed to be a fantastic night and the fourth night of ‘6 gigs in 6 nights’ week, grab your tickets here if you want a ridiculously cool night with some fab bands.
