Last weekend, on 30/31 January, Southampton hosted the So Young Weekender, a two-night celebration of independent music held across two venues. The event opened on Friday at Suburbia before moving to Papillon on Saturday, bringing So Young Live’s carefully curated programme to the city. Run by the London-based independent magazine “So Young”, which was founded in 2014, So Young Live extends the publication’s long-standing commitment to championing emerging artists through live shows beyond the capital.
Friday night at Suburbia began with a perfectly timed arrival, just as Tooth launched into their set. Fresh from releasing their debut single, “The Age of Innocence”, the night before, the atmosphere was buzzing, helped by the fact the entire “Weekender” had sold out. The room was packed as the band tore through a loud, guitar-heavy set that leaned into a gritty grunge sound, delivered with tonnes of energy. For a band still early in their journey, Tooth looked completely at home on stage, and the reaction said it all. They finished with an impressed crowd and a steady stream of people heading straight for the merch stand afterwards, clearly picking up a few new fans after their performance.
Closing out the night were headliners Man/Woman/Chainsaw, who proved exactly why their name has been cropping up on festival lineups over the past year. From the start, it was clear there were fans in the room who knew every word, singing along from the front as the six-piece squeezed tightly onto Suburbia’s small stage, with barely any room to move. That didn’t hold them back, though, as head-banging and dancing quickly took over, their energy pulling the whole room in and keeping everyone locked on. Their sound carried a heavy, Fleetwood Mac-esque feel, hypnotic yet weighty. One moment, the music would be ethereal and calm, then the next heavy guitars and drums would take over. The violin in particular added to this vibe. They’re absolutely a “must-see” band!
Day two shifted things up a gear as the weekender moved to Papillon, with doors opening mid-afternoon and a steady flow of people filling the venue early on. The first band caught were Bleech 9:3, and it was immediately clear they were a big draw. They walked onto the stage with an energy that signalled something special was coming, grabbing the room’s attention from the first moment. The lead singer, impossible to miss with his bright red hair, paced relentlessly back and forth, at one point climbing onto the front barrier to get even closer to the crowd. Their punchy, alternative sound thrived on that closeness, with shouted lyrics and direct engagement landing perfectly. Dark red lighting and sharp bursts of strobe hit in time with jumps and kicks to the beat, adding to the chaos, as Bleech 9:3 pushed themselves to the limit and left absolutely everything on the stage.
Next up were mary and the junkyard, stepping in as a last-minute replacement for Sorry, and more than rising to the occasion. The London-based trio transformed the stage with a large glowing orb positioned at its centre, casting a soft, eerie light over the room. Their set lived up to their own description of “angry, weepy chaos rock”, blending post-punk and experimental textures with viola-led melodies that gave the music a dramatic, almost theatrical edge. Led by Clari Freeman-Taylor, the band delivered an emotional performance mixed with some quirky quips, drawing heavily from the atmosphere and intensity that has earned them growing buzz and praise for their debut EP, “This Old House”. It was immersive, vulnerable and gripping, holding the room in a quiet kind of tension.
Lime Garden followed, navigating a few technical issues that delayed the start of their set, but they handled it with real professionalism. While sound checks dragged on and a few heckles came from the crowd, the band kept their composure and didn’t shy away from standing their ground. Once they finally kicked off with “Body”, a track set to appear on their upcoming album “Maybe Not Tonight” due out in April, everything clicked into place. Their set struck a perfect balance between upbeat, playful tracks like “Pop Star” and slower, more emotional moments, before closing with the title track “Maybe Not Tonight”, released as a single last year. Seeing Lime Garden in such an intimate space felt special, especially as their popularity continues to rise, making nights like this increasingly rare and all the more memorable.
Closing out Saturday at Papillon, Dove Ellis took to the stage with a quiet confidence that immediately drew the room in. His set moved effortlessly through tracks like “Feathers, Cash”, and “April the 14th Part 1”, flitting from soft, quiet moments with vocals that filled the whole venue. By the time he reached “Heaven Has No Wings”, “To the Sandals”, and finished with ‘Away You Stride”, every note felt deliberate, landing perfectly in the intimate space. The closeness of Papillon made the connection between artist and audience feel immediate, and by the end, Dove Ellis had the entire crowd in the palm of his hand.
Across two nights and two venues, the So Young Weekender in Southampton proved why So Young Live has become such a vital part of the independent music scene. From Tooth’s grungy, high-energy opener to Dove Ellis’s atmospheric headline set, each performance brought something unique, with bands at every stage of their journey leaving a mark on the sold-out crowds. The So Young Weekender was the perfect way to showcase the talent, energy, and passion of so many incredible independent artists and bands. We can’t wait until the next one!
