THE HUNNA // THE 1865, SOUTHAMPTON

THE HUNNA BRING CHAOS TO SOUTHAMPTON AND SOMEHOW NOBODY BREAKS A BONE

⭐⭐⭐⭐(4.5/5)

THE HUNNA AT THE 1865, SOUTHAMPTON
PHOTOCREDIT: CHARIS LYDIA BAGIOKI

Some bands come to Southampton to play a show; but The Hunna is not one of them. Arriving to the city like they were leading a small and determined rebellion, the band were wired up to lead another headliner stop on their most recent UK run. The Hunna have carved out their career with big choruses, emotions and the occasional public meltdown (we love a character development), and tonight at the 1865 they rolled in with something to prove – and proceeded to prove it loudly.

To warm up the venue during the first freeze-wave in the UK this winter, Southampton’s own melodic alt-rockers Myriad walked onstage first. Their set was polished, heartfelt and perfectly engineered to lure in the early crowd. Their music is a mix of smooth vocals, tight instrumentals and strong bangers – commencing with ‘Living On The Internet’ (what a title), to ‘The Joker’ and ‘Tate’. They won over the crowd slowly but steadily, as the venue filled up and the bodies started swinging. Finishing off on a high with ‘Ocean’ and ‘Afterglow’, Myriad set the tone and the mood for more chaos and more emotion through the night.

Then came Grumble Bee, a one-man sonic hurricane masquerading as a full band. Jack Bennett (the entire roster) delivered a performance with intensity, emotion and energy that felt like the pain would come off the walls. Grumble Bee’s music is very unique; it is a combination of technical guitar riffs, emotionally charged vocals and loops delivered with precision that have the room nodding along like they are hypnotised. They performed an array of their songs from their debut album such as ‘Love You Better’, ‘PSYCHO’ and their most listened to song ‘In Fiction’. By the time Grumble Bee exited, the venue was ready for unfiltered chaos.

Because we’re all about context here, let’s revisit a bit of The Hunna’s history. Formed in 2015, the band sprinted onto the UK alt-rock radar with ‘100’ and ‘Dare’, before having a spectacularly public breakup with their old label. But like a phoenix reborn from its ashes, they rose again and their dedicated fanbase welcomed them back with open arms. Their music is all about emotion – songs about heartbreak and defiance – and it is proof that if you write songs that resonate, your fanbase will follow you anywhere… including a packed out Southampton venue.

The band wasted zero seconds on stage. They opened with ‘The Storm’, sending the crowd into instant scream mode. From there, their set was a well-constructed emotional rollercoaster: ‘Take a Ride’ – cue sing-along, ‘Fugazi’ – personal favourite because it is feral, fast and loud, ‘I Wanna Know’ – no commentary needed, we all know this one, ‘Babe, Can I Call?’ – yes please, and ‘We Could Be’ – maximum nostalgia. They blended their Nothing But Thieves-meets-Kings of Leon-meets-The 1975 sounds with emotional messages, endless onstage energy and crowd interactions that had girls blushing. Of course, the emotional damage was not enough, because towards the end, they even asked the crowd to form a moshpit. Yes, you heard that right. As if breaking our souls was not enough, The Hunna had to also break our bodies!

The set continued on with some fan favourites that elicited a lot of sing-alongs and smiles from the members; ‘Apologies’ brought screaming, ‘Bonfire’ brought carnage and ‘Can’t Break What’s Broken’ brought inner angst channelled in unison. Spiritually and physically, the crowd had given it their all – and all because the vocals hit hard, the music hit even harder and The Hunna’s strength in blending flawlessness with imperfection were right spot on. The performance was punchy and sharp, to the point where even the lighting seemed determined to keep up with the chaos. Whilst Southampton crowds can be slow to warm, the band proved that they had them incandescent by the second track. This is what a live show should be all about – heartbreak, adrenaline and a renewed sense that maybe screaming lyrics in a crowd is indeed cheaper than going to therapy.

REVIEW + PHOTOS BY: CHARIS LYDIA BAGIOKI