CKY // THE 1865, SOUTHAMPTON

it was a highly anticipated come back to Southampton and there were a lot of people waiting for CKY's return to the city

⭐⭐⭐ (3.5/5)

CKY AT THE 1865, SOUTHAMPTON
PHOTOCREDIT: ALIA THOMAS

It’s been a long time coming for CKY fans in Southampton to see them back in the city. Last year they exited the tour with Alien Ant Farm due to issues between the bands just before the Southampton date, therefore the return this year was highly anticipated for their gig at the 1865 on Monday. The support came from British Nu-Metal band, BlackGold, probably one of the most exciting up-and-coming bands in the alt-scene at the moment, and opened by DJ Matt Stocks with a great set. 

BlackGold seem to never miss with their shows. The energy is always high and the crowd is always hyped for and by them. Their music is heavy, but upbeat and fast paced, it’s hard not to be energised by it. Having recently done their headline tour around a few shows of the UK, including The Joiners in Southampton, they were in brilliant position, they had a lot of fans in the crowd, new and old, and as usual, played an incredible show with their mixed genre mix of metal and hip-hop, bringing a bit of old-school hiphop into their set too. 

Following a brilliant set by BlackGold, and the crowd fully hyped up, next up were the headliners, CKY. As mentioned, it was a highly anticipated come back to Southampton and there were a lot of people ready and waiting for CKY's return to the city. Unfortunately there was a slight delay on the set anyway due to some technical issues which continued into the beginning of the set with lead guitarist and vocals Chad Ginsburg's guitar string breaking almost immediately into the first song. He tried with another guitar but that didn't work out either, with the problems continuing until it was necessary for him to stop the show and take 5 minutes to sort it out before the music could continue once again. During this time the crowd were chanting “CKY! CKY! CKY!” And Ginsburg smiling through it, keeping the atmosphere light, and professionalism high. The great thing about this band is that they've been going for long enough time to be able to easily pick the audience up and get them going again. The trio were full of energy. 

They played a few of the fans' favourites including ‘Disengage The Simulator’ and ‘Sink Into The Underground’, and also showcased their newest single, ‘Can’t Stop Running’ which went down well. At one point during the set, they called up an audience member to sing 'Bran's Freestyle’, claiming that they didn't know the words. The participant who came up on stage really channeled their inner rock star and gave an incredible performance of the song with huge cheers from the crowd and the band themselves. They also included a cover of GG Allin’s ‘Bite It You Scum’ which was well received from the fans too. Unfortunately the set didn't go to plan towards the end of the show again due to more technical difficulties with the guitar and another intermission from Chad having to fix the guitar once again with no guitar tech alongside them. It was a shame that the time of the show was eaten away by these technical issues, and at this point, being so close to the end of the show too, many people started leaving. Overall the show was a lot of fun with high energy from all people involved.

It was unfortunate about the technical issues that were experienced during the CKY performance that the majority of the crowd had come to see. However they persevered through and ensured that the crowd had a good night with them overall.

REVIEW + PHOTOS BY: ALIA THOMAS