VUKOVI bRING NO-FILTER ENERGY TO SOUTHAMPTON’S CROWD

⭐⭐⭐⭐(4/5)

VUKOVI AT THE 1865, SOUTHAMPTON
PHOTOCREDIT: **CHARIS LYDIA BAGIOKI**

Some shows announce themselves with bombast, but this one unfolded with more than that; on a rainy and miserable Tuesday evening, Southampton’s 1865 welcomed VUKOVI for part of their newest UK tour, who brought not only new material and dynamic energy, but also personality and audience trust. With Flesh Planet and Saint Agnes in support, Southampton’s crowd was treated to a bill that leaned heavily into attitude rather than volume. And that choice definitely paid off.

Opening the evening were Flesh Planet, a band known for acting first and explaining later. Even though the inevitable train delays meant that I missed the first part of their set that started as early as 7.30pm, they wasted no time in establishing their role as a support act worthy of the title. Their sound sits in the space between punk urgency and chaos and alt-rock grind, and live it brings rawness and grit. Historically, Flesh Planet have thrived on immediacy rather than polished chords and cleanness, and that choice defined their set and the tone of the night for what matters. The crowd was more observant than reactive to the set, but by the time I entered the venue (which was around the midpoint), the resistance softened and the heads started to roll. On cold nights like this, warming up the crowd takes extra energy and effort, and Flesh Planet did it without demanding engagement, they just provoked and got all the attention they needed.

Saint Agnes followed up with a set that was nothing short of frantic. If Flesh Planet were the ‘unhinged opener of the night’, Saint Agnes raised the bar even higher. With strobes that could blind, energy that felt unconfined and dark pop flair, the band brought heavy guitars, intense drums and feral vocals into the mix. There was no holding back in anything Saint Agnes presented, whether that was vocal delivery and endless spinning around, or riffs and blasts that felt relentless. The crowd had also visibly picked up the level of energy the band brought into the mix, as movement across the venue increased. Their setlist also got a lot of singalongs, especially during ‘Bloodsuckers’, ‘Song For Mia’ and ‘The Blood Beat’, whilst other songs just got pure chaos as a response, especially from the people up front. What stood out was not just being musically tight, but also how much attitude they brought to the mix, which definitely makes them stand out as a band. Thoroughly enjoyed that set!

When Vukovi took the stage, the dynamic changed immediately. Vukovi have always existed at the intersection between confrontation and charisma, and live this duality becomes unavoidable. Historically, the band is all about revolution, rather than simple evolution, and about shaping their identity. With Janine Shilstone joining, the band has embraced vulnerability, sarcasm, aggression, sensuality and everything in between to create a unique synthesis of music and drama. Janine’s presence in the band felt like the axis everything rotated around, because she could very easily shape the room with every single spin and hair twirl. Through their set, every crowd interaction was genuine and no filler; it was wholesome and chaotic just the right amount, that felt like it was not just a performance for the audience, but rather a performance with them.

As a disclaimer before getting into specifics, I came into the gig prepared. I had missed out on Vukovi’s tour last year and got major FOMO from the photos that showed how chaotic and fun the gigs looked like. So I promised myself that I would absolutely not miss them out on this tour. Yet, I was not prepared to be the main target of a champagne explosion before the set even started, that not only covered my hair and face, but also all my photographic equipment. As horrifying as this sounds, it was definitely what set the tone for the rest of the night. Vukovi’s music is a contrast in itself: sharp hooks followed by abrasive turns, moments of humour colliding with venom and sarcasm, and everything is wrapped in unapologetic honesty and vulnerability that is rare to see in a performance. Songs like ‘Gungho’ and ‘SLO’ had the crowd bouncing off their feet, whilst ‘C.L.A.U.D.I.A’, ‘Mercy Kill’ and ‘Hades’ elicited some of the loudest singalongs of the night.

Between the songs, the band was restless, both Janine and Hamish moving tirelessly and keeping the energy high. Participation of the crowd also felt earned, as the band addressed how happy they were to see such a big audience in the city, took their phones to film the show on stage, and commanded jumps and wild behaviour that took absolutely no convincing from the audience to respond to. By the time the setlist reached the bangers, such as ‘Colour Me In’, ‘LASSO’, ‘MY GOD HAS GOT A GUN’ and ‘La Di Da’, the venue had turned into a full blown-out party. In a touring climate increasingly dominated by scale and spectacle, a show like Vukovi’s reaffirmed the value and need for proximity and community. It was a show delivered to remind people that when you are full of attitude, personality and chaos, it hits harder than volume ever could.