Review by Brad Halcrow / Photos by Lorna Leahy

Over thirty years ago, The Joiners in Southampton hosted a small band from Manchester, called Oasis, as they embarked on their first UK tour. In December 2025, Liam Gallagher’s son, Gene, and his band Villanelle graced the very same stage. Instead of treating this room as a shrine to British music, they added their very own chapter.

Consisting of Gene Gallagher (Vocals and rhythm guitar), Ben Taylor (Lead guitar) and Jack Schiavo (Bass), Villanelle formed in the summer of 2023 through their passion of rock-infused music. They headed into a heavier grunge/punk direction than most bands tend to these days.

Following the release of debut single ‘Hinge’ in September the band embarked on this UK tour, playing grassroots venues across the UK, culminating in this show at The Joiners.

If you’re unfamiliar with The Joiners, it’s a small 200-capacity grassroots venue in the heart of Southampton, that’s an essential for any artist on their way up. The walls still carry the memories of those hectic and sweaty nights that have seen the early inceptions of many major acts such as Oasis, Arctic Monkeys, The Libertines, Ed Sheeran and Radiohead.

It’s not just a grassroots venue, but an essential stop for all upcoming artists. Following a cheeky smile and nod from Wes the doorman, punters are greeted by polaroids, posters and even tickets of former artists that have graced the 4 walls. Serving as a reminder of the venue’s history.

The first act on the night came in the form of Black Gloss Wardrobe, a genre-blending band that touch on alt, funk, disco and ska. Usually a five piece, they were down to just two on the night as their drummer was “predisposed”.

Even armed with only an acoustic and an electric guitar, you could feel the upbeat and funky sound that they produce. Singer Charlie Frogson had a distinguishable voice that hinted towards Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys. He made good rapport with the fans, laughing and joking in-between songs to his own deprecation.

As the clock struck 9, Villanelle emerged from the smoke laden backdrop and graced the stage. An unspoken sense of history was in the air as Gene Gallagher took the same position in the spot his dad once stood, some 31 years ago. From the off however, it was clear they were carving their own name into Joiner’s folklore.

Schiavo’s booming bass opened the set as the band crashed their way into their debut single ‘Hinge’. Joined on the tour by drummer Louis Semlekan-Faith, he powered through the fast and energetic rhythm to start the set. Gallagher’s vocal delivery bordered on pop-punk at times here, as it concluded with a whiny guitar solo.

The next couple of songs, both unreleased, followed in similar vain. The heavy bass took precedent, blending with Gallaghers occasional lyrical elongation. The hit ‘Top Floor’ featured a chunky and heavy opening riff, clearly calling on Nirvana’s influence on the band.

The room plunged into darkness as the band worked their way into latest single ‘Measly Means’. It’s another grunge inspired song, built on the continued bone-shaking bass and a fiery riff. You could sense the crowd warming up to the group now.

Now the two released tracks had been played, the crowd were now treated to unreleased material for the remainder of the set. Next up, ‘Lazy’ featured a fast but bouncing bassline. The crowd matched this energy now as the movement in the room ramped up a level. The fans were more receptive to this than some of the previous tracks.

They kept rattling through the set, playing ‘Squeeze’ and ‘Pretty One’. The former of which featured distorted guitar solo from Gallagher to open proceedings. ‘Pretty One’ allowed his vocals to take centre stage in the opening verse, before he plunged into a choppy guitar solo. There’s a short pause before the end of the song, broken up by Gene Gallagher’s scream of “Just tell me what you want”.

The next track, ‘Some Chew Lip’, featured a faster drumbeat from Semlekan-Faith, more in the style of Travis Barker. As the song came to its conclusion Gallagher took to his knees, culminating the song in a fast-paced manner.

Taylor opened next track ‘To The Stake’ with a soft and gentle melody, reminiscent of Nirvana hit ‘Lithium’. This grunge-tinted melody meant for a visceral vibe in the room as Gallagher continued to perform with his knees planted firmly to the floor.

Schiavo took the opportunity to take a break, as Gallagher began a slow, plucked melody into ‘Logos’. Taylor tuned his guitar as Semlekan-Faith also took a momentary pause behind the drum kit. There was a Green Day-esque delivery in this hit.

The night wasn’t quite done yet, as they ended the performance with ‘Placebo’. This was the fastest paced of all hits on the night, delivered in a high tempo with a heavy thrash. Gallagher’s vocal delivery was raspier here, but it suited the mood.

I’ve seen Villanelle once before, opening for Liam Gallagher on home soil at Manchester’s Co-op Live. On that occasion, I felt like they were a bit lost in the large room, but in an intimate venue they came into their own.

There was no theatrics or bells-and-whistles, but the set didn’t need it. They weren’t performing on borrowed nostalgia, they were performing on their own right and building their own reputation. They made the room shake and cemented their place in Southampton’s long and arduous music history.