03/04/2026

Not every band can turn a historic music venue into a dance floor with ease, but that’s exactly what Good Health Good Wealth achieved.

The duo are currently on the second leg of their ‘This Time Next Year We’ll Be Millionaires’ tour, bringing it to Southampton’s iconic stage at The Joiners. Following the release of debut album ‘This Time Next Year We’ll Be Millionaires’ in autumn last year, they’ve been set well on their way to a successful career.

Having played Southampton for the first time last month, supporting Big Special at The 1865, the duo bought their spoken word delivery, indie guitars and electronic production to their inaugural headline set in the city.

The Joiners is a venue steeped in history and nostalgia. The walls are adorned with tributes to the many successful artists that have graced its walls. Doorman Wes greets you with a cheeky wink and owner Pat consults his list of ticket sales for your name.

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Up first on the night was alt-pop/rap duo Toerags, hailing from Southampton. It was clear they were ready to bring the party and warm the crowd up.

Taking to the stage to Ginuwine’s ‘Pony’, the vibe in the room switched straight into party mode. They worked their way through a set of uplifting anthems, paired with some impressive falsetto choruses. However, they didn’t take a liking to a couple of lads reactions in front. What seemingly appeared to be a sketch at first, quickly turned into a threat which leaked its way towards the bar following the conclusion of their set.

Next up came the genre-blurring Ben Kidson, who blends alt-pop with indie and pop-punk vibes. His songs pride themselves on catchy pop hooks, but don’t be fooled. Under the skin, his lyrics are dense and feel too real for chart pop.

His DIY approach to his craft tugs at the attitudes of punk rockers, but he doesn’t allow this to steer him away from his pop-inspired roots. Throwing in a cover of Natalie Imbruglia’s ‘Torn’ to really warm the crowd, his stage presence was as calm and collected as his exterior.

Fans of Jamie T and Declan Mckenna will love his music, which features enough DIY roughness to keep it grounded. More from him to come.

Following a short pause, Good Health Good Wealth graced the coveted Joiners stage to an immediate eruption of applause. Simon Kuzmickas, decked in a Levis’s leather trucker jacket, took his position on guitar and electronics, accompanied by Bruce Breakey behind the mic stand, flouting the bands iconic branded Sergio Tacchini track top.

The duo opened the set with the indie-inspired ‘Alright’, immediately announcing themselves to the room at large, and showcasing their unique strengths immediately.

The energetic live presence of the pair continued to entwine throughout the opening tracks, Kuzmickas flicking between the electronics and indie style guitar.

Breakey’s live vocals, much like the album, is built upon spoken word conversations, sprinkled with dry wit. Track ‘I Forgot’ showcases this conversational tone perfectly, with lyrics like “I have to stop drinking, ’cause I forgot who I really was”.

Support act Ben Kidson was given the opportunity to re-claim his position on stage for the catchy, ‘Life’s Relentless’, a collaboration that’s set for release in the coming weeks. Kuzmickas takes to centre stage here, sunglasses on and plucking away at the guitar with some added swagger.

Kidson and Breakey lurk behind, meandering and shuffling their way through the hit, chanting “Life’s Relentless” back and forth in a metaphorical tennis match.

‘You Don’t Know Me’ earns its place in the set sitting in the middle of an R&B, alt-pop and UK garage Venn diagram. The guitar in this is shimmering and clean, and the sparsity of the notes delivery meant it had the opportunity to breathe. Breakey’s intense and urgent delivery really strives the song forward.

Good Health Good Wealth tap into a “Sensitive geezer” vibe in their work, which is highlighted perfectly in ‘Guinness’. It taps into that pub culture melancholy feeling of drawing the line between a good night out and an existential.

As Breakey locks eyes with the front row, the confessional lyrics like “I’m drinking Guinness ’cause I think it makes me look sophisticated” resonates with The Joiners crowd.

‘The Cafe’ announced itself with another shift in tempo, lighter and melodic. Breakey adopted a hushed, conversational tone for this track. He lyrically pinpoints the observational themes of a visit to the cafe. The smell of frying bacon and the steam of the kettle, resonating with the crowd.

Next up, the duo roared into a psychedelic rock ballad ‘Beautiful Boy’, but the room is kept grounded by the consistent drums and shimmering guitars. Breakey sings “Bad blood, twisted mind. Doesn’t matter you’re still mine” and the room at large join in unison “Beautiful Boy”.

They take a moment to thank the Southampton crowd for joining them on their journey, and coming to the show, before ripping into ‘Full Circle’. It was a communal moment, a room bellowing the lyrics that have become a working class manifesto. It felt like the gap between the stage and the sticky floor had disappeared, and the crowd were the band.

The duo left the stage to an eruption of cheers and applause, however they weren’t quite finished. In a fitting, full circle moment, they retook their positions on the coveted stage to bring the night home with headline track of the tour and the album ‘This Time Next Year We’ll Be Millionaire’s’. Breakey pulled his infamous white Sergio Tacchini jacket from the crowd, plastered with the slogan on the back as he opened the track.

This closed the night with a shimmering surge of adrenaline, reminding the room that they may be “160 quid” down today, but the dream remains alive.

In a music landscape dominated by polished scenes and music, Good Health Good Wealth showcased a night of unfiltered truth to Southampton. They proved you don’t need a huge budget to put on a show and create modern masterpieces, just a pint and the guts to lay your feelings bare.

Review by Brad Halcrow

Photography by Brad Halcrow and Gavin Browning