LAST NIGHT’S REVIEW: Milburn & Cassava at The Engine Rooms Southampton

By Richard Derbyshire

Photos by Leon Gateley

SHEFFIELD comeback kings Milburn had Southampton bouncing in their first ever show in the city.

They’ll play to thousands at Don Valley Bowl in the summer but tonight south coast fans were treated to just one of two UK headline shows before the band heads to Europe.

These are gigs many feared they’d never see after the four-piece split in 2008 after only two albums. Now less than twelve months since reforming they’re making up for lost time.

“We disappeared for too long” frontman Joe Carnall told the 400 capacity crowd, although in their absence they seem to have gained a lot of new young supporters.

While singer-bassist Joe, his brother-guitarist Louis, drummer Joe Green and guitarist Ed Cosens pack the set with sounds from the early days, or as Joe said the time before he could grow a beard, latest single Keep Me in Mind and last year’s Midnight Control prove they’re full of ideas for their third album promised in June.

Favourites Well, Well, Well, Send in the Boys and Showroom are top draw as always while Lo and Behold and Count to 10 keep everyone on their toes. An acoustic double, including Roll Out the Barrel, is followed by a warning that final song What You Could’ve Won is everyone’s last chance to surge to the front for one last moment of madness.

“The Italians, Dutch and Germans won’t have anything on you Southampton” says Joe, thinking of their imminent travels to the Continent, before joking “and we'll never cheat on you with Portsmouth again” recalling last year’s sold out show at The Wedgewood Rooms and drawing huge cheers from the locals.

It was a night to remember for Southampton’s own Cassava who ignite The Engine Rooms with a storming, confident set - they’ve now played every venue in the city except The Guildhall.

While frontman Liam Cole, lead guitarist Torrin Rees, bassist Jared Plumb and drummer Scott Chambers are no strangers to selling out The Joiners and The Talking Heads, this time they‘re delighted to take a supporting role to their all-time heroes.

Less than a year ago Liam and Torrin were two of ten thousand fans watching Milburn play four astonishing reunion shows at the O2 Academy Sheffield, not even thinking one day they would share the same stage.

The local lads tore through a heavy melodic set including favourites What Have You Got?, Goodbye and exciting new single Long Way Home. Our next chance to see them is at Common People, May 27-28.

Milburn’s third studio album, produced with Bill Ryder-Jones from The Coral, is out June 2. They play Don Valley Bowl with Reverend and the Makers & Cabbage on June 3. More at milburnmusic.co.uk