“An absolute powerhouse and a standout female musician in a scene still so heavily male-dominated” - Cusp, Tom A Smith & The Lottery Winners Gig Review - By, By The Fans Magazine

Words & Review: Grace Wearn

Photography Credit: Grace Taylor

On a frosty, Wednesday evening in November- By The Fans Magazine were invited to review and Photograph The Lottery Winners Gig at the 1865 in Southampton.

Cusp started off the show with a set jam packed with indie vibes and an unexpected surge of energy. From my perspective, their sound draws heavily from the kind of bands that dominate my own playlists—think Catfish & The Bottlemen, The Vaccines, Sea Girls, Blossoms, and maybe even a touch of Vistas for good measure. Cusp deliver a guitar-driven, high-energy style, and clearly it resonates: even Oasis legend Noel Gallagher praised them, saying their guitars “sound f*cking great.”

Fresh out of Sunderland, Tom A. Smith was the second act to grace the stage—pardon the pun, since both of us from By The Fans covering the show just so happen to be called Grace. Drawing praise from none other than Sir Elton John, Tom is the kind of artist who catches you off guard: you don’t expect that level of electricity until you witness it firsthand within none other than live music.

The band’s sound is driven by deep, pulsing bass and commanding drums—imagine a modern twist on The Cure, with a splash of Arctic Monkeys swagger. Vocally, they go big, but it works. There’s an undeniable sense of authenticity and fun running through everything they do. It’s funky, it’s edgy, and it toes the line of rock and roll with real confidence.

During our post-show chat, the band revealed that three of the songs they played aren’t released yet:

Let’s Go Dancing — the opening track, from the new vinyl-only EP

SFX — second in the set

Our Song — an ambitious seven-minute piece

The rest of the setlist included crowd-pleasers I Don’t Blame You and Fashion.

Before this gig, I’d never really listened to The Lottery Winners— not intentionally, just one of those bands I hadn’t crossed paths with yet. But I’m so glad my first introduction to them was at their Southampton show at The 1865. If I had to sum up their entire set in two words, it would be purejoyous. Everything about it radiated fun.

From the moment they burst onstage to the iconic opening of the Vengaboys’ “We Like To Party! (The Vengabus)”, the tone was set: this was going to be a night of pure feel-good energy. The crowd gave back as much as the band poured out, and that mutual love was impossible to miss. What struck me most was the genuine authenticity in the way they interacted with their fans — warm, grateful, a bit cheeky, and completely themselves.

That authenticity extended to their banter with the photographers in the pit during the opening songs. Thom kicked things off with a laugh, spotting the cameras and announcing, “Come on then, let’s get it over with — I’ll show you some poses,” sending the whole room into hysterics.

I especially adore Kate, their bassist — an absolute powerhouse and a standout female musician in a scene still so heavily male-dominated. She holds her own with a presence that’s both commanding and inspiring.

This was my first time seeing The Lottery Winners live, but it definitely won’t be my last.

You can listen to Cusp here - https://open.spotify.com/artist/3BuWUGZGcRxmelwk2ZsGBP?si=L2XnDNsRSV6Nwju0II2KKw

You can also listen to Tom A Smith here - https://open.spotify.com/artist/6haZIHZVYI79wKvp6FCFML?si=hfiWIPFTSGS-W27FRrj05Q

And of course! You can listen to The Lottery Winners here - https://open.spotify.com/artist/0LLilNa5TUAaUwJwLyOf2b?si=i2qU8eTBSPqFcwas0wj56w