Concert Review: Split Dogs – 1865, Southampton
Monday 24th August 2026
Split Dogs are a four-piece punk rock & roll band. Officially from Bristol, the members actually live in London, Stroud and Weston Super Mare. This means, they have to travel some time to rehearse together. The strong line-up consists of four core musicians. Lead vocals by Harry Martinez, Mil Martinez on guitar and vocals, Suez Boyle on bass and Chris Huggall on drums.
They were the opening act for the fantastic Gogol Bordello at The 1865 in Southampton. It was nice to catch the band, just seconds before they went on the stage. The group hug gave the impression of well oiled friendship, maybe a bit of healthy stage-fright.
From the first song of the somewhat short set, Split Dogs have successfully managed to capture the very essence of ’70s punk rock, classic club feeling in the air, whilst putting their own sweaty and loud twist on it.
Harry Martinez paid no attention to the sad fact that the venue was only half full. I guess the Gogol Bordello fans just didn’t know what they are missing out. Classic British rock’n’roll punk, sounding great and blasting in-your-face songs that our parents warned us about.
After a few songs the audience finally multiplied and I think even appreciated the intense gig. Crowd participation started, Harry’s fierce eye contact, theatrical expressions, and dramatic stage leaps pushed the gig on the right track.
The fast-paced garage punk, boisterous stage presence, and energetic front-woman is proof that the band deserves to frequently perform at major punk festivals and underground venues across the UK and Europe, as they do so.
The raw energy, speed and attitude of this live show is what I expected from a punk band. They were loud, fast, filthy and seriously fun. I guess this is what makes them worthy for more venues to invite them and more punk fans to check them out.
(39 photos from this gig – use this link)
