MCFLY HEADLINE TK. MAXX PRESENTS SOUTHAMPTON SUMMER SESSIONS 2025 AT SOUTHAMPTON’S GUILDHALL WITH SPECIAL GUESTS… TWIN ATLANTIC AND DEVON

★★★★★ (5/5)

MCFLY HEADLINING TK. MAXX PRESENTS… SOUTHAMPTON SUMMER SESSIONS 2025 AT SOUTHAMPTON’S GUILDHALL
PHOTOCREDIT: CHARIS LYDIA BAGIOKI

The British sunshine is treating the South Coast lately and there is nothing better than an outdoors gig. The Southampton Summer Sessions series – which started in 2024 – came back to the heart of the city for the second year in a row. Whilst it started with Rag’n’Bone Man, The Stranglers and UB40, the event is back with weekend with none other than legendary band McFly.

Straight off their Download Festival stint and in between their tour with Busted, the band came to Southampton to deliver a hit-packed set; but more on that in a beat. First act on the bill was Devon, an alt-indie artist that kicked things off with a mellow yet energetic performance. Even though the crowd was not too familiar with the songs, Devon quickly won over the audience. In terms of sound, the joke stands – Benson Boone couldn’t make it, so they sent Devon instead. There was a lot of charisma on stage through the short set, and the crowd definitely seemed to enjoy the opening performance of the night.

Second up were Glasgow-hailing Twin Atlantic, a band that is playing every-single-festival in the UK this summer. This was my third (!) time catching them live in a space of three weeks and once again, they did not disappoint. The band is a great mix between Placebo and Kings of Leon with a Scottish accent, a lot of energy and great riffs. Their set started off with the crowd being a bit disengaged, but they quickly had the front rows jumping and screaming as the songs progressed. There was a lot of energy and a lot of crowd interaction, showing how a band that has been playing small venues is now able to work a festival crowd easily and gain a lot of interest.

McFly start their set before they even come on stage – they have the crowd sing along to Bohemian Rhapsody, Living on a Prayer and Y.M.C.A and the energy is high ahead of the performance. Jumping into the stage, the band delivered a setlist that covers their 20-year career, packed with hits, crowd favourites and a lot of banter. As darkness fell, the light of the stage made their performance seem even more captivating, with a full on rock production, and a lot of groove and synchronised moves between the band. On stage, they are restless, they lead interactive sing-alongs, they keep the energy high and they clearly deliver the best time to their audience.

The setlist was a treat for fans and newbies – ‘Where Did All the Guitars GO?’, ‘Land of the Bees’ and ‘Star Girl’ are the three openers that have the crowd dancing, ‘One for the Radio’ followed by a medley of covers and ‘All About You’ had everyone sing along, whilst the encore was where the energy of the audience peaked – ‘Forever’s Not Enough’, ‘Honey I’m Home’ and ‘5 Colours in Her Hair’. There was not a single person who was not smiling at the end of the set, as people walked back home having experienced a great night. McFly are simply showstopping – they know how to have fun on stage and how to convey their energy to the crowd. Put them on an open air stage and they can get the whole city going.