Two bands; Idles and the Mystery Jets provided the warm up. In between tracks, Mystery Jets' frontman Blaine Harrison and guitarist William Rees - still wearing a winter jacket - took time to share their affection: "the Maccabees have inspired us so much" announced Blaine. This loving gesture was reciprocated in turn by singer Orlando Weeks during the headline set: "we'd like to thank the Mystery Jets, they've been the band we've always looked up to".
And what a joyous, heart-wrenching, sweaty and euphoric headline set it was. Guitarist Felix White's comments to Beats 1 beforehand summed up the general feeling around the gig: "Just because of the fact that it’s the end, it’s alleviated any of the previous tension that used to be around us and around gigs, because we always used to be trying to move somewhere or get better. These have just been a ‘let’s just celebrate how great we are’".
Celebrating by playing an array of songs from all four of their highly acclaimed albums, the Maccabees were in scintillating form. Delving into songs from the Wall of Arms catalogue, and scooping out tracks like Precious Time and Lego from their debut album Colour It In, this was a dream of a set-list.
This set spiralled at frantic pace from the rip-roaring to the delicate and bittersweet. Contrast the entire crowd bouncing up and down in unison to Can You Give It; to Hugo White's deft and touching vocals on Silence. Orlando did waver at times; stepping back from the microphone choked with emotion following a barnstorming rendition of Latchmere. Unable to speak, he bumped his chest hard with his fists, with stirring rabble-rousing cheers in reply.
There was also a super bass-heavy version of Forever I've Known, which elevated the show into the stratosphere. The celestial Grew Up at Midnight followed; before the perfect singalong finale Something Like Happiness. With the Mystery Jets re-appearing alongside Henry Harrison and the lesser spotted Jack Penate on guest vocals, I'll admit I was completely overwhelmed and I did have something in my eye. And no, it wasn't because of the vast amount of confetti raining down from above.
The encore featured a cameo from Jamie T on a lightning fast Marks to Prove It. There after was First Love, the song which poignantly made me fall in love with the band in the first place. At this point, I didn't want the set to end.
Felix was right; 'let’s just celebrate how great we are’ was the prevailing theme here. A huge "Thank you!" was written on a screen above them. When the band stepped forward to take their final almighty applause, there followed a moving crowd rendition of the chorus of Something Like Happiness. The band stood and watched on, breathless and speechless. And that moment will stay with me forever.
