Photo Credit: Cuffe & Taylor
Words: Emily Howarth
On Sunday 15th June I had the pleasure of attending the final night of TK Maxx presents Plymouth Summer Sessions, with Snow Patrol as headliners to deliver a show that felt like a celebration for the crowd on Plymouth Hoe. After several days of live music covering a range of genres, the final night leaned heavily into that all too familiar indie rock territory so many of us remember from our youth, offering an evening of anthems, singalongs, and quieter moments of emotion.
The night started with a hometown appearance from Grace Lightman, a Plymouth-based artist whose dreamy alt-pop and strong vocal performance earned an early round of applause. Despite playing to a still-filling crowd, she made an impact, with many in the audience clearly appreciating the event giving local talent a platform to shine. Her set was short but confident and a great start to the day ahead.
Next up, hailing from Ireland, were Somebody’s Child, making their debut in Plymouth. Their set leaned into atmospheric indie-rock with a punchy edge. Tracks built from slow, moody verses into big, sweeping choruses that filled the open air.
The Lathums followed, keeping the mood upbeat and accessible with their bright, melodic take on indie guitar-pop. Their set was confident and well-paced. Songs like “Fight On” and “Sad Face Baby” got the most obvious reactions, and their stage presence helped build the momentum towards the night’s main event.
As the daylight finally faded, Snow Patrol walked out to a roar from the crowd, kicking straight into “Take Back the City.” From the start, there was a sense of the band knowing exactly what their audience wanted, and you can tell they’re seasoned professionals. The set leaned heavily on well-known material, with “Open Your Eyes,” “Run,” and “Chasing Cars” all drawing huge singalongs from front to back.
Gary Lightbody, as always, acted as both frontman and host, keeping the chat light, warm, and personal. One spontaneous moment came when a fan loudly shouted “Happy Birthday!” between songs. Lightbody laughed, replying, “I’ve never been wished happy birthday so passionately before,” a small exchange that summed up the connection between the band and audience throughout the night.
Musically, the band were tight and professional (we know this isn’t their first rodeo and it shows). The sound mix was well-balanced for an outdoor event of this scale and I was thoroughly impressed at how well they achieved this. The quieter songs allowed for a noticeable shift in atmosphere—“Set the Fire to the Third Bar” in particular created a pause in the night’s energy, with the crowd falling near-silent until the final chorus kicked in.
There was little in the way of production with minimal visuals and no over-the-top light shows, but Snow Patrol’s back catalogue carries enough weight that none of that felt necessary. This was a set built around the songs and the connection with the audience, and it really worked.
The band closed the main set with “You’re All I Have,” before returning for a short encore, finishing with “Just Say Yes,” which gave the crowd one final, full-voiced singalong to end the weekend.
Taped Magazine 