Photo Credit: Rob Donald
Words: Abbie Chapman

From Scorching Sun to Starlit Singalongs: The Maccabees’ Eden Sessions Return.

For the first time in seventeen years, indie icons The Maccabees returned to the Eden Sessions, coinciding with the 25th anniversary year of the Sessions. As I arrived, I walked down the long, winding path with the biomes rising in the background, before turning the corner and seeing the stage setup for the first time. Eden is an incredibly unique venue, nestled at the bottom of an old clay pit that has been transformed over the years into one of Cornwall’s most well known landmarks. The first thing I noticed as I made my way down towards the arena was the incredible heat. With temperatures reaching up to 30 degrees at points throughout the day, it was going to be an interesting challenge balancing staying cool while still fully immersing myself in the music.

I arrived in the arena while The Velvet Hands were playing and immediately noticed that other attendees seemed to have the same idea as me: seeking shade around the edges of the venue, ice creams in hand, and surprisingly few drinks being consumed at this early stage of the day.

The first thing that stood out about The Velvet Hands was their youthful energy and effortless 2000s inspired sound. Drawing influence from bands such as The Libertines and early Arctic Monkeys, they captured that familiar garage rock feeling. If I didn’t know better, I could have believed these songs had been written during that era.

Despite the heat and the audience doing their best to avoid the sun, the conditions didn’t seem to affect their performance. Considering the early slot they were given and the challenging weather, the band handled the stage incredibly well, bringing an energy that helped set the tone for the rest of the day.

The next band I caught was Tummyache, who brought a completely different sound to the stage. Their music was difficult to pin down to one particular genre, blending heavy, distorted riffs with soft, almost ghostly vocals. For a band consisting of just three members, the raw intensity of their sound was striking. From the very first song, they showcased an impressive emotional range. The vocalist moved effortlessly between an ethereal singing voice and something closer to a metal scream, with the music slowly building in intensity before ending with one of the coolest breakdowns of the day.

Despite the crowd being spread out across the arena, the response was strong. The lack of people immediately around the stage didn’t feel like a reflection of the performance; instead, it felt like people were simply struggling with the heat. After every song ended, applause and cheers could be heard from all corners of the venue. At one point, the lead vocalist asked the crowd if they could “all take a breath together.” She explained that she sometimes felt disconnected from the crowd because they were more used to playing in smaller rooms. It was a moment that really highlighted the difficult conditions of the day, and I couldn’t help but wonder how different the atmosphere might have been if the weather had been slightly cooler.

Tom A. Smith marked almost a complete 180 degree turn in style and sound compared to Tummyache. From the moment he stepped onto the stage, his energy was palpable. Dressed in a black and pink shirt with braces, he immediately began moving around the stage and engaging with the crowd. His band matched that energy, each with their own distinctive look. The bassist, in particular, stood out, wearing what looked like an incredibly heavy grey suit under the relentless afternoon sun, yet never once slowing down or standing still.

The whole band looked like they were having an incredible amount of fun, and Tom had a natural stage presence that commanded the audience despite the challenging conditions. Between songs, he regularly stopped to chat with the crowd. One of my favourite moments came when, smiling broadly, he admitted he “can’t get over this view,” gesturing towards both the audience and the backdrop behind us. Looking back across the arena, which resembled an amphitheater of greenery. 

He also acknowledged the heat, telling the people sheltering in the shade at the back that he “didn’t blame them.” It was a small moment, but one that made him instantly likeable. Tom and his band exuded a charisma and confidence well beyond their years. Their catchy, upbeat songs felt capable of appealing to a wide audience, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was watching the early stages of an artist we’ll be hearing a lot more about in years to come.

Everything Everything marked the point in the evening where the atmosphere really began to shift. By now, the stage was finally casting a significant amount of shade across the front of the arena, and many more people had made their way towards the stage. From where I was standing, it was obvious there were plenty of dedicated fans waiting eagerly for them to appear. When the band took to the stage wearing matching yellow shirts and trousers, almost resembling boiler suits, they were met with one of the biggest cheers of the day so far. With the temperature beginning to drop, the mood around the arena noticeably changed. From the opening chord there was more movement from the crowd than I’d seen all afternoon.

‘Regret’ drew one of the biggest reactions of their set, with a huge roar from the audience as the song came to an end. Musically, Everything Everything offered something quite unique, blending indie rock with electronic elements. What stood out most to me were the funky drum patterns and prominent synths that drove many of their songs. The crowd came alive during ‘Spring / Sun / Winter / Dread’, with people dancing, raising their arms and applauding loudly as the song finished. It set the tone perfectly for the rest of the evening. By around 8pm, the sun had dipped just enough for the stage lighting to come into its own, adding another dimension to the performance.

By the final song, I looked around to see smiling faces everywhere. Friends laughed together, pointed at one another and sang every word back to the band. It was one of those moments where you could tell people weren’t just watching the performance, they were sharing it with each other. 

By the time The Maccabees took to the stage, the arena had changed completely. Although there were far more people packed into the venue than there had been earlier in the day, the cooler evening air had brought a welcome sense of relief. Drinks were finally flowing, laughter echoed around the arena and there was a real sense that everyone had settled in for the headline performance.

As the band walked on stage, they were met with loud cheers, applause and whoops from every corner of the arena. They opened with ‘Love You Better’, prompting one of the biggest singalongs of the day almost immediately. After hours spent sheltering from the heat, it was wonderful to see the crowd’s energy come alive. People were dancing, singing and embracing the moment, while around me it was clear there were plenty of devoted fans who knew every word. They responded to everything the frontman said, breaking into song almost as soon as each track began.

That enthusiasm was mirrored by the band themselves, who looked genuinely delighted to be back at Eden. Early in the set, the frontman acknowledged just how hot the day had been, checking that everyone was doing okay and reminding the crowd to look after one another if anyone was struggling. It was a simple gesture, but one he returned to several times throughout the evening, creating a sense of community that carried through the rest of the performance.

As darkness gradually fell, the atmosphere continued to build. Before introducing ‘Marks to Prove It’, the frontman encouraged everyone to sing “like your lives depended on it.” He then invited the audience to take over the opening scream, telling them that if they had anything to scream about, this was the place to let it out. Surrounded by thousands of other voices, it became one of the most cathartic moments of the night. The crowd committed wholeheartedly, producing a perfectly timed roar that echoed around the clay pit and reinforced the feeling of togetherness that had been growing all evening.

One surreal highlight came when a giant inflatable flamingo shot up in to the air from the middle of the crowd, perfectly timed with the music and earning one of the biggest cheers of the night. It was one of those wonderfully unexpected moments that simply couldn’t have been planned.

As the evening grew darker, another detail suddenly came to life. A disco ball suspended above the stage, almost invisible throughout the afternoon, caught the lights for the first time and scattered thousands of tiny reflections across the arena. It transformed the space completely. Looking around, it almost felt as though I was standing somewhere entirely different from the sun-soaked venue I’d arrived at earlier that afternoon.

One of the most beautiful moments of the evening came during ‘Toothpaste Kisses’. The energy softened as dancing gave way to gentle swaying, with arms wrapped around shoulders and voices quietly singing along. Looking around the crowd, I saw couples leaning into one another, some sharing a gentle kiss as the song played. It was clear that, for many of them, this was more than just another song in the set. It was easily the quietest and most intimate moment of the night, but also one of the most memorable. It felt incredibly human, and its softness resonated throughout the arena.

As the final songs came to an end, it was impossible not to reflect on how dramatically the day had changed. What had begun as an afternoon defined by relentless sunshine, people searching for shade and support acts battling the heat had gradually transformed into a joyful summer evening, with thousands of voices singing together beneath the lights. That’s what makes the Eden Sessions such a special event. It’s never just about the headline act; it’s about the setting, the atmosphere and the shared experience. After seventeen years away, The Maccabees returned to Eden and delivered exactly the kind of experience their fans had been hoping for, bringing a remarkable day at Eden to a fitting close.