There aren’t many groups from the 1960s who can boast they are still on the road, and as The Beach Boys took to the stage in Southampton for almost two hours of songs about surfing, girls and… more surfing, it was clear a night of singalongs spanning generations was in store.
When buying a ticket to a Beach Boys show, one must take note of the fact there is only one actual Beach Boy still in the band. 85-year-old Mike Love, cousin of the Wilson brothers known for his nasal vocals heard on I Get Around and Surfin’ U.S.A., fronts the group, whether that be standing at centre stage or sitting down at the back.
As part of the Southampton Summer Sessions, English rockers 10cc kicked off proceedings, before a prolonged video explaining the impact of The Beach Boys (in case anyone didn’t know already) preceded the highly anticipated walk-on. From The Simpsons to Adam Sandler, it’s hard to deny the harmonies of the Californians aren’t cemented in history, with a reputation akin to that of The Beatles or The Rolling Stones.
Do It Again started the show, and as Mike Love himself began singing, it didn’t take long for the audience to remember they were no longer in the 1960s. Despite this, the 8-piece-strong band kept it together as they sped through the standards: Surfer Girl, Don’t Worry Baby, Little Deuce Coupe, Surfin’ Safari.
Moments in the concert saw Mike Love sit back and let the band take on some of the classics, with drummer Jon Bolton skillfully maintaining the rhythm and belting out “California Dreamin’.”
A particularly poignant moment in the performance was the celebration of the universally loved Brian Wilson. With the Southampton concert almost exactly one year since Brian’s death, Mike Love paid tribute to his cousin, friend and fellow Beach Boy with a memorial video soundtracked by Brian’s Back, before transitioning into the song Paul McCartney called one of the greatest ever written, God Only Knows.
2026 celebrates 60 years of Pet Sounds, so of course it was time for some of the songs from that seminal album, including Sloop John B, Wouldn’t It Be Nice and Caroline, No. As the band reached the home stretch of the concert, the audience energy kept rising. Cue Help Me, Rhonda, Good Vibrations and the song that you literally can’t sing along to, Barbara Ann.
The Beach Boys might not be the Beach Boys everyone remembers, and Mike Love’s vocals may not be as strong as they used to be. Some might argue that the current production is no better than a tribute act, but as long as both the audience and the band are having Fun, Fun, Fun, can anyone really complain?
