It was always going to be an emotional experience, watching The Beach Boys perform without Brian Wilson, who sadly passed away just over a year ago. The band’s live legacy is carried on by co-founder and vocalist Mike Love, who co-wrote some of their biggest hits with Brian Wilson.
With only one of the original founding members on stage at Southampton’s Summer Sessions in the shape of the ever-endearing Mike Love, the band nonetheless delivered a high-octane, memorable set that was both ‘fun, fun, fun’ and, at times, deeply moving.
Despite being 85 years young, Mike Love still has the passion and charm to captivate an audience, supported by his fantastic band of live musicians which includes Mike’s son Christian, the career-spanning set was brimming with all The Beach Boys most beloved hits.
A celebration of The Beach Boys seminal album ‘Pet Sounds’ turning 60
Their ‘Sounds of Summer Tour’ tour lands in the 60th anniversary year of Pet Sounds, a milestone that The Beach Boys nod to throughout the night while dipping into a sprawling back catalogue. They also squeezed in a gorgeous take on ‘California Dreamin’, which they originally recorded in 1988 and a laidback version of The Ramones’ ‘Rockaway Beach’ amongst other covers which fitted in seamlessly to the rest of their unforgettable set.
The show opened with a nostalgia-drenched video montage, stitching together iconic moments from across the band’s storied history. Mike Love (understandably) sat down for most of the performance, but gave every iota of emotion possible to every single track he sang. His strength of character was evident and it was testament to his character that he was able to perform at all, after sadly announcing the death of his sister Maureen only one week earlier.
It’s clear Mike still has the appetite and motivation to tour and perhaps the landmark anniversary of ‘Pet Sounds’ was pivotal to this. Either way, it was a pleasure and an honour to see him perform so many incredible songs.
With some stunning visuals which included some heart-warming old footage of the band back in the sixties, The Beach Boys took the thrilled audience through a stellar sonic journey and every song was one I knew and loved. The band came on to the stage and kicked things off with ‘Do It Again’ from 1968, before segueing straight into ‘Surfin’ Safari’ and the brilliant ‘Catch a Wave’.
The doowop vibes of ‘Surfer Girl’ and the glorious hooks of ‘I Get Around’ were nothing short of superb, but it was the more reflective songs that also packed the proverbial punch – but, just in a very different way.
An emotional and euphoric performance
‘God Only Knows’ has always carried so much emotional weight, but this moving track hits a little different now after the sad passing of Brian Wilson. Perhaps one of The Beach Boys’ most heartfelt songs, it feels especially poignant in a 2026 context, particularly after hearing Mike Love pay tribute to his cousin and speak about the pop opus that defined the sixties, ‘Pet Sounds’. The track was accompanied by a video montage of Mike and Brian which really struck a chord.
It was a beautiful tribute, and it was clear that the emotion was felt both by those on and off the stage. ‘In My Room’ also felt particularly poignant and was full of soul-baring honesty (and yes, I may have shed a tear at this point).
With an endless selection of tracks to choose from, it’s almost impossible to namecheck them all, but ‘Little Deuce Coupe’, ‘409’, and ‘Help Me, Rhonda’ were all standouts. ‘Barbara Ann’ was chock-full of exhilarating euphoria, and ‘Kokomo’ was a triumph, as was ‘Sail On, Sailor’ — it really did feel like we were being transported back to the sixties, especially with a glorious and giddy rendition of ‘Fun, Fun, Fun!’ which was full of whimsy!
From the breezy optimism of ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’ through to the explosive energy of ‘Good Vibrations’, this was ninety minutes of pure magic, one of those gigs that will be etched on my memory for a very long time.
Photo Credit: Emma Harrison
