ALL POINTS EAST 2025 - THE MACCABEES
In the band’s own words “Thank you all points east”
★★★★★ (5/5)
THE MACCABEES HEADLINING AND CLOSING ALL POINTS EAST 2025
PHOTOCREDIT: ISHA SHAH (@ishashahphotography)
Indie Icons The Maccabees closed out the 2025 edition of All Points East with a brilliant nostalgia-laden set. Reuniting after eight years, the homecoming show exemplified why this band defined a generation of British music fans.
Before the headliner, a curated lineup of support acts throughout the day was a testament to their deep roots in the U.K. music scene through the years.
Everything Everything offered a kaleidoscope of sounds, with their intricate arrangements, instrumentals and falsetto vocals capturing the crowd with captivating melodies. While The Cribs provided a shot in the arm to the crowd, bringing punk energy which saw crowd surfing and flailing limbs within the pits. The iconic opening to “Men’s Needs” still sounds as tight as ever, and gave way to the cathartic chorus which was belted out by the engrossed crowd. In contrast, the deadpan delivery of Dry Cleaning served as a post-punk palette cleanser. Their inclusion within the billing helped to add additional texture to the day.
Rising star CMAT provided a delightful splash of variety, with her country pop stylings transforming Victoria Park into a Nashville Honky Tonk. Her powerful vocals stunned, and well-crafted songs like “I wanna be a cowboy, Baby” saw mass sing-alongs and even a bit of line dancing. In the Cupra tent Black Country, New Road brought a coolly received mix of genre-bending compositions. Closing the West stage were fellow indie standard bearers Bombay Bicycle Club. Playing a set rich in classics but refraining from giving in to nostalgia by playing several new tracks and deep cuts. Longtime favourites like “Shuffle” sounded right at home alongside the new material.
As the support ended, a palpable air of excitement wove through the crowd, as the forty-thousand fans eagerly awaited The Maccabees' return to the stage.
Roars from the audience as they heard the jittery charm of the opening track “Latchmere” showed that the lost eight years were immediately forgotten. Fans were transported back to the first time they heard these tracks.
The setlist was a journey through their discography, from the angsty guitars of “Colour It In” to the soaring anthems of “Marks to Prove It”. Orlando Weeks’ vocals were as tender and urgent as ever, and the chemistry between bandmates(Felix and Hugo White, Rupert Jarvis and Sam Doyle) felt untouched by time. The crowd, many of whom had grown up with the band’s music, responded to every song with euphoric sing-alongs and tearful smiles.
Between songs, the band spoke candidly about their reunion. Reflecting on how important the festival was to them and how much it meant to appear as the headliner, before diving back in to hit after hit. The already frenzied crowd nearly boiled over as the band brought out indie icon Jamie T for a rendition of “Marks to Prove It” before a deafening sing-along of the classic “Sticks and Stones” blanketed the audience with a feeling of elation.
There was only ever one song the band would end on, and as the opening of “Pelican” sounded around Victoria Park the weight of the day could be seen in the fans. A day of jubilation that acted as a celebration and return of a band that had once said goodbye so definitively. A day of further building new memories on top of these songs. They reminded us why music matters, why reunions can heal and why some goodbyes are never truly final.
REVIEW BY: SAM MCNAUGHTON