A Day To Remember play two glorious sold-out shows at O2 Academy Brixton, with Guilt Trip supporting on the first night and Boston Manor the second. Spot-on stage banter, crowdsurfers on top of crowdsurfers, and anthems that have been the soundtrack to many an emo’s life are but a few of the highlights of this unforgettable night. (The temptation to call it a night to remember is painfully hard to resist, but resist I shall.)
A Day To Remember – Boston Manor
O2 Academy Brixton – 25 June 2025
Words: Lucy Dunnet
Photography: Antonio Giannattasio
A Day To Remember
The only downfall of A Day To Remember is that they have created the intro to end all intros and will likely be rebuffed by fans if they dare to begin a show with anything but The Downfall Of Us All. The catchier-than-the-Jaws-theme-tune series of “duh duh duh”s sets off the O2 Academy Brixton’s uncontainable excitement. It is also the catalyst for the steam room that the venue swiftly transforms into.
Whether you’re team I’m Made Of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of? or team Paranoia, it is impossible not to get lost in the infectious enthusiasm swirling for every single moment of A Day To Remember’s set. Two and a half hours for the second sold-out night at O2 Academy Brixton is still not long enough to have any rest songs.
As magnificent as a pyrotechnics display looks on stage, there are some temperatures where these go from looking cool as hell to making the front of the crowd feel like hell. But a swarm of oversized beach balls flies into the crowd following the fire creating a nice breeze, and even the abundance of catchy A Day To Remember hooks isn’t enough to interrupt the crowd’s need to touch as many large inflatable balls as possible. Or, in the case of some, get hit on the head by the large balls and look up in shock thinking the crowdsurfers had lost some serious weight.
A Day To Remember bring together the friendliest bunch of people from all ends of the Metal spectrum. By the time Jeremy McKinnon asks who came to the show with friends, even those who had come alone are screaming in response. All My Friends is a mosh pit of sticky hugs shared between the smiliest of humans. One minute, I am laughing with a girl whose glasses had steamed up so much she couldn’t see, and the next, taking part in a fanning train. Even the security guards get some of the fan action: always take care of your security team kids.
Having been to three A Day To Remember shows in the last year, I can confirm the repeated tricks and banter do not lose their hilarious touch. Jeremy’s heartfelt, wholesome attitude dazzles the crowd every single time, supported by his band of energetic brothers. When he tells us the future of the next song depends on our performance, you can feel the determination settle into the – at this point in the show – slightly disgusting crowd of sweaty bodies. Violence (Enough Is Enough) launches an aggressive pit, making Jeremy’s statement that this song has previously been received by blank stares seem absolutely laughable.
“This is dangerous!” Jeremy repeats, “But she’s doing it!” as a pair successfully pull off the iconic A Day To Remember crowdsurfer on a crowdsurfer move. Some fans are made to surf towards the stage in glory, while others thrive closer to the ground, with colourful confetti stuck in places they weren’t aware of until after the show. 
“Being a great band of over 20 years comes with great responsibility,” Jeremy announces, before revealing they will be playing not one, not two, but three encore songs. He then whips out the acoustic guitar for If It Means A Lot To You – the only love song I will ever accept being serenaded by. All Signs Point To Lauderdale is accompanied by streams of loo roll, a.k.a. sweat wipes, being chucked into the crowd – a most generous gesture from the band. Even the couple arguing at the back of the venue stop to join the deafening chants of, “I hate this town, it’s so washed up, and all my friends, don’t give a fuck.”
A Day To Remember’s pop punk Metalcore is sensational in a lightly pull your hair and spank you kind of way: pretty much universally enjoyed. As the country that recognised A Day To Remember’s brilliance before even their own, the UK will always be ready and waiting to sell out multiple nights in a row and throw crowdsurfer on top of crowdsurfer at this band.
Leaving the venue drenched in the sweat of all my new friends, a slightly chipped tooth, and unable to stop singing about 15 A Day To Remember songs at once, I am already anticipating the next time I can see this Big Ole force of musical nature.
Boston Manor
Occasional wafts of Red Bull and lager offer a small respite from the smell of sticky Metalheads permeating the air. Boston Manor are the only support for A Day To Remember’s second night at O2 Academy Brixton, and they do an admirable job of warming up, but not overheating, the crowd. 
The crowd may lack energy at the start of the set, but the band certainly do not. “Picture someone you don’t like and come down to the front,” beckons singer Henry Cox. Boston Manor’s bouncing energy eventually opens up a pit and, once opened, there is no stopping the torrent of crowdsurfers that come forth to celebrate this British rock band. 
Grateful for Boston Manor’s comparably slower pace, hits such as Halo and Passenger – the latter resembling something from pop rock sensations Imagine Dragons – can be deeply appreciated with some headbanging and swaying.
“Being a support band to a universally loved band whose show sold out before you were even announced is tough. You’re all thinking, when are A Day To Remember coming on, and so are we.” While what Cox says is true to an extent, Boston Manor nail the rock spirit and charm, and when he apologises for only just noticing the fans on the balcony and says he wants to see them bouncing too, they oblige. By the end of their set, groups of fans are arm in arm singing along and jumping around to the cooly catchy and radio-friendly Foxglove.
