Craig David appeared at Southampton’s Guildhall Square for the Summer Sessions set

IT was a homecoming gig to remember as Southampton born RnB star Craig David headlined Saturday’s evening Guildhall Square Summer Session.

Celebrated as one of the city’s biggest home grown talents, the singer shared many stories highlighting his connection to the area from hanging out on the steps of the Guildhall opposite the venue to bringing his long-time friend DJ Fresh onto the stage.

Following a high energy set from Patrick Nazemi, Craig David erupted onto the stage with his TS5 show blending live vocals, with a masterclass in mixing and DJing.

Opening with the hits Rewind and Fill Me In Craig then put his own distinctive spin on hits from TLC, Destiny’s Child, House of Pain, and Justin Bieber. His set also featured tracks When the Bassline Drops, a rendition of Killing Me Softly, and the poignant Rise & Fall, penned when he was growing up in nearby Holyrood Estate.

Visuals and the sound quality were exceptional taking the excited crowd straight back to the early noughties when Craig first exploded into the charts. Wearing a double denim combo – the singer seemed to have hardly aged in the two decade interim, as he bounced around with incredible energy.

With a legion of loyal fans clearly loving the nostalgic performance, Craig kept the home town crowd full engaged for his 90 minute set, demonstrating his incredible vocal range, as he seamlessly moved between melodic singing and rapid-fire rapping. The show culminated with arguably his best known hit 7 Days and thank you from Craig David for coming out to support him at the hometown gig.

Southampton Summer Sessions continue across June, with headliners The Human League on Thursday 26th June; Ocean Colour Scene on Friday 27th June; Train on Saturday 28th June and Simple Minds on Sunday 29th June.

For tickets visit http://smmrsessions.com/locations/southampton