IT was a night of "raucous celebration" as two of the city's best bands opened a new shop.

The free gig at the Dr Martens store saw folk-punk troubadour Sean McGowan wow the crowds with hard-hitting lyrics before female-fronted math-pop four-piece Signals held the audience captive in a night to remember for both fashionistas and music fans.

As reported the store on Above Bar opened less than two weeks ago bringing 11 new jobs to the city centre.

Also on display was specially commissioned artwork by Solent university's head of art design and fashion Professor Peter Lloyd.

He said: “Working with such an iconic and precious brand as Dr Martens was a really exciting challenge.

"The project required me to incorporate elements of Southampton’s culture and identity, because Solent University is so involved and embedded in the city and its communities this element of the task was relatively simple.

“There was a tight turnaround on this job, but with the encouraging, innovative and supportive advice of staff and students, combined with the cutting edge new technologies available in Solent, the mountain very quickly became a molehill.”

A Dr Martens spokesperson said: "Throughout Dr. Martens history, the brand has been adopted by diverse individuals, musicians, youth cultures and tribes, so it was only natural for the launch to be supportive of home-grown talent.

"The Southampton store will also offer further community based events and meet-ups in the following weeks, working with a range of diverse individuals from the surrounding community.

"More details will be announced soon."