Tom Grennan performs a brand of British pop in keeping with the traditions of many that have come before him. From the rasp in his voice to the edginess of his tone, he brings a sound to his music that feels very familiar yet has a freshness and energy about it that feels bubby and exciting. So when Grennan bounded out onto the Metro Theatre stage to the sounds of David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance,” the crowd was filled with anticipation for the 28 year-old’s 90 minute set. 

“I can’t believe there’s so many people here so far away from home,” Grennan said as he looked out to the near-capacity crowd. 

Grennan started his show with “If Only” which was a high-octane start to the set which lifted the audience from the first moment. His band was on fire from the start, engaging with the crowd throughout the set. 

Grennan’s range was immediately noticeable from the start of his set as his voice gripped to the highest notes in his register, much to the delight of the audience. He hit the notes with power and style while maintaining a grit that gave his songs some bite. 

The setlist was generally well-balanced with a range of more dance-style tracks to uptempo rock numbers. If anything, it was perhaps missing some slower numbers to balance out the high energy of most of the numbers. That said, one of the highlights of the set was when Grennan brought his backing singer out to sing the more mid-tempo “Let’s Go Home Together” which was outstandingly done and adored by the crowd. 

As the set continued, the energy in the crowd only seemed to increase as Grennan moved towards some of his bigger hits. The crowd was at its peak when Grennan sung “All These Nights”, a song in full mastery of pop craft and very much in the vein of Harry Styles and other British pop stars. Grennan sung this number well but was helped substantially by his backing singers, who ensured every note was covered in the high octane set. 

As Grennan confessed he was “surviving on three hours sleep”, he moved into the more ‘dance-style’ part of his set, which had his real chart-toppers. At the forefront of this section was his number with Joel Corry “Lionheart” which had the whole crowd jumping up and down in an electric synergy, not dissimilar to a club atmosphere. As he closed with his biggest hit, “Little Bit of Love,” he delivered one of his best vocal performances of the night, soaring through his high notes to deliver a superb performance. 

As Grennan closed his set he said to the audience, “this is one of my favourite shows I have ever done.” As the audience left the venue, it was clear that many felt the same way. 

Rating: ★★★★1/2

Tom Grennan – Metro Theatre – 29^th May, 2024

All photo credits: Ravyna Jassani | @byravyna