Tom Grennan at Gunnersbury Park

In a sparkly black suit and a boxing robe with his name on the back, Tom Grennan waves hello to Gunnersbury Park from behind the stage. A camera circles him as he pumps himself up, getting ready to stand in front of the 25,000 people who have waited for this moment all day, who are now roaring in anticipation. And they will not be disappointed. 

A medley of If Only/Sober/Royal Highness/Barbed Wire is how he opens, and the audience is immediately clapping and swaying and dancing, with Grennan doing much the same onstage. There’s something of Harry Styles in the way he moves, uninhibited and free, and he makes it look good. He’s also excellent with the fans: kind, familiar, always waving and pointing people out. It creates a great atmosphere here in the park. He grounds himself amongst those watching him and becomes everyone’s mate. At one point there’s a medical problem in the pit and the singer asks to stop until it’s sorted; he handles it with ease, even singing some acapella.

Amen and Crown Your Love fill Gunnersbury to the brim, showcasing the range of his formidable voice. They have a gospel element to them, with support from talented backing singers, that gives one chills. He also plays a fair few new songs. Even though the fans don’t know the lyrics, they are big enough and catchy enough to not stunt the flow of the show. One of the new tracks, Full Attention, has a groovy guitar jam, whereas another one, Cool with That, treats us to a trumpet solo.

There are many memorable parts in his two-hour set. Here is an emotional one, and phone lights flicker on, a mirror of the stars above. For Let’s Go Home Together, his duet with Ella Henderson, he lets one of his backing singers, Angel, have her moment. It’s sweet, and their voices blend together like honey. The end, though, is a real party. With Lionheart, By Your Side and Remind Me in his repertoire, how could it not be?

He ends with the hit Little Bit of Love, and the crowd are at their loudest. Fireworks explode behind him and he takes a moment to sit and let it sink in.

From start to finish, this show is undeniably impressive. With huge vocals, crowd-pleasing tunes and a stage presence that’s confident and captivating, Grennan has proved that he is more than capable of headlining. In fact, this is where he should be.

Talitha Stowell
Photos: Mike Garnell

For further information and future events visit Tom Grennan’s website here.

Watch the video for the single How Does It Feel here: