Tom Grennan review: ‘Raw, powerful & emotionally-charged’

There are many things that made Grennan a great performer – his ability to eat up every inch of the stage as if he were 2015-16 N’Golo Kante, the exceptional showmanship, the fact that if charisma had a face it would likely be Grennan’s and vocals which sound even more powerful and more emotionally weighted in a live setting, to name just a few things. And it’s clear why the 30-year-old has enjoyed a steady ascent to pop superstardom over the last few years.

It was just 14 months ago that Grennan last performed in Manchester – a date at the Castlefield Bowl in July 2024 in front of approximately 7,000 people – and much has changed for the 30-year-old in the year since that performance. The singer secured a third successive UK No.1 album with ‘Everywhere I Went Led Me To Where I Didn’t Want To Be’, he became a father for the first time, and his latest record feels like Grennan at his most self-assured and most confident.

To kick things off, Grennan launched into a one-two combo of his latest offering in the Robbie Williams-esque ‘Full Attention’ and a high-octane performance of ‘Higher’ that left the audience in a state of pure euphoria, and you couldn’t help but give Grennan your “full attention”. A spellbinding performance of ‘All These Nights’ quickly followed and had a feel of a victory lap about it as confetti filled the catwalk and pyro filled the sky.

The hits came thick and fast through the 20-song setlist, ranging from the Tears for Fears-esque synth-pop track ‘Boys Don’t Cry’, which saw Grennan declare that “every boy here is going to shed a tear”. ‘Crown Your Love’, as ever, was a personal favourite; the soaring harmonies between Grennan and one of his backing vocalists, Petra, on ‘Let’s Go Home Together’ were utterly spine-tingling, and ‘Somewhere Only We Go’ was Grennan at his finest vocally – raw, powerful and emotionally charged.

‘Lionheart’ was a shot of adrenaline to the bloodstream, ‘How Does It Feel’ was delivered with enough energy to raise the roof, the lively brass-heavy arrangements of ‘All Goes Well’ were a major highlight and ‘Remind Me’ was a fittingly euphoric end to the first part of the show, setting the tone for an emotionally charged start to the encore.

The 30-year-old made his way to the B-stage and reflected on how there’d “been a moment where he felt he couldn’t do it anymore” and touched on the late Mancunian great Ricky Hatton before dedicating an emotionally charged and eye-watering performance of ‘I Won’t Miss A Thing’ to the boxer. There wasn’t a soul amongst the 23,500 seated, and there wasn’t a soul who wasn’t touched by the emotional weight in Grennan’s vocals. Of all Grennan’s strengths, it might well be his candour and willingness to express his vulnerabilities that are his biggest strengths.

After returning to the main stage, Grennan closed out with a triumphant rendition of ‘Little Bit Of Love’, ending the evening in thrilling fashion. As Grennan and his backing band basked in the rapturous ovation, the Bedford-born singer’s earlier declaration that “the most special thing I’ve learnt (on this tour) is how special moments like tonight are” rang true. Grennan’s live performances are music for the soul, and you’ll feel blessed for having witnessed an exceptionally gifted performer live.