Tom Grennan brought his What Ifs & Maybes tour to Nottingham...
Bursting onto the stage wearing a matching patterned shirt and trousers, before removing the shirt and leaving it discarded on the floor almost instantly, Grennan didn’t waste any time getting the show started. Proceedings began on a strong note with If Only, the opening track of his 2021 album Evering Road, followed by a medley of Sober, Royal Highness and Barbed Wire, tracks from his 2018 debut Lightning Matches.
The trend of musicians completing arena tours before the release of their new albums seems to be an increasingly popular phenomenon, and although the crowd may not have known some of Tom’s new songs that he previewed from upcoming album What Ifs & Maybes (set to be released in June), he sold them with his infectious stage presence and energy, running up and down the catwalk without showing any signs of tiring.
Following the performance of his most recent single Here, Tom delved into his vast catalogue of songs that have been released in collaboration with other artists and producers. His backing singer Angel flaunted her immaculate vocals during Let’s Go Home Together (originally performed with Ella Henderson), demonstrating that she is more than talented enough to be worthy of front and centre stage.
Support act GRACEY returned to perform Not Over Yet as flames erupted from the stage, before Grennan took on All Goes Wrong, Lionheart (Fearless), and By Your Side solo. Singalong moment Remind Me followed, then Tom disappeared from the stage momentarily before returning for the encore, which featured ‘lighters in the air’ ballad You Are Not Alone and his most popular song, Little Bit of Love, when a fan named Molly was pulled up on stage from the crowd to perform alongside him.
It is often hard to believe artists when they tell the crowd that this show is the best one of the tour so far, but this time the often generic and cliché statement felt a little bit different, and it was difficult not to believe it. This is what makes Tom so likeable: even though he is a hugely popular artist, there is a genuine humbleness and honesty about him, and this night truly did feel like something special.
Tom’s rise to fame, from playing Rock City only a year ago to being able to fill Motorpoint Arena, is nothing short of astronomical – but entirely deserved. The singer clearly has a strong affinity and connection with the city, confessing to frequenting Nottingham and spending many a night in Stealth prior to his relatively recently found fame. It’s safe to say that he will always be given a warm welcome back.
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