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Graham Clark
Music Features Writer
@Maxximum23Clark
2:20 PM 2nd July 2022
arts

Tom Grennan - Back In The Right Place

 
Tom Grennan. All photos by Cuffe and Taylor/The Piece Hall Trust
Tom Grennan. All photos by Cuffe and Taylor/The Piece Hall Trust
The rain was tipping it down, the main act of the evening has a bad ankle, and it was still daylight. Not really the ideal situation for Tom Grennan to make his live debut at the Piece Hall in Halifax. Surprisingly, though with all the odds against him, he pulled it off buoyed up with raw enthusiasm and boundless energy.

Whilst most of the performers appearing at the summer run of concerts at the Piece Hall have been of a more mature vintage, Grennan, to all intents and purposes, is the new kid on the block.

“Halifax, what’s going on?” he asked the sold out audience as he arrived on stage. If Only might not the memorable track to use as a show starter but we could forgive him as Something Better quickly followed. This, like the majority of his hits, showed a depth of songwriting that many of his peers might like to take note of.

Sharing his recent doubts about his mental health - historically, not something addressed at a pop concert - Grennan's best-buddy persona worked its magic and was well received by the audience.

Forgetting the first few words of Barbed Wire he soon got back in his stride before delivering a strong version of the track, Sober.

Contrasting with his usual rousing pop numbers, Grennan's collaboration with Chase and Status, All Goes Wrong brought a touch of Drum and Bass to the Piece Hall - quite possible a genre of music never seen before performed at this historic venue.

The dance vibes continued with the Calvin Harris cover of By Your Side and despite the heavy rain the mood remained sunny.

Remind Me was an opportunity to showcase his new single and a reminder that Grennan’s new album will arrive soon.

Saving his biggest hit to date, Little Bit of Love was a fine ending to a consummate performance. As the rain stopped and the clouds parted even the weather seemed to agree that Halifax’s Piece Hall was the place to be tonight.