Tom Grennan Reaches for the Stars at Sold-Out First Direct Arena in Leeds [Show Review]

If there is one artist that deserves to not only be playing venues like this but selling them out, it’s Tom Grennan. The always-smiling Grennan has worked his way up through the circuit, and having probably performed at most of the venues in this city and rightfully selling them out, he’s now got his chance to top them all with a sold-out show at the First Direct Arena.

And isn’t he making the most of the opportunity by putting on an absolutely stellar performance in front of this sold-out, Tom Grennan-obsessed crowd. With a huge walkway jutting out from the front of the stage, Grennan looks every bit like the pop star as he skips and dances about the stage quite literally owning the place.

Kicking off the set with “Don’t Break My Heart”, this is just the latest in a long line of visits to the city where Grennan has them eating out of the palm of his hand from the moment he arrives. Clearly in love with the city, he looks genuinely emotional as he addresses the crowd, a crowd who have probably followed him from some of the smaller venues and right through to the big-time and sold-out arena shows like this one.

Apart from that loveable roguish personality, Grennan comes armed with a stack of great pop songs including some from his yet-to-be-released third album What Ifs and Maybes and a voice that literally fills every nook and cranny in this cavernous room. In recent months, this very stage at the First Direct Arena has seen everyone from Sam Fender to Gary Barlow to Lewis Capaldi pack out this room and now Tom Grennan can add his name to that list.

Throwing in a few strategically placed covers alongside big hitters like “Remind Me” and “Little Bit of Love”, as well as airing his collaboration with Ella Henderson, “Let’s Go Home Together”, Grennan wraps up a mammoth set with “You Are Not Alone” with 13,000 people in the room making sure that was very much not the case tonight.

So, with the First Direct Arena ticked off the bucket list along with almost every other venue in the city, there is only one place to go from here and that’s down the road to a certain festival at Bramham Park. Well, if that man Capaldi can grab top billing, on the evidence of tonight, there is no reason for Tom not to be too far behind surely?

Set List:

1. Don’t Break the Heart
2. If Only
3. Sober / Royal Highness / Barbed Wire
4. Crown Your Love
5. This Is the Place
6. Amen
7. All These Nights
8. Head Up
9. Found What I’ve Been Looking For
10. Psychedelic Kisses
11. Let’s Go Home Together (Ella Henderson cover)
12. Here
13. This Side Of The Room
14. How Does It Feel
15. Not Over Yet (KSI cover)
16. All Goes Wrong (Chase & Status cover)
17. Lionheart (Fearless) (Joel Corry & Tom Grennan cover)
18. By Your Side (Calvin Harris cover)
19. Remind Me
20. Little Bit of Love
21. You Are Not Alone