Live Review: Tom Grennan

On a scale of one to 'party on a Sunday', Brisbane might come in at a generous six on the average night – but when Tom Grennan is in town, the party hits a perfect ten, no less. Sunday’s performance at the Triffid is a perfect reminder of this, and of the talent that has catapulted Grennan onto charts so far from home. 

Set to warm up the stage, multitalented alt-pop artist San Joseph steps up alone, only to treble his own sound with immaculate looping skills. His lyrics traverse many facets of love and romance with an edge that is both poetic and playful, a combination that gets a cold crowd onside at an impressive pace. It’s difficult to pin his percussive pop stylings to any one of his contemporaries – a beautiful thing for an emerging artist – and his released tracks Blink Twice, Everything in the Room, and latest single How to Miss You are enough to put the performance on the map. Plus, it seems you can’t go wrong with a cover of Kylie Minogue’s Love at First Sight.

Half an hour later, Tom Grennan takes the stage, skipping the usual “beginning of set” niceties and launching straight into Found What I’ve Been Looking For. His performance, like his voice, is strong and confident without the need for theatrics, and as he tilts the microphone towards the audience, it’s clear that he has already won them over. 

This Is The Place is an early set highlight, the anthemic, harmonic chorus ringing through the venue in time with the lighting. Merging straight into Barbed Wire, Grennan once again proves himself the master of performance momentum, and the audience responds in kind, singing along in bold voice. The sound of the makeshift choir is something else, but it still can’t compare to the raucous response to Amen, Grennan turning the refrain into a competition between the different sections of the room.

In terms of stage presence, Grennan’s performance of If Only is a stand out, with just enough space to dart from his triumphant position atop the front speakers to the side of stage where he dances with his lead guitarist. Vocally, on the other hand, there were almost too many highlights to count, with memorable moments to be found in his performances of Not Over Yet, Oh Please and the ultimately raw Don’t Break The Heart. 

Like all musical greats, Grennan saves his best for last, unleashing a triple shot of pop goodness with Remind Me, All These Nights, and of course, A Little Bit of Love. It was a triumphant finishing number, although nothing quite topped his acoustic performance of Something in the Water - restrained, confident and raw, with plenty of room for soul and none for hecklers. After a performance that felt like a party, the stand out moment had the feeling of an intimate late-night conversation with a friend. 

It’s safe to say that Brisbane has more than a little bit of love for Tom Grennan, and as he says himself, his ever-growing fanbase will turn Australia into something of a second home.