Gigraphy Review - Tom Grennan, Castlefield Bowl Manchester, 07/07/24

By Soph Ditchfield

The beautiful venue of Manchester’s Castlefield Bowl was buzzing with a crowd of 8,000 eager attendees ready for another night of Sounds of The City. With an exciting lineup of Brooke Comb, Victor Ray, and main act Tom Grennan, it was set up to be an exciting evening.

Kicked off by Edinburgh native Brooke Combe, she opened with ‘Are You With Me?’, charming the crowd with her charisma and natural talent. While only 23 years old and up-and-coming, Brooke has already accumulated a loyal following since being crowned Best Breakthrough Artist at the Scottish Music Awards in 2021 - and her performance atop the stage of the Manchester venue made it clear as to why. Giving off vibes of ‘old soul, young body’ made her set enthralling to watch and warmed the crowd up perfectly for the night ahead.

Next to the stage was Victor Ray, who left his heart there for everyone to see with his raw, honest lyrics and soulful performance. It was evident how passionate Ray is about his craft as he emotionally delivered songs that felt more like a personal story being shared, stating that he had "done a lot of self reflection" and was "trying to write happier songs". The audience gave a well deserved, thunderous round of applause as the artist exited.

And finally it was time for the man himself, Tom Grennan, who immediately lit the place alive with his thrilling set and explosive start of pyrotechnics in first song ‘If Only’. Tom exuded high energy as he bounced from one end of the stage to the other, creating a tangible atmosphere that had the crowd with him every step of the way.

The setlist comprised of a perfect mix of his top-hits and heavier tracks, displaying comfortability in his identity as an artist and while it would be easy for a performer like Tom to just use a backing track, he is joined by an impressive band that makes his show a true experience to witness.

The evening carried on thrillingly, with incredible production and the energy levels of a kid that’s eaten too many blue smarties, which made it feel all the more authentic to see someone adore their trade so much. The crowd had no choice but to be utterly hooked.

Uniting with his people for ‘Found What I’ve Been Looking For’, singing it out and having them roar it right back only added to how Grennan appeared 10 feet tall up on the stage.

He promises the adoring fans that he’s been working hard on new music and thanks them for sticking around for the journey, before ending the madness with confetti cascading down for ‘Little Bit of Love’ and leaving an everlasting mark on all who attended.

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