Just Because brought Tom Grennan to Papiersaal. He’s one very talented singer songwriter from the UK and will be huge next year I guarantee you that. Grennan is one the BBC sound of 17 list and will release his first album Lighting Matches on 9th March 2018. All of this made me really excited to see him live for the first time.
Josh a Swiss band opened up for Tom Grennan and they were really very cute and the two girls had both great voices. They talked around a little technical problem easily even if they were nervous. Wonderful job 
Finally at 9 Tom Grennan and his band took the stage and they started with a bang. First song was his most famous so far and an uptempo song called “Found what I’ve been looking for”. The atmosphere was brilliant and everyone clapped, danced and sang along. I love artists who sing their biggest hits at the beginning! It really gets the crowd going and it’s the perfect set up for the rest of the night. Next was “Make ’em like you” and Tom Grennan said it’s pretty easy so sing along and we did. Another brilliant song from the upcoming record. The title track “Lighting Matches” followed.
Tom said that he was really lucky this year and he is incredibly grateful and happy to end his tour in Zurich tonight. Coming to another country and people coming out to see you is just brilliant so here comes the next song called “Lucky Ones”. During “Aboard” I started to think… Who does Tom Grennan remind me of?? And there it was! He looks and talks just like Cook from an English TV Series called Skins!! I had to smile a little and enjoyed the next song “Giving it All”. I think “Barbed Wire” will be one of my favourites from the new record. It has that kinda feel good vibe topped off with Tom’s incredible raspy voice.
Tom Grennan asked us now if Chase & Status were big in Switzerland I replied “No, not really” and shook my head. He said “Good, no I’m joking. Check them out they’re really good”. So the 4 musicians and him played the Chase & Status track “All goes Wrong” where he lent them his voice. It is also the single which got him his first charting single. The band started a reggae beat and we had to sing “Um a Um a Um a yeah”. It sounded very very good and Tom seemed to be satisfied too so he sang “Praying” with a Swiss backing choir. He said: “Normally I go off stage now and you make me feel incredibly good about myself but today I feel the vibe so I stay on and play three more songs for you”.
For “Old Songs” it was just Tom Grennan and his guitar on stage and WOW just wow. His voice, the guitar and the lyrics are incredibly sophisticated! His very released single “Royal Highness” was a little more upbeat again and the band came back on stage. People were dancing and just had a good time! Tom made sure of that with little stories in-between songs and a great setlist. So the next song was the intended last song but my concert buddy said very disappointingly “What about “Patience”?” and Tom Grennan seemed to have heard that and said “We might play it later!”. So “Something in the Water” was the last song and the crowd was feeling the groove. When it finished he said:
I’ll be back definitely back I promise you that. Grennan’s coming for ya!
Then he remembered what he promised my friend. So he stepped into the audience and sang “Patience” with people from the left and right side standing on stage. It was an incredible moment and why I love small concerts. In addition to these special moments you get to meet the artist after the gig most of the times. Today was no exception and let me tell you he is a very lovely down-to-earth lad from Bedford and as he said Grennan’s coming for ya next year so watch out!
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Check out my latest gigs: Stone Sour, Hoodie Allen, Jake Isaac.