Live Review: Bradley Simpson kicks off solo UK tour with hometown O2 Institute show

The gig on Friday night is as close as the Sutton Coldfield native was able to get to a hometown show on his jaunt across the UK.

And, those packed inside for the virtually sold out show got to enjoy tracks from his forthcoming album The Panic Years alongside a couple of covers.

For the last decade, Simpson has toured across the world, playing to millions of fans on some of the UK’s biggest stages as frontman of chart-topping pop-rockers The Vamps.

The band were in Birmingham earlier this year across town at the O2 Academy for a run of dates as part of a tour celebrating their debut album.

Friday night’s gig, the first of nine dates across the UK, by comparison was a far more intimate affair for those lucky enough to be packed inside the much smaller Institute 2.

Joining Simpson was LA singer-songwriter Annika Bennett, who warmed the Birmingham crowd up with a set of acoustic “sad songs about failed relationships” taken from her recent debut album Live From Mother Earth, with highlights including Power, Sex, Dreams and set closer, Without The End.

While Simpson is used to bigger stages, it was abundantly clear he relished every second of being on stage at the Institute 2.

Flanked by a drummer to his right and guitarist to the left, Simpson opened with Getting Clear - one of his strongest songs of the night.

Undoubtedly an accomplished singer songwriter and guitarist, the synth heavy opener saw Simpson arrive ‘sans-guitar’ – giving him that extra bit of freedom on stage.

Moving on – and now with a guitar around his neck – he followed the opener with former singles Daisies and Cry At The Moon, both slices of guitar pop perfection.

What’s clear from watching the few hundred inside of the Institute 2 is ‘single or not’, virtually every lyric of every track is being sung straight back at Simpson.

Early on in his set, he paused to talk about his first headline tour, adding “Birmingham, it’s good to be home”.

With his name on a banner behind him, throughout the set, Simpson used what little space he had at his disposal to full effect, jumping up to the raised platforms where his band were perched, pointing out at fans on the front rows and throwing shapes while armed with his guitar on stage.

There was even time to lead fans on an impromptu sing-a-long with a fan armed with a kazoo on the barrier.

Carpet Burn was met with screams from fans inside while chanting for Hot To Go! which followed began before Simpson had even introduced the Chappel Roan cover.

Ahead of leaving the stage to Picasso - his biggest solo track to date - there was time to thank his parents who were inside to watch and lead fans through a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams.

In six months time, Simpson will return to the Institute to play upstairs in the venue’s main room.

While that room is many times bigger, on the evidence of Friday night there’s no doubt Simpson will have any difficulty stepping back up to larger stages as s solo act.

Tickets for next year’s tour and his debut album are available via https://www.bradleysimpson.com

Bradley Simpson played:

Getting Clear

Daisies

Cry A The Moon

Not Us Anymore

Carpet Burn

Hot To Go! (Chappel Roan cover)

Holy Grail

Favourite Band

Always Like This

Dreams (Fleetwood Mac cover)

Picasso