From small rooms to big hooks

Tom Grennan came up through pub gigs and a breakout feature with drum-and-bass duo Chase & Status, moving from raw indie soul to chart-ready pop grit. Born in Bedford and once on a youth football path, he built his voice in small rooms before Lighting Matches pushed him into big choruses and festival slots. Recent years see him lean brighter and more rhythmic on What Ifs & Maybes, without losing the gravel that gives his hooks a bite.

What might be played, who shows up

Expect a tight set anchored by Little Bit of Love, How Does It Feel, Found What I've Been Looking For, and a crowd surge on Lionheart (Fearless). The crowd skews mixed-age, with race-day shirts and dresses traded for jackets tied at the waist, comfy trainers, and friends belting choruses in loose circles. Trivia fans will clock that his first national TV moment came via that Chase & Status link, and that he once trained in Luton Town's youth setup. These notes on songs and staging are informed guesses from recent runs and may not match the exact night you catch.

After the races, into the choruses

Smart-casual meets field-ready

Race-day crowds slide into show mode with loosened ties, light jackets, and trainers swapped in, while glitter liner and tidy fades share the same rail. You hear early murmurs of that 'oh-oh' tag before the band walks on, and once the hits arrive the lawn moves in pockets rather than one big push. Fans often cue phone lights for the quiet verse of a ballad, then drop them for a hands-up bounce when the drum hits four-on-the-floor.

How the night feels from the crowd

Merch leans clean and sporty: block-letter tees, varsity-style caps, and neutral colors that pair with denim as easily as with a blazer. Older singles bring out people who met him in the indie years, while radio listeners lean into the shinier new hooks, and both groups trade lines without fuss. Post-show chatter tends to be about which chorus hit hardest rather than gear or deep cuts, which suits a night built on melody and feel.

Hooks first, then the lift

Built for sing-back moments

Tom Grennan sings with a grainy, high-placed tone that cuts through open air, and he leans into clear diction so verses still land. Live, the band runs two guitars, keys, bass, and drums, with backing vocals that thicken the choruses without crowding the lead. Arrangements often start lean, then stack parts in steps, so a mid-tempo tune can feel like it hits a second gear by the last hook.

Small tweaks, big lift

He likes a brief acoustic pocket mid-set, where a guitar-and-voice take lets the rhythm section reset before the big closers. A neat habit is stretching an outro for call-and-response, turning the final refrain into a chant the drummer underlines with a straight, dancey kick. Guitarists frequently capo high to keep chords bright, which leaves space for keys to carry the low shimmer. Lighting tends to favor warm ambers for the heart songs and cool blues for the groove tracks, supporting the arc without stealing the ear.

Kindred voices for crossover fans

Fans of these voices, take note

If you like Lewis Capaldi, you will recognize the big-voiced ballad impulse that Tom Grennan taps when he slows things down. George Ezra fans tend to enjoy a similar groove-friendly strum and a sunny pulse that keeps a lawn crowd moving. Dermot Kennedy overlaps on the gritty, percussive phrasing and a habit of turning diary-like lyrics into arm-raised singalongs. James Bay brings the guitar-led pop that leans soulful rather than flash, and the live band leaves air around the vocal.

Shared lanes, different accents

All four acts work well on festival stages, trading in choruses that invite the crowd without drowning the verse details. They also favor clear melodies over studio trickery, so the songs translate cleanly outdoors. If those names sit on your playlists already, this show lands in the same lane, just with a little more street grit and bounce.