With a night full of emotion, love and high energy to come, we were in for an unforgettable experience.
Bringing us The Panic Years Tour, following the release of Bradley’s debut album back in February, the O2 Ritz had a queue spanning round multiple streets waiting to celebrate this new chapter of Bradley’s musical career.
First to perform was fast-rising pop star Nieve Ella, and if you’ve not heard of her by now, you’ll definitely want to remember her name. She took the stage with her best friend Finn Marlow, her guitarist, who she met through social media. To kick off their set was ‘The Things We Say’, an emotional track about friendships breaking apart and the words that end up being used against each other. It was a truly beautiful way to open the show, with everyone singing along as loudly as they could, they created a moment so moving it felt like they were there just for her. She even mentions how deafening the crowd were in shock as a smile beams across her face.
The most notable part of Nieve Ella’s performance was her astonishing voice, particularly during ‘Car park’ and her breathtaking rendition of ‘Spring Into Summer’ by Lizzy McAlpine. Without having her usual band it really isolated her vocals, making for a more intimate atmosphere and giving her talent its own spotlight.
You could see her passion on her face throughout the whole performance, truly giving it her all and the crowd reciprocated. Particularly in the middle of the balcony, a group of girls, dancing away and singing their hearts out together, radiating their love for Nieve Ella and her music. Her connection to her fans was deeply heartwarming. A unreleased track named ‘Good Grace’ only caused their excitement to rise - set to be her next single release, it’s an empowering anthem that sent the energy soaring.
The wait was now over - it was time for Bradley to take centre stage, anticipation bursting at the seams from queuing up all day. The venue now engulfed in darkness - “Bradley Simpson” appears on the curtain at the back of the stage. His band, consisting of Elena Costa and James Atwood take their places, ready for him to run on. The upbeat instrumental of ‘Getting Clear’ begins and the room starts to scream as one. Brad hits the stage with unstoppable energy, darting around and engaging everyone from the get go. Exuding confidence from the very first moment, it’s clear to see he’s a true performer. From touring with The Vamps, to now taking on solo shows, his character and live experience has never dipped.
He quickly introduces himself and welcomes us to The Panic Years Tour before ‘Picasso’ begins, and the crowd hangs on every word. Red and blue lights flash in time with the music, making a visual link to one of the lyrics in the song “I’d pose and let you paint me black and blue”. Adding subtle layers to his performance like this really amplify the mood and the meaning behind an already complex song. Before moving onto ‘Cry at the Moon’, Bradley’s first single, he says “I fucking love Manchester” as he laughs and expresses that everyone in the room better go home with no voice and sore feet from singing and dancing all night. That being said, that goal was well on its way to being met based on the sheer volume of the room so far. After the dynamic ‘Cry at the Moon’, which moves from reflective verses to powerful, gritty choruses, we turn to a slower and more heartfelt sound for ‘Almost’.
The call and response for ‘Not Us Anymore’ was by far the most active, with Bradley singing the chorus “You would never know that it started here” and the crowd screaming “with what?”, before continuing it. It’s a small gesture from the crowd but it creates such a memorable and interactive gig. Fans start shouting “take it off!”, to which Brad responds by saying we’re not even half way through the night yet and that it’s not magic mike, making everyone laugh. He follows this with expressing his love for the fans, checking in on everyone to make sure they’re okay but mainly thanking them for their support. He then hypes up the crowd for Nieve Ella’s return, as they sing their recently released version of ‘Favourite Band’. The two on stage together were an unstoppable duo, singing to one another, dancing like they were having the time of their lives - it was difficult for their pure joy to not rub off. They completely owned the stage.
To contrast the lively essence of ‘Favourite Band’, it’s time for the audience to get their phone torches out and light up the room. As the first strum of ‘Holy Grail’ cuts through the silence, Bradley’s warm, slightly raspy voice gently enters the track. As if this wasn’t intimate enough, Brad took it a step further, splitting the room down the middle to make a path, he was going to join the middle of the pit. The screams echoed around the room before Brad had even finished his sentence, the idea of him being among everyone clearly felt surreal. Completely unplugged, Bradley performs ‘The Band’s Not Breaking Up’ from the heart of the crowd. He asked the people closest to him to sit so that as many people can see as possible, joking that he’s only 4 foot 2. It was an unbelievable experience to witness a concert venue so silent. Every lyric held the room in quiet awe as he sang this emotional ballad on his own, before asking us to sing the last chorus with him. It was the kind of moment that would give your entire body chills, in the best way possible.
Brad pops back up on stage ready to cover ‘Ever Fallen In Love’ by Pete Yorn which brings back the crowds electricity instantly. He does request for the end of the next few songs, that people put their phones down and just go crazy - to which the crowd absolutely deliver. ‘Always Like This’ contained the most mesmerising guitar riffs, paired with Brad’s exuberant stage presence, it was an incredible performance. ‘The Panic Years’ followed on for a more vulnerable moment for Brad and anyone else in their twenties, it navigates that time in his life and serves for reassurance to those with similar struggles. Brad leaves the room in darkness as he leaves the stage and fans start shouting “Oi, oi ,oi” until he appears once again. The introduction to ‘Daisies’ rings out through the venue and the drums kick in, out comes Brad in a black vest with ‘Manchester’ written on the back of it which he proudly shows off.
The night ends with ‘Carpet burn’ - an obvious fan favourite. They screamed their lungs out, particularly for the bridge of the track but also the line “This one was carpet burn from fucking in my first car”, where the instrumental dips and Bradley lets the sound of the fans take over. You could see the happiness written all over his face, his love for what he does and his fans was honestly immense. He confirms he will in fact return, and that new music is in his future, of course to the room this is amazing news. As he takes his final bow with his band, he soaks up the moment, and so do we as the audience before he exits the stage one last time.
Emma Turner
Images: Emma Turner
