Bradley Simpson opens his solo UK Tour with a sold-out hometown show
On November 8th, The Vamps heartthrob began his solo UK & EU headline tour with a sold-out show in his hometown of Birmingham.
Taking to the stage of the O2 Institute 2, Bradley gave the packed crowd a night they’ll certainly remember, performing a mix of fan-favourite singles, incredible covers and hits from his upcoming album, The Panic Years - due to release on February 28th 2025.
The first of nine shows across the UK, Bradley’s night at the O2 Institute 2, Birmingham was opened by Annika Bennett, an award-winning singer-songwriter from LA.
Having opened shows across the UK last year for Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘emails I can’t send tour’ and gained songwriting credits with artists such as LAUV and Chappell Roan, Annika’s is a name you’ll certainly want to keep in mind as we move into the new year.
With a shining talent that clearly earnt her the responsibility of being Bradley’s opening act, Annika opened the first night of his UK tour with an acoustic set of songs both old and new.
Photo by @madileighketley
Annika’s set tugged at the crowd’s heartstrings as she played the lyric-laden indie-pop ballads Dig Myself Out and Strong Enough from her debut album, Live From Mother Earth. Adding in an even more emotional moment with her world-spinning 2022 single, Universe, the crowd were swaying along to each line before Annika moved onto her angstier track, Power, Sex, Dreams - an obvious favourite to those in the front row who knew all the words.
Since no setlist is complete without a cover, Annika played an electric rendition of Katy Perry’s I Kissed a Girl, explaining that the song fit in with her own music’s aesthetic of confusion that comes from liking someone who is the same gender for the first time.
As her time on stage neared a close, Annika played her popular track, A Tree Falls, a song about taking her emotions and songwriting seriously that was written on an solo trip to the desert filled with existential wondering about her deeper feelings. Met by echoing cheers around the room, any non-fans in the crowd were sure to have been converted in that moment.
For fans of Lennon Stella, Holly Humberstone and Sydney Ross Mitchell, Annika’s music is what she calls “sad songs about failed relationships,” though you only have to take a listen to her debut album to know that her style, lyricism and talent are not so easily captured by just one sentence:
Blending honest and carefully-written lyrics with mellow soundscapes perfect for a long walk with your headphones on, the 10-song project explores heartache through the lens of someone growing up, falling down and learning to get right back up again.
For those unfamiliar with her music, we’d recommend our personal favourites from the album: Roaring Twenties and Dig Myself Out, as well as key in my pocket from her 2022 EP, ROOM (DEMOS).
Finally, Annika closed out the set with her track, Without The End, a fitting tribute to wanting to pause time: “I really wanna feel it all again / I really want the way it was, but just without the end.”
Welcomed by flashlights from the crowd, Annika thanked them as she received a final round of applause.
Photo by @madileighketley
Thirty minutes later, it was time for Bradley Simpson to take to the O2 Institute 2’s stage for a night that fans would certainly remember…
Cheered on by the crowd, Bradley opened his set with the electric, angsty lyric-filled song, Getting Clear - an unreleased track from his upcoming album. As the lights flashed blue and red, he rocked across the stage, smiling at excited fans and shouting, “Come on, Brum!” to the crowd.
Next came the beloved single Daisies - an uplifting indie love song with jazzy guitar riffs and catchy melodies - before Bradley moved onto to Cry at the Moon, one of his most popular tracks to date with over a million Spotify streams since its release in March of this year.
Without giving the dancing crowd a chance to catch their breath, Bradley headed straight into another unreleased track: Not Us Anymore. A love song set in a crowded room that was clearly made to be performed on stage, this track was the perfect precursor to Carpet Burn, another unreleased song that had fans in the front row screaming along to every lyric.
Expecting that not everyone in the room would know each unreleased track, Bradley decided to switch his set up with a indie-rock rendition of Chappell Roan’s Hot To Go, putting his own boyband-esque stamp on the song as he encouraged fans to sing and dance along - especially to the chorus. Clearly understanding the assignment, fans around the room did the Hot To Go dance in union, excited to hear one of music’s most popular songs right now.
Next was his latest single, Holy Grail, a song about finding the person you want to spend the rest of your life with that had released the morning of the show. Wanting to keep the song intimate, Bradley chose to not use the house lights when performing and asked his fans to use their phone torches instead.
The connection between Bradley and the fans in the crowd was palpable throughout this song, and this unique rendition of the track was definitely a core memory of the night.
Before moving on to another unreleased track, Your Favourite Band, Bradley took the time to shout out his parents in the crowd as well as his bandmates, Eleanor Foster on drums and James Attwood on guitar and bass. The crowd cheered for them all as he smiled, clearly grateful for all the love in the room.
Throughout his years as a musician, Bradley has gained an effortless confidence under the stage lights, with fans online calling him ‘hyperactive’ and ‘a menace’ for climbing on anything possible within venues. With no speakers to jump on this time, Bradley visited the barrier as often as he could, holding hands across the crowd and singing to his fans.
Much like the ‘easter eggs’ popularised by Taylor Swift, Bradley confessed during the show that over the course of his 12 European shows, he had placed letters onto the prop speakers that spelt out his upcoming album’s name - though fans didn’t pick up on this.
Telling the crowd how excited he is for his debut solo album to release next year, the love and respect for Bradley and his music was surely felt by him from every corner of the room.
Moving towards the end of the show, Bradley revived the crowds energy with his performance of Always Like This, wanting fans to be in the moment and asking them to put their phones in their pockets, get down and go mental during the final chorus. For the encore, Bradley played a beautiful rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams before ending the set with Picasso, the single that launched his solo career.
A fitting tribute to exactly how he got to the O2 Institute 2’s stage, Bradley’s final song of the night was a surefire sign that his spotlight will remain bright on his hometown’s stage, and that there is so much more to come for the rising star.
For those who missed it, here’s Bradley’s full setlist from the night:
Getting Clear
Daisies
Cry at the Moon
Not Us Anymore
Carpet Burn
Hot To Go, Chappell Roan (Cover)
Holy Grail
Favourite Band
Always Like This
Encore:
Dreams, Fleetwood Mac (Cover)
Picasso
In exciting news, Bradley has just announced a 2025 UK tour to celebrate the release of his debut album, The Panic Years.
From May 7th-23rd, the indie-popstar will play venues all across the country from Manchester to Bristol, with a final night at London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town. For more information about tickets, you can head to his website.
As always, the rest of his discography can be found on Spotify, and The Panic Years can be pre-saved here.