Bradley Simpson welcomes fans to an acoustic performance at HMV Oxford Street
On March 6th, an intimate evening in Oxford Street’s HMV saw the end of Bradley Simpson’s 2025 acoustic record store tour.
After travelling from Nottingham to Bristol across a 9-show run with just himself and his guitar, Bradley was welcomed by a small London crowd eager to celebrate the release of his debut album, The Panic Years.
As many of us know, Bradley is no stranger to live performances. Famously known for his role as lead singer of The Vamps, he has already skyrocketed to success with two Number 1 albums and multiple arena tours with the band. However, it was soon time for a new challenge and a venture into a solo music career.
Having debuted at Number 7 in the UK charts just a week after its February 28th release, Bradley’s debut album has deservedly stunned fans and music enthusiasts across the world. The Panic Years was written within the last two years across two beautiful cities: New York and Paris. Nearing the end of his twenties, Bradley took a look back over the last decade of his life, writing about the ups and downs of being in the band and touring the world at such a young age.
Upbeat, electric and - most importantly - encouraging, Bradley’s debut album reassures listeners who are in their twenties that everything will be okay in the end. Ultimately, Bradley has described his own most panic-filled years as some of the best of his life, telling fans that it’s okay to not have a clue about what you’re doing, provided that you’re learning along the way.
Photo by Josh Tanner
From beginning to end, the atmosphere within the venue on March 6th was electric. The stage felt homely and warm with some plants, a table and chair as well as a cosy fireplace to match - perfectly setting up the vibe for the intimate show. Bradley soon took to the stage in a casual denim jacket and jeans, showing off that the jacket was in fact customised with The Panic Years in red lettering on the back:
Photo by Josh Tanner
He gave a warm welcome to the crowd and introduced himself, thanking fans for their support and describing the “most insane week” since his album’s release. Bradley then enlisted the help of the crowd to be his backing singers, which was met with enthusiastic cheers.
The much-loved single Daisies was the first song of the evening, and there was a moment of silence as the crowd admired the singer on stage. A gentle wave of calmness filled the venue as the crowd hummed the lyrics to the catchy tune, swaying along and smiling with their friends. The opening track of the album, Cry At The Moon, shortly followed with a rockier yet still calming vibe. With this song, Bradley displayed his breath-taking vocals resulting in a graceful cheer from the crowd.
Photo by Josh Tanner
Between songs, Bradley took the time to get to know those in the audience and was astonished when a fan revealed they had travelled all the way from Paris to see him! The crowd listened intently as he explained the meaning behind the album, expressing his nerves at the start of the writing process when he was unsure of how he wanted the project to sound or what he wanted to do. In fact, it wasn't until halfway through writing the album that he figured this out and began to feel confident and comfortable with the change. Rather than writing all about love, he wished to write about leaning into the change and feeling confident within yourself and where you want to be, which led to the birth of the captivating melody, Getting Clear.
Next was the fan-favourite track, Carpet Burn. Since it was first played just down the road at The 100 Club, fans have been obsessed with its catchy melodies, even learning the lyrics within 24 hours of its release. Bradley was left in disbelief yet again as the crowd chanted the lyrics back, out-singing him. A song that almost didn't make the album despite it being his manager’s favourite, we’re sure the crowds at every one of Bradley’s shows enjoyed it as much as London’s did.
Photo by Josh Tanner
Finally came the popular tune Picasso, clearly the perfect ending to the night as fans clung onto every moment of those three minutes, singing their hearts out. Concluding a truly special evening where the rising star’s personality shone through the entire set, it was wonderful to hear the most authentic versions of songs that were written by Bradley, about his life, with nothing but a guitar and a melody.
For those who missed it, here’s Bradley’s full setlist from the night:
Daisies
Cry At The Moon
Getting Clear
Carpet Burn
Favourite Band
Picasso
Photo by Josh Tanner
Of course, being an acoustic record store show, Bradley stayed to meet the crowd after his performance! Standing behind a black cloth-covered table, he signed merch, shared anecdotes and took pictures with each and every fan.
And if you missed him this time around, you’re in luck as Bradley will soon embark on his biggest headline tour to date. Playing his remarkable debut album, The Panic Years in full across the UK and Australia, it’s not a tour you’ll want to miss!
Whilst we wait for his upcoming shows, make sure to follow along with Bradley’s next adventures on Instagram, and enjoy the rest of his music on Spotify: