BRADLEY SIMPSON live at the SWG3, GLASGOW.
words + photography by K (@KGShoots_)When Bradley Simpson, also known as the frontman of the British boyband The Vamps, took the stage at SWG3 Galvanizers as part of "The Panic Years" tour, I could tell this would be a fantastic show straight off the bat. Having grown up a huge fan of the Vamps, there is honestly no venue in Scotland I haven't seen Bradley perform at, but this one felt different. Compared to his show at The Garage last year, this show was a lot bigger, with over 1000 people in the crowd, but did it live up to my expectations from past shows?
Before his performance, the crowd was treated to an outstanding opening act by rising star Nieve Ella, who delivered a stripped-back set with just her acoustic guitar alongside Finn Marlow, a member of her touring band. Having previously opened for the likes of Inhaler and Girl In Red and doing multiple sold-out headline tours of her own, I was not sure what to expect from the acoustic set, but it was the perfect way to start the night.
Nieve's set included a mix of her fan favourites "The Things We Say", "Car Park", and "Sugarcoated", as well as a cover of Lizzy McAlpine's "Spring Into Summer." She had fans from all over the country coming to see her, emphasising just how loved she is and showing her fans are devoted to supporting her, maybe even a bit too much, in my opinion. If there's one thing to know about Nieve's fans, it is that they are highly dedicated and hardcore. Fans were queuing for hours outside the venue to get up close for her set, and she wasn't even the headline act!
Then it was time for the main man, everybody's favourite diva... Bradley took to the stage at roughly 9:10 pm, and wow. What a start! Opening up with "Getting Clear", Bradley was all over the stage, climbing down onto speakers, leaning out into the crowd and holding hands with fans on barricade, and even interacting with us photographers in the photo pit. The first three songs were explosive, jumping straight from "Getting Clear" into "Picasso" and "Cry At The Moon" Bradley made sure everybody knew who was boss. I have always considered him one of the best leads of any band. His stage presence is phenomenal, but you can see his star quality in these bigger venues. Last year's show was incredible, don't get me wrong, but the performance at SWG3 Galvanizers truly solidified his place in the pop music scene, and I reckon we'll be seeing a lot more of his solo work in the next few years now that The Vamps are on an unofficial break.
A personal favourite moment came when Bradley performed "The Band's Not Breaking Up." He split the crowd and performed it entirely acoustic in the middle, just him and his guitar. Hearing him without a mic was an incredible experience for fans to get up close. I've always loved Brad's voice, but this acoustic song was my favourite part of the show; it honestly brought tears to my eyes.
Another standout moment of the show was when Nieve joined Bradley onstage to perform their viral duet, "Favourite Band." Despite experiencing some technical issues with Nieve's microphone, the pair were incredibly fun to watch. They have a fantastic friendship, and the energy onstage was palpable. In a gesture of support, Bradley shared his microphone with her, and they stood side by side, belting out the song together. It was a fantastic performance! The song is excellent, and Nieve being added to the new version has only made it even better; it's probably my favourite track on the album, as well as "Not Us Anymore."
However, if I had any complaints about this tour, it would be the production. The lighting wasn't great, and many fans complained they couldn't see him for a few songs. Despite there being a lot of lights onstage, many were not on him, aside from a few red lights here and there and some blue/purple backlighting. The stage setup was also fairly lacklustre, just a curtain and a projector with his logo, and compared to the elaborate setups with The Vamps, I expected a bit more from his debut album's UK tour. But on the flip side, it also proved you don't need the most fancy production to do a good show. Bradley could honestly perform in a grass field, and thousands would flock to see him in a heartbeat, guaranteed a fantastic show.
I highly recommend attending this tour; Nieve and Bradley are honestly some of the best artists in the indie scene at the moment. Their brand new duet "Favourite Band" has been on repeat in my household ever since its release, as has "The Panic Years" as a whole! For a debut solo album, this is a super strong body of work, and the tour was fantastic, too!
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K.
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