Louis Tomlinson has once again pulled it out of the bag and delivered an incredible performance at The Brighton Centre on Saturday, in what could be his smallest venue to date. He smashed it, writes Daniel Bird
In perhaps the smallest venue Louis Tomlinson has ever performed at, he delivered one epic show. The Brighton Centre has a capacity of just 5,500 people, with the standing floor taking up the vast majority of the tickets, and the atmosphere was just electric. I’ve seen Louis countless times over the years, from his days with One Direction to every solo tour he’s done, and I can’t lie, he just gets better every time.
Last week, I saw Louis perform at the Co-op Live, the biggest dedicated indoor music venue, whereas this weekend, on the penultimate show as part of his How Did We Get Here? World Tour, I saw him perform to one of the smallest crowds, and I can’t lie, I preferred it.
Standing on the floor at the Brighton Centre, it was impossible not to have a good view of Louis on stage – it was so small, it felt as though we were in the kitchen of a house party.
It’s no secret that I’m a huge Louis fan, so I will always enjoy his shows, but Brighton hit differently. There was no huge arena to fill, just one cheeky chap from Doncaster, living his dream on stage – performing his own music.
Louis’ sound over the years has varied as he experimented, finding his niche after life in the chart-mauling boyband, but now he’s firmly landed on his feet. With the soft tones of Louis’ voice during Lucid and Bigger Than Me, it’s fair to say Doncaster’s finest exports certainly had the crowd eating out of his hand.
I said it earlier this month, but seeing Louis perform acoustic renditions of ‘Defenceless’ and ‘Just Hold On’ is truly special. They’re two of my favourite songs by Tomlinson. Just Hold On now holds different memories for me, and I now prefer his acoustic performance over the original EDM version.
Seeing an artist who is so used to performing in stadiums and arenas stripping their set back to just an acoustic guitar will always give me goosebumps. Not many people could do it, but Tomlinson has the stage presence and voice to nail it every time. Something he deserves more praise for.
But the tempo of the night soon changed with the energetic fan favourites, Imposter and Kill My Mind. Throughout the night, Louis acknowledged his success, telling fans that performing live and seeing are the highlights of his job.
Outside of my job, I’ve seen some of the biggest names in music – Adele, Beyoncé, the Spice Girls, to name a few and Louis’ success and fame isn’t lost on him. There wasn’t a moment when he didn’t seem grateful for the platform he’d been given and has made the most of it.
He was constantly engaging with the audience, including one fan who attempted to do a shot with Louis – he’s braver than I am. At one point, he acknowledged his career with One Direction, joking that it looked as though he was part of a boy band again. I may be biased as a fan, but Louis, you’ve once again smashed it.
Although I was hundreds of miles from home, hearing that strong Donny accent made me feel as though I were home, which not many artists could do. I’ve also gotta give a huge shout-out to ADMT, from Donny, who has been supporting Louis. I interviewed him a few weeks back, and he’s such a decent chap with an incredible amount of talent, too.
Pale Waves have also been amazing throughout this tour; they’re made for the stage. With the cost of living soaring again, Louis really deserves praise for keeping his tickets affordable. It’s rare you find concert tickets for less than £70 nowadays, especially for somebody on Louis’ level, but he never overcharges for his events, and I truly believe that many artists could learn a thing or two from him
My one regret – not buying merch, but we move.
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