Entertainment
Tom Grennan admits its ‘scary’ to see fan in distress in crowd while performing-Rachael O'Connor-Entertainment – Metro
The star made headlines for stopping a show to let medics get to a fan in trouble.
Tom Grennan admits its ‘scary’ to see a fan in distress while performing (Picture: Getty Images)
Tom Grennan has revealed his own distress on stage when noticing a fan needing medical attention in the crowd.
The musician, 28, has just embarked on his first-ever UK arena tour, a significant feat for someone relatively new in their career.
With a loyal fanbase behind him, Tom is preparing to launch his second album, What Ifs and Maybes, and spoke to Metro.co.uk ahead of the release where he reflected on the tour and the more difficult parts of feeling unable to help when seeing fans needing help.
During his show in London’s O2 arena, the star made headlines as he stopped the gig to offer assistance to a concertgoer who had fallen ill in the audience.
He urged others in the audience not to jump around while medics were getting to them, and even offered his own bottle of water to those who had overhearted or were beginning to faint.
Many people who regularly attend gigs – particularly big ones – will have been in this situation, whether needing assistance themselves or nearby someone who isn’t well.
It is scary enough when you’re in the crowd, but asked if he feels scared on stage seeing it happen, Tom answers immediately: ‘Definitely.’
The Lionheart singer has made headlines in the past for shutting down shows while people need help from medics (Picture: Shutterstock)
‘It’s always a weird one,’ he muses.
‘You notice something going on, you see from people’s faces it’s not good. Stopping the show and making sure everyone is fine [is important], letting the ambulance crew do their job as quick as they can without people dancing and not paying attention to them. It was scary, but I’m glad the person’s alright now. And we could carry on with the show.’
The incident came at a time where medical emergencies at concerts were seemingly constantly in the news – from the tragedy at Astroworld, to the likes of Niall Horan, Adele, Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles all halting shows to come to the aid of fans.
Tom is known for going above and beyond for his supporters, and just this week got in touch with a fan who missed half his gig after having an epileptic fit, reaching out to them to offer tickets for another show.
Tom is known for having a close relationship with his supporters (Picture: WireImage)
Another fan had come to the gig with a sign asking for his shirt – which he duly obliged to – before it was stolen for her later on.
He made headlines last year when it was revealed he would be selling his concert tickets for as low a price as possible, and says he did so because ‘everybody should have the opportunity’ to go to live shows ‘and not have to struggle for many weeks after.’
‘It was the right thing to do. Everybody got paid, everybody came to have a good time. It was a win-win for everybody,’ he says.
‘Some artists are making f***ing stupid amounts of money and leaving fans broke. It’s not fair, it’s not right. In this period of time right now, it’s the right thing to do.’
With such a close relationship with the fans, Tom has one moment that stands out above all else – gifting an unforgettable memory to a young fan, Amber, with a terminal illness.
The star’s career has skyrocketed in just a few short years (Picture: Getty Images)
‘She will always be in my heart. Unfortunately she passed away, her name is Amber. We brought her up on stage, she had the experience of seeing thousands of people singing to her and for her. I got to hang out with her, and her mum as well. It was a special moment. It’s one of those ones, I’m so glad we got to have the best time with her while she was fighting.’
Tom has had some incredible moments in the last year, but the stand-out, for him, is taking part in Soccer Aid, where he ‘got to play the second half at Old Trafford, got man of the match and assisted Paul Scholes to score a goal.’
‘What a day,’ he grins. ‘What a memory. What a week.’
He’s now looking forward to appearing on Celebrity Gogglebox with his dad, who is from County Offaly in Ireland, and who Tom insists is ‘going to be a national treasure – everyone will want to be my dad’s friend.’
Amid all the madness, he notes taking part in Soccer Aid as a major highlight (Picture: Getty Images)
Most importantly, his album is being released into the world.
‘This part of it is the build-up. It’s exciting but I’m also like, “Oh my God, I can’t wait for this to be over,”‘ he admits.
‘Because I want it to be out. It’s like putting a baby out. You want people to be like, “Oh my God, it’s such a cute baby,” and not an ugly one. But we’ll see what happens!’
‘The songs are so good. I’m not just saying it ‘cos it’s my album, they are. It’s a step up, I’ve grown up since I put my first album out.
‘I think people will be pleasantly surprised. There’s no “Oh my God, he’s gone left field with it and gone on some mad direction,” I’m not going to lie and say that. But I’ve definitely grown up.’
What Ifs and Maybes is out now.
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