REVIEW – Tom Odell at The Usher Hall

Many artists who released debut albums last year have risen to some huge headlining show for just one album. For example, Bastille are already playing Edinburgh’s Corn Exchange and have sold it out, and The 1975 have managed to sell out three consecutive nights at London’s O2 Academy Brixton in January. Then you have Tom Odell who, on this tour, has managed to sell out venues like O2 Apollo in Manchester, Plymouth Pavilions and now Edinburgh’s prestigious Usher Hall. It seems there is a huge demand for newer, up-and-coming bands these days, or maybe it is the prominence of social media and how fanbases quickly connect. It seems like it.

The sold out Usher Hall was filled with all ages, but many teenage girls who were camped up the front, or too young to do that and sitting in the nosebleeds with a parent. Any crowd cheering after songs was predominantly girls – a loud-pitched squeal that was tough on the ears. It’s not like they should stay quiet the entire show, as it might be one of their favourite artists, but the cheering was over anything that Tom Odell did. During his final song, ‘Cruel’, Odell knocked over his mic and stood up again playing, passionately, which resulted in a hefty shriek that overpowered his music. It’s not just that. Whatever he said, the rejoinder was simply girls’ screams – the sort of howl that the Beatles experienced, and probably suffered tinnitus from, when they first got off the plane in America.

While the crowd participation was fairly easygoing, it didn’t stop the front of the crowd from the occasional jump and getting on the shoulders of somebody else – one girl was swinging her arms aimlessly to the beat of Odell’s music with her phone in her hand filming which is pretty disruptive and very festival-like, a setting that Usher Hall isn’t based on. You will know which video it is on YouTube as the filming will no doubt be all over the place.

With an album that clocks in at 35 minutes, it was difficult to predict how long the show would be. Anybody would hardly expect the show to go on for any longer than an hour, when in fact Odell was on stage in total for 90 minutes. The introduction was all very superfluous with each member coming on one-by-one until Odell walked on stage with a response that nearly blew the roof off. For me it was just way too theatrical, more like stadium rockers like Pink Floyd or U2. Why can’t it just be a simple beginning to the show?

There was a massive ‘Tom Odell’ sign hanging from the stage which illuminated at certain points during the show, something that appeared a little pretentious. Odell himself was unsure about the cheap gimmick claiming it looked “a bit Elvis.” Even in the encore, the drummer – who is way too loud and hard rock for Tom Odell – began by playing a simple solo which evolved into a jam. That was exactly what the encore felt like: an open jam, like they were rehearsing for new material, which made the crowd look apathetic. The showtime was clearly extended with jams to get the full use of the fan’s tickets, which is fair enough, but maybe it is useful to trial some more new songs or just cut the baloney and get to brass tax.

His entire number one album, Long Way Down, was played, with his hit, ‘Another Love’ getting the most attentive return from the crowd. As soon as that was ticked off the list, people started to leave because they’ve heard everything they wanted to hear. There was a couple of fine cover performances on hand too. Odell and his band performed a lively cover of Beatles’ ‘Get Back’ with fellow college student, James Bay, who was supporting him. After his encore jam which made the crowd lifeless, Odell spiced things up again with a sexy cover of Etta James’ ‘I Just Want to Make Love to You’, that was almost spoiled by the drummer’s ridiculously excessive drumming.

Upon observing Tom Odell, you can appreciate his talents as a singer-songwriter and pianist. His voice is freakishly intense and thrilling. But you can tell he wants to develop his sound and move in a different direction. Because he has created one beloved pop song, he has a fanbase all over him which might make it difficult to change at the risk of losing fans. His charisma is monumental and very comparable to his idol, Elton John, but it’s not all sunshine and lollipops when your live show comes off as slightly arrogant and pretentious, and your band seems in a different planet compared to your music.

Kieran Scott

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Freelance and student journalist currently educated at Edinburgh Napier University.

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