Griff graced the stage of Liverpool’s Rough Trade last night (24 July) as part of her UK tour, promoting her debut album Vertigo, released earlier this month. Over the course of her short-spanning career, first sharing material in 2019, the Hertfordshire-born singer songwriter has played to her fair share of colossal crowds. Since playing Glastonbury Festival in 2022 to a packed out John Peel tent, she has opened for globally esteemed artists such as Coldplay, Dua Lipa and Taylor Swift on their respective tours.
Now, as the headliner of her own show, the Anything singer has taken it back to basics with her latest live experience, playing small-capacity venues around the country. With the Liverpool venue holding no more than 290 spectators, it was particularly insightful to observe how Griff readjusted her usually upbeat, pop-infused sound to match the intimacy of the setting.
Kicking off her solo show with Miss Me Too, Griff played with grounded confidence to an instantly committed crowd who remained silent throughout. With only a keyboard and guitar accompanying her on the stage, the latter of which she visited at a later point to play So Fast, each song was stripped back which effectively showcased her talent as a vocalist and instrumentalist.
The set was nicely punctuated with personal anecdotes which varied between the reasons why certain songs were written, the meaning of lyrics, and how Chris Martin ended up playing keys on the promotional single Astronaut. After jokingly stating that Martin was unavailable to be at the gig with her, she played her own arrangement with the same level of poise, despite differing from the studio version.
Throughout the 40 minute set, Griff did not falter, consistently exhibiting a vocal power that doesn’t always translate on her intricately produced recordings. Such versatility within her voice conveyed a new layer of depth to her music and those who were lucky enough to be at the gig will certainly revisit the album with enhanced admiration.
This added appreciation will be particularly prominent during future listens of the album’s closer Where Did You Go. Hearing the song live without its use of autotune, albeit effective, elevated it to a new height with the acoustic approach conveying a further sense of vulnerability and overall meaning.
However, her performance of the entire setlist remained consistent and felt fresh. Having toured her debut EP One Foot in Front of the Other extensively since its 2021 release, it would be fair to assume that Griff is ready to expand her live catalogue. This seemed to be the case with the inclusion of new material such as Tears for Fun and 19th Hour which were well-received by her audience.
With the imminent commencement of her first world tour spanning across Australia, North America and Europe, it will be fascinating to see how Griff chooses to collate her set list. While this short promotional tour may be her way of gauging what is best received, it appears that every song on her debut album is more than deserving of a place.
Still early in her career, Griff is proving to be a worthy addition to the charts with her established performing and producing capabilities. Earning credits as a producer on all her work, some of which was done completely independently, she is on the right track to opening creative windows of opportunity and playing a role in equalising an industry that is still very much male-dominated.
If her Liverpool show is anything to go by, Griff is on her way to becoming a prevalent name in mainstream music, crafting her work with genuine conviction and attracting loyal, diverse crowds. For those who have secured tickets for her next batch of UK shows in November, expect to see a devoted artist who will more than likely have undergone significant growth since her commendable effort last night.
Sean McLoughlin
