Review: Tom Grennan at Forest Live, Cannock Chase

And on hearing Tom Grennan was coming to town... or the forest to be more precise...it seemed like the perfect opportunity - after all he has been a fixture on our family car stereo for a while now.

So off to Cannock Chase I went on Saturday for the third of Forestry England's Forest Live 2023 concert series on Cannock Chase.

I had feared that, as a forty-something, I would have been more inconspicuous at the previous nights shows, featuring Madness and Paul Weller. But I was pleasantly surprised to see there was more of a mixed crowd than I had expected to see the young Mr Grennan.

And like me there were a good number of fellow dads and mums on the 'first concert' outing with the kids.

As daylight turned to dusk, the lights went up and Grennan took to the stage to whistles and cheers.

I meanwhile got the tug on the sleeve and duly hoisted the youngest onto my shoulders as my eldest teenage daughter took on phone torch waving responsibilities.

But far from cursing the pain in my back from the child above I found I was soon swaying along to the music as the girls happily sang along to their favourite tunes including Lionheart, All These Nights, Don't Break the Heart, Remind Me and the finale of a A Little Bit of Love. By the end of it they didn't want to go home. You can't help but get swept up in the magic of music after dark in such a setting.

The Forest Live shows are tailor-made for a family concert experience because it is such a relaxed atmosphere. You can turn up early in the day and enjoy a stroll around the forest and then take a picnic and your own blankets and chairs into the concert site.

And with the stage set up at the foot of the hill, everyone gets a pretty decent view, no matter how far back you are.

There are plenty of food and drink vendors and toilets and the vibe is family-friendly. You can even camp nearby if you don't fancy the late night journey home.

So all you really need to make your day is the weather to stay on your side. And despite storms being forecast, in the end Saturday night's weather remained a lovely summer's evening on the Chase which Tom himself said had been one of his favourite gigs.

Support came from Liv Dawson and Matilda Mann.

Jack Savoretti brings this year's concerts to a close at Cannock Chase on Sunday evening.

Tom Grennan's full set list:

If Only

Sober

Royal Highness

Barbed Wire

Psychedelic Kisses

How Does It Feel

This is The Place

Amen

Crown Your Love

Don't Break the Heart

Head Up

All These Nights

Here

Let's Go Home Together

Found What I've Been Looking For

Not Over Yet

Lionheart

By Your Side

Remind Me

Little Bit of Love