After the highly anticipated release of his EP Victoria, Thomas Headon took to the stage at Nottingham’s Rough Trade on March 16th to perform his much-loved tracks. Isabelle Hunter reviews.
Headon’s music rose to popularity during lockdown 2020, primarily on TikTok, and it’s clear his audience have continued the journey with him ever since. The pre-show playlist consisted of purely TikTok trending tracks, including lots of Doja Cat, in which the audience knew every move. It felt like the internet had exploded into one intimate venue whist we waited eagerly for Headon to appear onstage.
''He bounded onto the stage and showcased his true pop star status immediately''
As we heard the beginning of How Do I Know, the crowd went wild as they tried to grab a first glimpse of Headon. He bounded onto the stage and showcased his true pop star status immediately, belting the dance tune with his drummer Lauren and guitarist Peter (which, he stated was ''single by the way''). Instantly taking the microphone off the stand and running around the stage, you could tell this was going to be a full-blown gig with all the bells and whistles, despite the intimacy of Rough Trade's setting.
Having seen Headon headline Rescue Rooms previously, this cut down version imitated his performance style immensely. During Butterflies, he asked the crowd to ''grab someone close to you,'' as he sang the slower melodies of the tune and placed himself right at the front of the stage. The lights came up onto the audience and Headon was beaming. It was clear how much his fans meant to him during this moment. The intimacy of Rough Trade emphasised this feeling of a true connection with the crowd.
Headon performed Breakfast, a bonus track from the album only available on vinyl or CD. It surprised me to hear the crowd shout the lyrics back to him perfectly, and it shows just how dedicated his fans are to his music, learning every lyric perfectly despite the song only coming out a few days back.
''We gave away a sofa to this song'' Headon stated as he shot into his next track, Nobody Has To Know. With just that line alone, the audience knew exactly what to do. The drums kicked in and in classic Headon style, he performed to his heart’s content. A key theme I noticed throughout the show was how the singer constantly interacted with the crowd, whilst maintaining a clear rockstar status - making eye contact with individuals, followed by a small wave or wink, even singing directly into someone’s camera from the front row.
''The single, popularised through TikTok during lockdown, has all the elements needed for the perfect soundtrack to the main character in a movie''
Other hits included the title track of the EP, Victoria, as well as Strawberry Kisses. A track that was a huge success with the crowd was Headon’s final song; Clean Me Up. The single, popularised through TikTok during lockdown, has all the elements needed for the perfect soundtrack to the main character in a movie, and that main character was Headon.
''I’m sorry this was a short set, but I’ve got to sign a lot of things for you guys,'' Headon apologises, but the crowd doesn’t seem to mind. Describing his own music style as bedroom-pop, his performance resembled just that: being able to freely jump around your room and sing into your hairbrush. I truly felt the ‘dance like no one is watching’ energy oozing from Headon’s performance, and the audience mirrored the energy perfectly throughout the show.
Isabelle Hunter
Edited by: Amrit Virdi
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