Hosted at one of the most prestigious venues in London; The Royal Albert Hall, Tom Parker of The Wanted, brought an electric concert to match. Here’s our insider scoop of his charity concert Inside My Head on 20th September in London.
[apple_music_ad artist=”Tom Parker”]Having put together a star-studded lineup including the likes of Ed Sheeran, Liam Payne, and Becky Hill, Tom Parker was tearful as he thanked everyone in the room for their contribution to the charity event.
When diagnosed with brain cancer last year, Tom told BBC Breakfast that he didn’t want to “pay attention to cancer”, that being said, he had the means and contacts to host an epic concert and so, he did just that. All proceeds went to British charities Stand Up 2 Cancer and The National Brain Appeal funding important, lifesaving research.
First To The Stage: McFly!
The first act to grace the stage in the beautiful domed venue was none other than the British icons McFly. Minus Tom Fletcher – thanks to Strictly – Danny Jones, Harry Judd, and Dougie Poynter put on a sizzling and energetic performance to get the crowd going with hits including ‘Shine A Light,’ ‘Star Girl,’ ‘Five Colours in Her Hair,’ and ‘All About You.’ The crowd roared, screaming every word at the top of their lungs and we knew we’d be in for one amazing night.
Capital Breakfast’s Roman Kemp and Sonny Jay hosted the evening, their banter bringing the crowd more excitement as they pitted us against each other on who can scream the loudest and joked about a One Direction reunion in the pipeline.
A Virtual Performance From KSI
Next up was a new artist; KSI. He brought us his single ‘Holiday’ as well as ‘You,’ from his latest album in the form of a virtual concert, streamed on two big screens inside the venue. Collaborating with S-X to perform the confident and cool track ‘Sleeping With The Enemy,’ we got a taste of a live version of KSI’s new album ‘All Over The Place.’
Slowing It Down With Sigrid
Sigrid took to the stage, bringing us a sad and haunting performance of ‘Home To You’ that had the whole auditorium silent as her vocals wowed us all. For a small person, she can hold a room. She sped up the tempo with ‘Burning Bridges’ and her hit single ‘Strangers’ as the audience sang back her lyrics and jumped with much energy.
Exclusive Music Video Premiere From Lost & Found
We took a brief break to watch a new music video from Lost & Found; Tom Parker’s side project in music production with more of a dance and house/DnB vibe. We watched the video for ‘So Into You’ and it gave us summer love in Ibiza vibes, what we wouldn’t do to be there right now!
Bopping With Becky Hill
Back to the live performances and Becky Hill really brought the hype with her set, including her hot pink sparkly jumpsuit! She sang her heart out, the audience finishing the lyrics to all her songs including ‘Wish You Well,’ ‘My Heart Goes,’ and her UK no.3 chart-topper ‘Remember.’
Liam Payne Brought Us The ‘Sunshine’
Following on from her energetic performance came the loudest screams for Liam Payne. The former One Direction member gave us his first single ‘Strip That Down’ and after 18 months of no live performances, Liam did not hold back. He followed up with ‘Polaroid,’ ‘Midnight,’ and his latest single ‘Sunshine.’ The crowd was loud, but Liam’s high notes were louder and his first performance back was something to remember.
Ed Sheeran’s Acoustic Set
Another virtual live stream and this time from the one and only Ed Sheeran. He opted for a sweet acoustic performance, bringing us his recent hit ‘Bad Habits’ on his acoustic guitar, wearing his own merch to promote his latest album =. He slowed it down, singing an all-time favorite for the crowd: ‘Thinking Out Loud.’ Before speeding it right back up to end on a high with ‘Shape of You’ where the audience ended up being louder than the sound system in the auditorium.
And Finally, The Wanted’s Comeback Performance
And the final act of the night, the one everyone had been patiently waiting for: The Wanted. The screams were deafening and there was a moment where everyone in the room realized that after a long seven years of being starved of the band’s live performances, they were back.
Full of energy, they bounced off each other and brought us their hit singles ‘All Time Low,’ ‘Gold Forever,’ and ‘Glad You Came.’ The crowd sang back so loudly that the band let them carry the song, looks of wonder and amazement painted on their faces.
And so, ending the show, Tom Parker thanked everyone tearfully for their contribution, for being there tonight and expressed how much it mattered to him and the fans screamed back how much the band mattered to them. They left the stage in deafening applause and probably more than a few tears too.
Who was your favorite artist of the night? Did The Wanted’s legendary performance hit the mark for you? Let us know on Twitter @TheHoneyPop, Facebook, or Instagram.
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Featured Image Source: Elizabeth Motley for The Honey POP