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It’s almost impossible to talk about Aiden Grimshaw at the moment without giving a nod to The X Factor – disappointing, because if his concert at The Scala proves anything, it’s that he’s so much more than just another reality TV show alumni.
Aiden is not exactly an imposing figure on stage, grinning and looking slightly awkward, but there’s definitely something compelling about him and his no-frills presentation of the songs.
Opening up with ‘Hold On’, the moody intensity fills the venue and creates the sort of atmosphere that isn’t usually found from such a young performer.
Follow up ‘Is This Love’, the debut single that sadly charted much lower in the charts than it deserved to, becomes something almost transcendental, despite being played a little too soon in the night. The crowd are clearly elated to hear it, gaining an uproarious response that settles down enough to hear the song.
The only disappointing aspect was the fact that the setlist was essentially debut album ‘Misty Eye’ played through in order – a little too predictable. It would have been nice to not know what was coming next, but the heartfelt intros to each song managed to make up for it (even if they did seem a little rehearsed at times).
Getting noticeably more comfortable on stage – and more intense – with each song, the Blackpool-born singer upped the ante; a heart-wrenching performance of ‘Be Myself’ silences the crowd, which is no easy feat.
While his stage presence has been criticised for being too shy, there’s something to be said for the genuine image that Aiden presents. A little more stage banter would be nice, perhaps, but there’s definitely no sense of anything fake or simulated being put across – a stark contrast to other X Factor acts, after all. The night ends with an encore of bonus album track ‘Chokehold’ with the singer from support act Seyes making a guest appearance – by far and away one of the best parts of the night, and leaving the welcome impression that Aiden Grimshaw is only just getting started.
