Even at weddings when instructed to be upstanding for the bride, I've never seen so many people simultaneously leap to their feet as when Tom Grennan took to the stage at Westonbirt. I was distracted, digging into a lump of brie with a wooden spork, when suddenly the sea of camping chairs surrounding me were empty and my view was blocked by someone's back.
We had been a placid crowd until that point, with only a smattering of toe-tapping and shoulder-shimmying during the support acts. Forest Live gigs are some of the most informal and family-friendly festivals I've been to, with people allowed to bring along picnics, folding seats and as large a bag as you can carry - no need to cram your essentials into one that's strictly A4-sized or less, like many other arena venues.
But the laid-back fans were jolted into action as the headliner strode into view shortly after 9pm last night (Friday), wearing an epic satin two-piece with a kaleidoscopic pattern. The band launched straight into business and within seconds his gravelly voice was ringing out against the impressive backdrop of trees at the arboretum.
