Tom Walker at Bristol 02 Academy review: Sell-out gig stops for surprise marriage proposal

With his beanie hat and bushy beard, Tom Walker looks more like a bartender from a trendy craft ale pub than one of Britain’s top flight singer-songwriters.

The Scottish musician told the Bristol 02 Academy crowd that he ‘couldn’t believe’ he had sold-out the venue on the second night of his biggest UK tour to date.

He also revealed that he had warmed up for the show by going to a gym in Broadmead during the afternoon. So much for the traditional rock and roll lifestyle on the road, but it’s this down to earth nature that has won him a loyal legion of fans.

On tour to promote forthcoming album I Am, the 32-year-old had the audience eating out of his hand from the moment he and his band launched themselves into opener Holy Ghost.

Walker prefers to perform on a springy, slightly raised pad - it’s like a mini trampoline - which means he bounces up and down as he sings, which in turn gets the crowd doing the same.

With his raspy vocals and guitar riffs, he draws comparisons with fellow Scots Paolo Nutini and Lewis Capaldi, both of home share his infectious and humorous banter with fans.

Recent single Head Underwater was quickly followed by older hit Just You and I, which gained a mass singalong from the crowd.

Better Half of Me saw the gig temporarily stop for a surprise marriage proposal between two fans in the audience, much to the obvious pleasure of newly married Walker who admitted that people had tried to steer the songwriter from penning too many songs about his new wife but that he wasn’t having any of it. What an old romantic.

But it was the breakout hit Leave a Light On that saw the most fervent audience reaction of the evening, with the singer and his band virtually drowned out the fans singing their hearts out.

Seven years after the song made his name, Walker is a popular as ever and he certainly shouldn’t have been surprised that the gig had sold out - the fans have remained loyal and as passionate about his music as ever.

Earlier in the evening, support act Kingfishr won plenty of new fans themselves.

The Irish indie-folk trio - named as one of The Independent’s Ones to Watch 2024 - are building some momentum with new single Afterglow and they are so confident that they even jumped into the audience with their guitars to perform part of their enjoyable set. 

With 20 million streams on Spotify to date, this major tour followed by festivals including Glastonbury, we are sure to be hearing a lot more from former Limerick University engineering students Eddie, McGoo and Fitz this year. A name to watch.