Sam Tompkins Brought his “hi, my name is insecure tour.” to SWX, Bristol

On the gloomy autumnal night of 6th November, Sam Tompkins graced Bristol’s SWX with an aura of blessed light, illuminating his audience’s hearts with his heavenly vocals and healing lyricism. Named after his phenomenal debut album, the Brightonian artist’s "hi, my name is insecure tour." is sizably and vocally his greatest yet, beginning in Manchester, embarking across Europe and eventually culminating in Paris in December. With support from the remarkable Kerr Mercer and the magnificent Martin Luke Brown, Sam’s Bristol show was a stunning celebration of positive masculinity, as the trio of male artists respectively showcased their emotionally rich artistry.

SWX’s doors opened promptly at 7 p.m., ushering in a long queue of dedicated fans, all eager to rejoice in the experience of witnessing world-class artist Sam Tompkins grace the intimate venue with his extraordinary live show. Some of the English singer-songwriter’s fans – more commonly known as "samwiches" – purchased VIP upgrades for the show, securing them a spot at the barrier with an unrestricted view, in addition to a memorable meet-and-greet experience with the beloved artist and an opportunity to see him soundcheck, all prior to the doors even opening!

Ingeniously inspired by the title of his debut record, which was released on 26 July 2024, Sam’s various merchandise items sported the words "it’s an insecure world" along with a globe design, apart from the T-shirts which featured a cool new text design of the album title, as well as the UK/EU tour dates on the back. Prior to his long-awaited performance, Sam posted on his Instagram story that he’d even captured a few Polaroids of him and Martin Luke Brown backstage, written and drawn on the photos, and then hidden them in random hoodies and shirts for lucky fans to find and keep.

This gesture of goodwill from Tompkins comes as no surprise to longtime fans of the artist; throughout the years, despite his following increasing all the time, he has consistently proven himself to prioritise the enjoyment of his fanbase, especially when they’re in attendance at his incredible concerts. Although I loved every piece of merchandise on offer and could’ve happily bought it all, I attempted to restrain myself but couldn’t resist buying a signed setlist poster, tote bag and T-shirt! I am hugely grateful to Sam and his hardworking team for keeping the merch prices as affordable as possible, without diminishing its quality, especially because the designs are always so fresh and fun for each tour.

Fans wasted no time whatsoever in filling the audience space after entry and, a mere fifteen minutes after doors opened, young Scottish singer-songwriter Kerr Mercer promptly took to the stage to perform his exceptional 30-minute opening set, accompanied by multi-talented guitarist Adam Frame. Despite being a self-described “singer with no songs out”, Mercer has astonishingly sold out his own UK headline tour, which he embarked on last month, and has amassed over 10,000 followers on Instagram alone. It might surprise some people that he has managed to garner a fandom and sell out shows already without having even released a debut single but, once you hear his formidable vocals, any element of surprise is fully eliminated. With a strikingly distinctive voice and an innately confident stage presence, Mercer is steadily building a solid platform for himself and his music, due to his unwavering determination and tremendous talent resulting in him securing constant live performances across the UK.

Mercer first came on my radar back in May this year when I was fortunate enough to see him open for the inimitable Teddy Swims in Bristol and, from the very first note he sang, I was hooked. Fast forward to seeing him in Bristol six months later and a second listen has solidified my beliefs: Mercer is going to be an international phenomenon in no time. His devoted family, some of whom travel around the country touring with him, undoubtedly hold this belief too, and it was so heartwarming to meet one of Kerr’s family members after the show and visualise how proud the astonishing artist is making his loved ones.

The Glaswegian artist – whose manager also manages fellow Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi – reminds me of a younger Sam Tompkins, both possessing unbelievable talent, an unshakeable drive for success and, most importantly, an overwhelming love for music. Akin to Sam, who began his journey to international acclaim by spontaneously busking on the streets of Brighton, Mercer is utilising every support and festival slot he can to share his soulfully exquisite pop-ballads and, ultimately, win gig-goer’s hearts across the country.

With a carefully-crafted setlist of meaningful original songs, as well as a beautiful downtempo cover of Sabrina Carpenter’s hit "Please, Please, Please", it is without question that the gifted singer captured the undivided attention of a Bristolian audience for the third time this year. Though I loved each song that Mercer performed, my absolute favourite has to be his impassioned ballad "Jealous" that he opened with, since it continues to evoke a transcendent listening experience and is testament to the youthful artist’s lyrical maturity.

After Mercer kicked off the night with his classic humour and otherworldly vocals, there was a brief intermission and then, from 8 p.m. to 8.30 p.m., fans were treated to the uniquely introspective musical stylings of English singer-songwriter Martin Luke Brown. As well as being a writer and producer on a multitude of other artists’ projects, Brown is an independent artist and a member of the maximalist indie pop quartet Fizz with his best friends Orla Gartland, dodie and Greta Isaac, who have currently taken a hiatus to return to their solo projects. As much as I loved following Fizz’s journey and would have loved to see them live, I am so appreciative to have now seen a quarter of the band perform, and what an immense joy it was to witness Martin’s handcrafted concoction of woeful-yet-whimsical alt-pop songs.

Possessing a natural charisma and contagious humour, Brown had the crowd in the palm of his hand from the very first guitar strum he played and, similarly to Mercer, he described his discography as full of sad songs, however he noted that he’s “not a sad person” since creating sad music is his emotional “outlet”, which added a sweet touch to his already charming set. Sure enough, Brown manifested onstage as the antithesis of melancholy, with his bubbly personality and love for life shining through, in resilient spite of any negative experiences he had previously faced and later laid out in his songs.

My favourite part of his entire performance was when he wholesomely dedicated his enchantingly uplifting song, "**it gets better", to his mother in the audience; featured in the latest season of the beloved LGBTQIA+ coming-of-age series Heartstopper, Brown introduced the revitalising number by enquiring if anyone had seen the show, to which I and a few others whooped in response, before he comically added “is it any good?”, eliciting laughter from the crowd. From encouraging listeners to beatbox along to the live acoustic version of "hello !" to requesting accompanying vocals from them during "see u later x", Brown magically transported the audience away from their worries on Earth for half an hour, as he simultaneously bared his creative soul, cracked hilarious jokes and amusingly stimulated crowd participation throughout his entire set.

Despite fans being a little reserved, or “shy” as he joked, this didn’t faze the artist whatsoever, in fact it strengthened the humorous back-and-forth that he initiated with the audience, and I was in awe of how he engaged with the crowd and brought people, including myself, out of their shell. Though Brown is currently entertaining audiences in America, fear not European MLB fans for he will be rejoining Sam on 29th November for the final five EU dates of this terrific tour.

By the time 9 p.m. rolled around, the audience in SWX were fully engaged and more than ready to live, or relive, the cathartic experience that is a Sam Tompkins show. As the lights dimmed and Sam’s band set up their stations, keyboardist Adam Rust played an ethereal instrumental intro before Sam sang the opening lyrics to "more than me" from backstage. The excitement in the room was palpable and, as soon as Sam was spotted at the corner of the stage, elated cheers erupted from the crowd and they transformed into a choir, harmoniously singing his profound lyrics back to him.

After an exceptional performance of fan favourite "die for someone", a tea-drinking Sam took the time to converse with the audience, asking them to cheer for the year when they had started supporting him. Though some people had discovered the singer-songwriter this year, presumably through the release of his amazing debut album, the crowd predominantly cheered for 2019 (or before) which is also when my brother and I discovered him, through busking videos on YouTube. Bristol, often perceived as a sister city to the artist’s hometown of Brighton, has avidly supported Sam for years and always awaits his return, so it was truly special that he returned to the south-west city once again. This concert was my fourth time, and my brother’s fifth time, seeing our favourite artist in our birthplace of Bristol and, although he puts on an astounding performance every time we see him, this was by far the most breathtaking show yet.

A major reason why seeing Sam in concert this time was so unmissable is, in addition to being my favourite artist, the singer-songwriter released his long-awaited, highly-anticipated debut album earlier this year, of which this tour is rightfully celebrating. hi, my name is insecure. is a lyrical deep dive into Sam’s psyche, with his expressive songwriting revealing the extent to which he has navigated the profound depths of human emotion and experience, from depression, body dysmorphia and regret to grief, mourning and loneliness. Thematically, the album explores three of these universal human emotions in considerable depth: love, grief and heartbreak. Sam’s poignant lyricism originates from his own personal experiences of falling in and out of love, from enduring bereavement and from being confronted with the inevitable heartache that comes with loss, so it’s no surprise that the record is so emotionally raw.

The absence of any features on the album appears to be an intentional choice and also an intelligent one, as the lack of additional voices enables the listener to focus solely on Sam’s exquisite artistry, spellbinding storytelling and stupendous vocals. After all, this record has been his official introduction to the world, as if for the very first time, which is why it’s so significant and special that every single song is a window into the artist’s soul, by him, for him, and on his own terms. This creative choice unquestionably translated in person too, as Sam – either accompanied by Adam on keys and Brad on guitar, or performing solo with his own acoustic guitar – passionately laid his emotions out on the stage, and honoured SWX with his monumental music.

In the past year particularly, Sam has been faced with unprecedented circumstances out of his control, after losing his beloved father in November of last year; despite having so much to contend with in his personal life, the singer-songwriter has shown a remarkably deep-rooted resilience which has been sustained by emotional and physical support from his amazing loved ones, his tremendously supportive team and his dedicated fanbase. Though time marches on, grief can feel everlasting, which is undoubtedly why this masterpiece of an album resonates with thousands of people across the world. Due to its universal resonance, there has never been a doubt in my mind that Sam would easily fill and sell out venues after the album’s release, and he has undeniably made his team, family, friends and fans extremely proud, after they collectively and tirelessly worked to land Sam a merited top-10 position in the charts earlier this year.

Along with thirteen timeless original tracks from his masterful debut album, Sam’s setlist for his 2024 headline tour also contains his dearly loved rendition of Bruno Mars’ "Talking to the Moon", as well as popular throwbacks and two new songs which a few faithful fans have already learned the words to. Sam’s inclusion of thrilling throwbacks, "You Broke My Heart So Gently" and "Whole", in the setlist was a heartwarming reminder of his journey as an artist thus far, especially "YBMHSG" as this immediately transported me back to seeing Sam for the first time at Bristol’s Exchange, almost five years earlier in November 2019.

His performance of unreleased anthem "Open Mind" was a sublime showcase of his outstanding vocal range; accompanied by Martin Luke Brown at the piano, who beautifully co-wrote this touching track, "time will fly" and also "more than me", the artists managed to lyrically capture the mental battle of feeling insecure within a mutually loving relationship. Dedicated to and inspired by his late father, the second unreleased song which Sam shared with us on the night was "Little Boy", a lyrical insight into the artist’s grieving process since he devastatingly lost his Dad almost a year ago. The first time I heard this song was when the artist sang it for the first time online and I remember being moved to tears then, but nothing could have prepared me for how emotional I was when he sang it this time. Sam, understandably, was choked up before he even started singing the first line but the heart-wrenching song is surely sentimental to him, and I’m exceedingly grateful that he felt he was within a safe enough space to share such a vulnerable song with us.

"Thanatophobia", the thirteenth track on the album, is not just a compelling song but a viscerally audible ascension, and it just happens to be my favourite song on the record so it brought me immeasurable joy to hear it performed live for the first time on Wednesday. The line “I’m just glad that I can feel these things” from this track is a stunning standalone lyric, yet becomes even more moving when viewed as a manifestation of Sam’s emotional journey within, and outside of, his music. Inspired by the first time he met his girlfriend, the angelic songstress Lily Knott, "thank god you talked to me" is a stunning love song and its expressive live rendition was another real highlight of the night. Though the audience could have happily stayed there all night listening to Sam, the show inevitably drew to a memorable close when Sam sang his globally-loved romantic ballad "lose it all". Surrounded by stunned fans, in a phone-torch spotlight within the middle of the crowd, he impressively sang the captivating tale of lifelong devotion, before he ventured back on stage and invited the audience to join him in delivering the indelible chorus one final time in what has likely become a core memory for everyone in attendance.

Sam Tompkins may have amassed over a million followers on Instagram but it is he who is truly one in a million, commendably advocating for mental health awareness within his thought-provoking music releases and unequivocally within several interviews. It’s no wonder then that his listeners look to him as a guiding light, both hypothetically, when they seek advice from his emotively powerful lyricism, and substantially, when he compassionately takes the time to reply to fans on social media or converse with them during real life encounters. To put it plainly, Sam possesses a natural authenticity which can be considerably rare to find in an often superficial world; all you have to do is take a glimpse at Sam’s comment sections on social media, or gaze at the awestruck expressions on his audience’s faces when he sings, to see that it is his groundbreaking honesty and his innate humility which fans across the world so deeply connect with.

One fan in particular called Chloé, who I discovered through Sam’s Discord server, met the artist in Bristol for the first time and described the experience as “utterly incredible”. Her unforgettable full experience, which I am delighted to share here, is as follows: “Being able to give him my art and him designing a tattoo for me was such a heartwarming and special experience. One thing that really hit hard was hearing ‘Little Boy’. As someone who still struggles with the grief of losing their father, that song means everything to me. Being in that moment, allowing myself to feel my grief, but also share that with others felt so special.”

Aptly taking place during Men’s Mental Health Month, Sam Tompkins’ Bristol concert was an explicit and gratifying reminder that vulnerability in any form is a superpower, a significant message which was impeccably translated through the medium of introspective music by three sensational artists. Hearing "alone at the party" live that night was one of the most therapeutic experiences of my life and I will be eternally grateful to Sam for this irreplaceably life-affirming moment. Struggling with anxiety and personal insecurities on the day almost prevented me from attending the show, but hearing Sam wholeheartedly sing the lyric “at least you left the house” made all of my issues suddenly fade away, and the words resonated with me in an even more profound way than they ever have before. Whether you’ve listened to one of his songs, every single one or none yet, I cannot recommend enough experiencing the emotional catharsis of his concerts. In the singer-songwriter’s own honest words, “you’re never alone at a Sam Tompkins show.”