Tom Chaplin offers an experience which goes above and beyond known musical limitation, bringing with it a sense of power and optimistic attitude to future aspirations, whilst still containing material born out of a far more sinister place. There is no doubt that tonight's show consumes and encapsulates every member of the audience for a night of musical divinity with the Sussex-born legend.

St George’s Church may at first seem a bizarre venue for a self proclaimed non religious star to preach about his struggles with drug abuse, yet as the night develops, no venue could have been more suited. As the stained glass windows catch the glimmer of the spotlights, there is a very distinctive feeling of love and community in the air; the room feels more like a gospel choir is set to headline than the singer of naughties rock band, Keane. As Tom begins with opening track, ‘Still Waiting’, from his newly-released debut solo album, The Wave, we may as well be seeing a gospel choir, as Tom’s voice is easily capable of matching the strength of twenty well seasoned singers.

Tonight is a very special show for multiple reasons. It is the first night of Tom’s tour following the release of the album; his parents are in the audience and it is a hometown show. Despite this pressure for Tom to live up to, as he begins to play it were as though his entire life were leading to this moment. Each note of every song is performed with incredible precision as Tom’s vocals are able to soothingly fill each corner of the vast church ceilings. The crowd too tonight have been infected by Tom’s passion for being back on stage. In amongst the reoccurring shoutings of “Marry me, Tom!” everyone in the balconies is on their feet and the overwhelming majority in the bulk of the hall are refusing to use any provided seating, instead waving their arms and clapping along to the symbolic sounds.

Being his first album, the material Tom has access to is somewhat limited tonight, despite this, he still is able to cover an incredible variety of emotions. Upbeat numbers such as ‘The River’ bring a sense of nostalgia and optimism for the future, yet others such as ‘Worthless Words’ exquisitely contrast darker themes of Tom’s drug addiction ruining past relationships. Both hold vast levels of passion in Tom’s voice; his higher notes in particular are struck with a distinct delicacy that delivers wave upon wave of chills through the audience, as though they were a hot knife through butter.

As the songs continue, it quickly becomes apparent that it is Tom’s session band who offer a very complete feel to the evening. The addition of synthed drum beats add a level of depth these songs need to hold their sense of awe, whilst subtle strings add intricate layers of melody to the evening. Tom even references the developments the band add to his music and promotes the talent the other members hold. He says that whilst in Keane, the boys had little to no idea what they were really doing, yet with this band at his side, it feels completely “Right”.

As the set begins to come to a close, Tom ends with ‘The Wave’ a song which has a fitting, very hymn-like feel to it, once again reflecting the divine aspects of tonight’s show. Even after featuring fan favourites such as ‘Quicksand’ and a variety of bonus tracks from the album such as the soothing and refreshing ‘Better Way’, it is tonight’s encore which holds a true treat for every attendee. A respectful and moving rendition of Keane’s ‘Everybody’s Changing’. The first bar alone has everyone on their feet and by the time the first lyric comes around, everyone is chanting the lyrics to an incredibly emotional Tom who states he is doing all he can to not start weeping. The night is ended with a highly thought provoking speech in which Tom tells us how much it means to be back on stage after defeating drug addiction and to be received by such an enthusiastic audience, a truly warming end to a fantastic evening.

For any artist, moving to a solo career after being part of such an influential band is terrifying and has time and time again left many talents falling flat on their faces, wallowing in the shadow of their past success. Tom Chaplin is not only an exception to this rule, but is evidential proof that even through thick and thin, if an artist has enough drive to overcome their demons, they are capable of releasing material which goes above and beyond that of their pasts. Tom Chaplin’s career may already be one of legend, yet is only just beginning and we at Brightonsfinest are excited and ready to see the limits this Sussex bred superstar is truly capable of achieving.
Ben Walker

Website: tomchaplinmusic.com
Facebook: facebook.com/TomChaplinMusic
Twitter: twitter.com/tomchaplin