Love at First Concert: Griff's Vertigo World Tour
Griff, a singer-songwriter from Great Britain, has been making waves since her debut back in 2019 with her single "Mirror Talk". Her talent was recognised quickly when she became the youngest recipient of the BRIT’s Rising Star Award back in 2021. Despite not being able to tour due to the pandemic, she caught it up by opening for notable artists on their tours. Most recently, she supported Taylor Swift at The Eras Tour in London back in June and Sabrina Carpenter at the US leg of the Short ‘N’ Sweet Tour.
Griff released her highly anticipated debut album, "Vertigo", in July 2024. A record where “every song had been written from an emotional sense of vertigo” – when someone is heartbroken, the emotions they might feel are a spinning sensation and dizziness of the world moving so fast, and everything is feeling upside down. The deeply personal synthpop album with R&B and electronic elements is filled with songs with light, upbeat and dance-worthy melodies contrasted with emotional and shattering lyrics. This contrast captures the bittersweet mix of pain and devastation during a heartbreak often followed by euphoria and the feeling of freedom.
Now on her Vertigo World Tour, Griff brought her unique sound to Hamburg’s iconic Docks on November 25th, 2024. The 1.5k capacity venue was packed to the brim, with fans anticipating to watch the young singer perform.
The show began with Fred Roberts, a 22-year-old British singer, who enchanted the crowd with a dynamic mix of rock-infused songs and raw, heartfelt ballads. It seemed as if he wasn’t unknown to the crowd, and some sang along loudly with compassion. My favourite part was when he covered august by Taylor Swift since he put his own twist on it and the crowd went wild for it. His latest single, "Get Over With", received an enthusiastic response. I must say that not often have seen so much engagement for a support act, which solidifies the fantastic choice for him to get the crowd into the mood for the main act.
Dressed in a black and red gown, Griff went on stage and opened her set with the title track of her new album, "Vertigo". It is a sad anthem about the aftermath of a breakup and the emotions taking over someone.
The song's heart-wrenching lyrics are juxtaposed with a very light, upbeat tune building further until it’s released in the bridge. The song was an amazing choice for an opener setting the tone for the rest of the show foreshadowing an electrifying performance. Griff’s stage presence radiated confidence as she danced and twirled effortlessly. It is very noticeable that she loves to be on stage and is so good at captivating the audience with her energy and poise.
After "Pillow in My Arms" and "19th Hour", she quickly had an outfit adjustment, stunning a dress that compliments her twirls on stage beautifully. Not only is she a talented musician, but she also crafts her stage outfits herself. Her costumes reflect her sound: a feminine silhouette contrasted with bold colours or textures embodying her sound of heartfelt lyrics broken up by upbeat melodies with heavy electronic tunes.
After a sweet little chat with the crowd, where she declared her love for Germany, where she has performed before while opening for Dua Lipa and Ed Sheeran, and a little joke about being “[…] Germany’s favourite door-handle ever.”, she performed one of her favourite songs "Hiding Alone", a funky, R&B-leaning track, accompanied by her electric guitar. This was followed by "Walk", a track from her previous EP One Foot In Front The Other and by then, every last person in the audience was dancing and clapping along. The atmosphere was exhilarating. Perhaps its own vertigo: the spinning sensation of euphoria.
The show wasn’t all upbeat, however. Slower songs also made it to the setlist. She performed "Where Did You Go", a song about “losing someone and missing them in a house and wanting them to come back”. Seated at the keys, Griff delivered a song with layers of synthesised harmonies that add more dynamics and emphasise the heartache in the lyrics.
In one of the most intimate moments of the evening, Griff reveals how she loves being so close to her crowd after the big venues she played while supporting all the other artists. However, she wants to feel even closer to her fans and decides to step into the crowd and play a selection of acoustic songs, including "Forgive Myself", "So Fast", and "Black Hole", in the middle of the pit. It highlighted her powerful vocals and connection to her fans and made you feel like you were part of something special.
Back on stage, Griff delivered a show-stopping performance of "Miss Me Too", a song about missing one’s old self after a heartbreak: the version that once had faith in the world and love. It is a pop track filled with a strong beat but holding back the melody, which lets the singer's stunning voice shine.
After the main set concluded, the crowd erupted into chants for an encore. Griff returned with the song "Astronaut", a haunting piano ballad about letting go of someone who needs space while still hoping for them to return. Her voice, raw and filled with emotion, moved me to tears. After that little touching moment, she closed the night with the song "Tears for Fun", a tune dealing with not being able to move past a relationship despite its flaws. A high-energy track with a fast beat and layered harmonies that perfectly encapsulate the rollercoaster of emotions in heartbreak. The ideal final song for a perfect setlist, in my opinion.
If you couldn’t already tell, Griff’s performance left me in awe. I fell completely in love with her and her music the moment she went on stage. Her ability to blend emotional vulnerability with dynamic stage presence is a testament to her charisma and talent. She is a natural pop star on her way to claiming pop music. I highly recommend that you check out her discography. If you've got the chance to experience her live, don't miss the chance. Her show is an emotional, electrifying journey you won’t forget.
WRITTEN BY
Meggi
I like to write about everything pop & fandom culture. Since it has been an integral part of my life for over 10 years I want to write about it for people to get an insight into something they might not understand. I‘d love to shed light onto the misogynistic view on fansgirls/boys. Sport fans and pop music fans are not as different.
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Maxine
I love to capture little moments in busy streets, but for our magazine, I mostly take editorial, portraits and concerts shots. You can sometime find me reviewing concerts or talking about all and everything during a hot chocolate in interviews with our guests.
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