Following his sold-out first night at Bristol’s O2 Academy, American singer-songwriter Teddy Swims and his extraordinarily talented band, Freak Freely, filled the venue to capacity with their fans on Wednesday, 29th May. Eighteen-year-old Scottish artist Kerr Mercer sublimely set the tone for a sensational evening of soulful music when he opened his support set with his hauntingly beautiful vocals and accomplished keyboard playing. Although his discography is currently unreleased on streaming platforms, his phenomenal voice speaks for itself and undoubtedly had the crowd in awe from the beginning to the end of his set.
After playing a few original tracks on a Nordstrom keyboard, Kerr performed an astonishingly captivating cover of Tom Odell’s powerful ballad, “Another Love.” For the rest of his stunning set, he was accompanied by an acoustic guitarist. In between singing, the masterful musician spoke about how he recently turned eighteen and had his first legal drink in the south-west city, which earned cheers from the crowd. Despite his young age, Kerr has already previously opened for the iconic four-piece McFly. Now, after touring with Teddy Swims, there’s no doubt in my mind that his fanbase will deservedly grow in abundance. Wholesomely, some of his family members, proudly sporting Kerr Mercer merchandise, were supporting him from the front of the crowd and handing out flyers after his set, detailing his forthcoming headline show in Bristol on 8th October 2024.
At the end of a minimal intermission, atmospheric red lights illuminated the entire stage, and Addy Maxwell, one of Freak Freely’s exceptional guitarists, played out a dramatically explosive riff, eliciting an instantaneous explosion of raucous cheering and applause from the crowd. Visibly filling the capacity of the O2, Teddy’s supporters comprised a vast array of ages, reflecting the unifying impact and universal appeal of his genre-blending, emotionally expressive music. Wearing a stylish gold-colored velvet shirt, chic shades, a quintessential cap atop his tattooed head—which he frequently waved around the air whilst performing—and mismatched dangly cheese and Fanta bottle earrings, Teddy kicked off his glorious setlist of nineteen hits with a real crowd pleaser: “Goodbye’s Been Good to You.”
Throughout his unforgettable performance, a rarely stationary Teddy gallivanted around the stage while his breathtaking vocals soared across the room. It was truly as if his passion for performance was wholly uncontainable, so much so that he was compelled to move in tandem with the musical vibrations. As well as being a free-flowing performer, Teddy connected with fans by making eye contact and pausing to serenade his listeners on both sides of the stage. It was nearly impossible to take your eyes off the energetic artist as his irresistible quirks, such as performing shoeless and comically rubbing his stomach while singing, came to life on the stage. Notably, compared to shows I have attended previously, the audience was seldom on their phones during his set, completely transfixed in the moment by his mind-blowing talent.
There were countless signs throughout the evening that revealed Teddy’s genuine passion for the art of performance and connecting with a crowd of fellow music lovers. One such indication was his heartwarming habit of introducing tracks on the setlist, such as when he presented his tune “Apple Juice” by lightheartedly saying, “This next song’s about drinking…if you got a drink, hold it up.” His refreshing honesty within his lyricism is unsurprising when you hear him talk openly about anything from mental health awareness to the significance of family. His innate compassion shone through when he made a poignant speech about the therapeutic nature of communication: “Text or FaceTime someone you haven’t heard from in a while, check on your friends; I can’t express that enough. Tell ‘em they mean a lot to you. It could save their life. It saved my life. Being here with my best friends in front of you has saved my life.”
Love, whether in its absence or its profusion, is a recurring theme in Teddy’s music. This was certainly reiterated throughout the night as he repeatedly expressed his love and appreciation for the crowd and Bristol in general, saying how he loves “being here” and explaining how it was so “f**cking cool” to be performing again in the “exact venue” he played at “two years ago.” Welcoming her onto the stage as “someone who means a lot” to him, Teddy’s partner Raiche, an impeccable songstress in her own right, joined him to duet his gorgeous cover of Shania Twain’s timeless love song, “You’re Still The One.” The pair epitomized pure devotion as they sang the anthem of adoration to each other. As well as dedicating his touching track, “Growing Up is Getting Old,” to his own “Momma” and mothers across the globe, who he described as “the most beautiful creatures on earth,” the stupendous vocalist expressed his kind-hearted disposition once again when he gratefully expressed how he felt “happy to feel heard and seen and loved in a place across the ocean.”
Intensifying from heavenly strings and a delicate keyboard instrumental to the all-encompassing intro of his viral hit song, silhouettes of Teddy and Freak Freely were visibly dotted along the stage as orange strobe lighting flickered around and an electrifying guitar solo played out for the spectacular encore. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Teddy Swims show if he didn’t blow the roof off the venue with his outstanding tune, “Lose Control.” Though I have listened to this addictive anthem countless times, not even I was prepared for the sheer brilliance of hearing him deliver each and every vocal run flawlessly! Before sweetly blowing kisses to his adoring fans as he left the stage for the final time, the artist threw his cap into the crowd for a lucky fan to catch and treasure in remembrance of a magnificent night of sonic excellence.
Seeing the Georgia-born artist live was an unmissable opportunity for which I am so grateful, as his concert felt like a safe environment to let loose, filled to the brim with benevolence and positive energy. His music is incredibly healing to listen to, and the healing effects are even more powerfully felt when you hear him perform the songs live, as he elucidates the inspiration behind his songwriting in addition to sharing wisdom he has acquired throughout his thirty-one years on the planet. I sincerely implore everyone to witness his shows for themselves because, in the warm words of Teddy Swims himself, his concerts are “a place for you to feel welcome to feel.”
Dan Rose @danrose.uk
Role: Photographer
I’m primarily a photographer for both concerts and festivals, and am also available for BTS photos, portraits, promo shoots and tour photography. I also write the occasional review.
Available for: Gig Shoots, Photo Shoots, Album and Single cover shoots and Touring
First attended gig: My most memorable early concert experience was seeing Eminem in 2014 at Wembley Stadium. This was a very pivotal moment in my life as it reinforced why I love music so much and reignited my passion for it.
First gig shot: The very first artist I photographed live was the DJ and producer Nathan Dawe at SWX Bristol. This was an incredibly fulfilling start to concert photography, as I was on stage with him during his set, and even hung out backstage afterwards.
Dream gig: My top 5 dream artists to one day photograph would be Eminem, J. Cole, Rod Wave, Jon Bellion, and Logic. One of my favourite artists, Juice WRLD, is sadly no longer alive, and I wish I had had the opportunity to see him perform live and photograph him.