Tom hits the high note with two massive gigs
A Sunderland teenager is supporting Elton John AND playing Glastonbury in one weekend.
Not only will Tom Smith support one of the biggest names in music when Sir Elton plays at Hyde Park tomorrow, he will also follow it up by performing at one of the world’s biggest festivals, Glastonbury, the next day.
It’s the latest in many musical coups for the 18-yearold former Houghton Kepier pupil, who performs as Tom A.Smith, and whose single Could I Live With Being Fake was supported by Sir Elton John on his Rocket Hour Apple Music show.
The superstar is playing Hyde Park as he tours the country with his Farewell Yellow Brick Road show, which played in Sunderland last weekend, and he chose a specially-curated support bill for the date, with Tom chosen to perform.
The following day, Tom will be performing on the Left Field Stage at Glastonbury.
Tom will be releasing his second EP, called EP2, on August 5, which includes new single Never Good Enough, which is set for its own release on July 8.
Speaking about the new EP, he said: “I think EP2 is a really nice progression from EP1. I’m really proud of all the tracks and already know Toronto will become a fan favourite as it goes down so well live.
“The lyrics to Man Overboard are my best work so far in my opinion, I love how it skips along, producer Larry (Hibbitt) described it as crying at the disco. We love putting a homemade demo at the end of every EP and If I Was just works so well.
"The last verse has a reference to Elton John, I didn’t realise he’d become a fan of my work when I wrote it.”
He added: “Never Good Enough was our final pick when we were deciding which songs to record and wasn’t thought of as a potential single. As soon as it went into the studio it became this monster especially when the saxophone appeared on it. So grateful to Alex from Fat White Family for recreating my vision on the sax. It’s arguably my favourite song now.”
The teenager is wellknown on the local music scene after playing his first ever gig when he was just eight-years-old, supporting psychedelic rockers Detroit Social Club at The Cluny, in Newcastle.
He went on to perform at Glastonbury before he was even in secondary school, and Tim Burgess handpicked him to play his stage at Kendall Calling, making him the festival's youngest ever performer.
He has also played live with local hero Sam Fender and Catfish & The Bottlemen, as well as supported other Northern acts on the rise like The Lathums and The Mysterines.
Tom, who studies music performance at Gateshead College, is playing a string of festival dates this summer and you can catch him locally at Little Lindi festival on Lambton Estate on July 23.
National dates in July include Barn On The Farm Festival; Nibley Festival; BBC Introducing at The Lexington; and Belladrum Festival. In August, he plays Bingley WeekenderFestival;110Above Festival; and Leeds Festival.