Gareth might be from Northern Ireland, but he had dreams and a wander in his heart. “Long Story Short”—if we may borrow the title of one of his songs—he paid his dues for ten years playing pubs back there, but now he calls Nashville home.
He still misses where he came from, with “Quiet In This House” dedicated to his parents. And he’ll be missing them a while longer, if the strength of his voice and the skill behind songs like “What You Don’t Know” and the new track “Shoulders I Stand On” are anything to go by.
He’s just released Steal Your Thunder, his debut major label EP, and the title track is a standout—even if, as he modestly admits, “didn’t think much of it at first.”
“Last Thing I Do,” the final song on the EP, was actually the first song he wrote in Nashville. Fitting, then, that tonight is a night of firsts: the premiere show of the tour, the debut of his band, and his first time playing in Birmingham.
Not even technical difficulties could disguise the fact that Gareth is going places.
With his white work shirt sleeves rolled up and jeans on, Kip Moore strides on stage looking every inch the blue-collar hero. Think Springsteen in ’84. All that’s missing is Courteney Cox to dance with.
Ready for business, what follows is not just a concert—it’s a declaration. A man with the world at his feet, meeting it on his own terms.
There’s no glitz, no gimmicks. Just a set built on the strength of brilliant songs and the kind of heartland honesty that’s long been Moore’s trademark. From the opening moments, it’s clear: tonight isn’t about flash. It’s about feeling.
“High Hopes” captures lightning in a bottle somehow, and his mammoth recent record Solitary Tracks provides a magnificent “Only Me” and the confessional title song.
A run of tracks including “Crazy One More Time” (complete with a “this is gon’ be a good night” vibe) sets the tone. The drums crash with a Def Leppard-sized punch, but the energy is pure Nashville grit. On singalongs like “She’s Mine” and the reflective “Wildlife,” there’s a sense of intimacy, even in a room packed wall to wall.
“More Girls Like You” keeps that mood going, while “Half Full Cup” sees Moore ditch his guitar and prowl the stage like a man possessed—owning the crowd, feeding off its energy. “We’ll find out where the real fans are tonight,” he grins before launching into “That Was Us,” a nostalgic tale of youthful indiscretion, and “Live Here to Work,” which feels as anthemic—and authentic—as blue-collar country gets.
He beats his chest as “Love and War” crashes in, and soon he’s off the stage, deep into the crowd, shaking hands, singing face to face, and meeting the people who’ve elevated him to this point. By now, he doesn’t just perform for them—he commands them.
There’s a vulnerability, too. “Livin’ Side” lays bare the emotional weight he carries, and a stripped-down acoustic “Running for You” (which he notes he’s playing for the first time on this tour) only underscores the point. Even a truncated version of “Faith,” played at the request of a VIP, feels special—another moment that’s just between Kip and his fans.
The band returns for “Sweet Virginia,” giving each member a moment to shine, and from there it’s a sprint to the finish. “Heart on Fire” ignites the crowd, and “The Bull” keeps it raging. “Heart’s Desire” becomes a full-blown anthem, and then there’s that song—“Somethin’ ’Bout a Truck.” With over 250 million Spotify streams, it’s the hit that launched a thousand tailgates, and it sounds massive in this setting.
The O2 Academy might hold 3,000, but it feels like a last chance to catch Kip Moore somewhere this small. “Come and Get It” thunders like it was made for arenas, while “Last Shot” closes the main set on a ballad that somehow feels even bigger.
The curfew looms, but nobody’s going anywhere. An encore brings “Flowers in December,” a thoughtful closer from his latest album. Its final line—“time to say goodbye”—hangs in the air like a parting promise.
In a world obsessed with TikToks, Reels, and bite-sized content, Kip Moore is the exception. A man winning the fight by doing things the old-fashioned way: writing great songs and playing shit loads of them. One after another. Night after night.
Tip your hat (cowboy or otherwise). Kip Moore just showed Birmingham how it’s done.
