REVIEW AND PHOTOS BY DAMIEN HARVEY
Seeing Pedro Santos headline his first solo show felt like watching someone step fully into their own story. Walking into The Garage, the room already buzzed with that specific kind of anticipation you only get when fans know they’re about to witness a turning point. After the recent split of Hear At Last, this night felt less like a debut and more like a statement: Pedro isn’t starting over; he’s evolving.
From the opening notes of Daisy, he owned the stage with a confidence that immediately erased any doubts about him going solo. It genuinely felt like he’d been headlining for years. Of course, his time in a band showed his stage instincts, pacing, and connection with the crowd were razor sharp. That momentum carried through Shoulda Woulda Coulda, Colour of Everything, and The Way You Do, each song tightening the bond between performer and audience.
The cover segment was a highlight reel of influences and personality. His take on Man I Need by Olivia Dean was warm and soulful, while End of Beginning from Djo added a dreamy edge. When he moved into Easy on Me by Adele, the room fell into reverent silence. He followed that with Back to Friends by Sombr and a haunting rendition of Another Love by Tom Odell, proving his vocal control and emotional delivery could carry any material.
Then came Shadow In The Dark, a brand-new song that had never been played before. You could feel the collective realisation ripple through the crowd: this was a first. The performance was raw and intimate, like we were being let in on a secret chapter of his artistry.
What followed might have been the most unforgettable moment of the night. During One in Seven Billion, Pedro stepped off the stage and into the middle of the crowd, singing completely without a mic. Every single person went mega silent just to hear him. It was surreal, hundreds of people holding their breath, hanging on every lyric. That level of trust between artist and audience doesn’t happen by accident.
The emotional arc continued with Heaven to Me and Someone I Don’t Know, before the encore sealed the night. Lady in Red, his most popular song, turned the venue into a full-voice singalong, the kind that vibrates through your chest. He closed with I Don’t Know Me, his most recently released record, leaving the audience suspended in that sweet afterglow of a perfectly paced finale.
Throughout the night, his crowd engagement never dipped. He joked, shared stories, and made the intimate venue feel even smaller in the best way. Members of Hear At Last were spotted in attendance, cheering him on, which added a touching sense of continuity and support.
Pedro has spent the last year opening for artists like Only The Poets and Cian Ducrot, and you can see how that experience sharpened him. This show felt like the culmination of everything he’s learned and the starting line of something much bigger.
It was a fantastic show in such an intimate setting: confident, emotional, and deeply human. Watching him command the room solo, you couldn’t help but think the same thing everyone else was clearly feeling: Pedro Santos has serious distance ahead of him.
Setlist:
1. Daisy
2. Shoulda Woulda Coulda
3. Colour of Everything
4. The Way you do
5. Man I Need (Olivia Dean cover)
6. End of Beginning (Djo cover)
7. Easy on Me (Adele cover)
8. back to friends (sombr cover)
9. Another Love (Tom Odell cover)
10. Shadow In The Dark
11. One in Seven Billion
12. Heaven to me
13. Someone I Don’t Know
Encore:
14. Lady in red
15. I Don’t Know Me
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