A queer pop artist from Salford said performing in front of thousands at the city’s annual Pride celebration felt like a “full-circle moment”.
Salford resident Tom Willis appeared on both the Main Stage and the Wagon Stage as Pink Picnic transformed Peel Park into a vibrant celebration of the city’s LGBTQ+ community.
The 27-year-old took to the stage at the festival following the success of ‘Laid’, a dance-pop and melodic house reinterpretation of James’ iconic 1993 track.
Released on 8 May, the single climbed into the top 50 of the UK iTunes Dance Chart and reached number 40 across all genres, while garnering more than 15,000 radio plays across Europe and Australia.
Tom described the opportunity to perform the track to the masses at Pink Picnic as “something I’ll never take for granted” and hailed the “special” Salford festival.
He said: “Performing at Pink Picnic was a real full-circle moment for me.
“To perform my own music at such an important community event, right on my doorstep in Salford, in front of an incredible crowd, is something I’ll never take for granted.
“What makes Pink Picnic so special is that it’s grassroots, community-led and created by people who genuinely care.”
The Pink Picnic is regarded as Greater Manchester’s largest grassroots Pride event. It has been run entirely by volunteers since its founding in 2011, to create an inclusive and equal community where LGBTQ+ people can thrive and live authentically.
This year’s celebrity-packed line-up included headline performances from Boney M, Big Brovaz and drag superstar Kyran Thrax.
Willis was over the moon to have played his part in the milestone festival.
“At a time when LGBTQ+ spaces and visibility matter more than ever, events like this are incredibly important,” he said.
I’m proud to have been part of it and grateful to everyone who volunteers their time to make it happen – and to the crowd for showing up and bringing the energy and love.”
Willis’ track ‘Laid’ has racked up more than 216,000 YouTube views and has been listened to more than 600,000 times around the world. It’s available to stream here.
