On July 15th, Tuesday evening, I stood 72 floors above London at The View from The Shard, watching the city fade into twilight as Diamond and Grammy-winning songwriter Toby Gad delivered a one-off performance. Set at London’s highest public viewing platform, the event combined elements of cultural programming with a musical retrospective.
Perched at the top of The Shard, a venue that offers a breathtaking 360-degree view of London, the event was designed to maintain an intimate atmosphere despite its lofty height. The city itself, with its iconic landmarks like the River Thames, Tower Bridge, and St Paul’s Cathedral, served as a stunning visual backdrop that evolved with the shifting evening light.
Before the performances began, Gad welcomed the audience from the piano. He offered a brief introduction to the concept behind “Piano Diaries – The Hits”, framing the project as an opportunity to revisit familiar songs in their most minimal form. His remarks were concise, setting a reflective tone that continued throughout the evening.
The performance opened with a solo appearance by Gad’s daughter, Mae Mae. Her presence early in the programme introduced a generational thread that underscored the collaborative nature of the evening.
Throughout the evening, Gad was accompanied by the Morassi String Quartet, whose restrained and carefully paced arrangements perfectly complemented the stripped-back format. The guest vocalists, including Paloma Faith, Megan McKenna, Victoria Canal, Ruth-Anne Cunningham, and Dionne Bromfield, each brought a unique vocal approach to the material. Their contributions, along with Gad’s adaptability and focus on songwriting structure, created a performance that was a true celebration of musical artistry.
Remaining on stage throughout, Gad personally introduced each guest as they joined him. His introductions were understated, often referencing previous collaborations or briefly explaining why he had selected each artist for the project. The tone remained focused on process and shared authorship rather than individual showcase.
The guest artists rotated across the set, each offering a different texture to Gad’s catalogue. While their contributions added variety, the spotlight remained on the underlying craft. Gad accompanied all of them from the piano, guiding transitions and pacing with subtle cues to the quartet.
As the sun set, the skyline outside gradually transformed. The changing light became part of the visual experience but was not incorporated into the performance itself. This separation underscored the contrast between the panoramic urban view and the inward focus of the event’s musical approach. During the intermission, in-person guests moved around the viewing deck, while streaming audiences accessed behind-the-scenes footage and interview segments via Lounges.tv.
The production was kept minimal and efficient, with no visual effects or staging beyond ambient lighting and the natural glow from the windows. This allowed the audience to focus their attention solely on the material, without any distractions. The sound levels were balanced for the compact space, further enhancing the purity and authenticity of the performance.
Streaming access was available globally via Lounges.tv, offering remote viewers an experience similar in tone to the in-person event. The broadcast included additional contextual content during the break and is available on demand for a limited period.
The performance concluded with one of Gad’s most recognisable works, “All of Me.” As the piano began, the audience quietly joined in from their seats. The moment wasn’t presented as a formal finale, but it served as a natural conclusion, familiar and in keeping with the evening’s tone. After the final note, guests made their way toward the lifts as the city of London became more defined through the surrounding glass.
You can find the post-show interview with Toby Gad here, where we explore the intent behind the Piano Diaries project, his approach to reinterpreting key works from his discography, and unpack the choices behind the performance at The Shard: from artistic collaborations to the role of setting and how this concert fits into his broader creative trajectory.
