Lewis Capaldi, Sheffield 2023

 

I was quite late to discovering Lewis Capaldi's music, as when he burst onto the music scene- who remembers his first Brits speech, and the contrast between that one and the next?!-I'd been going through quite a difficult time in my personal life and, it's no exaggeration to say, that the songs on 'Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent' really saved me, a light in the dark of a pitch black tunnel I just couldn't see a way out of, metaphorically speaking.

So when tickets went on sale for his 2023 tour I was over the moon to be lucky enough to get one.

Unsurprisingly the whole tour sold out in one second, although Lewis has now announced new shows in Edinburgh and Chepstow this summer.  I'm not good in crowds at the best of times, so when I realised there would be 15,000 people at Sheffield's Utilita Arena, I'm not gonna lie and tell you my heart wasn't racing with anxiety.

The excitement in the Arena was palpable, the only thing I really have to compare it to is when I went to see Kylie years ago in Liverpool.  Now I've never seen Lewis Capaldi in gold hotpants, but I wouldn't be surprised if someone threw a pair on stage -he'd definitely give them a good go.

The show started with flashing lights, and what I'm guessing is part of a track from Capaldi's album 'Broken by Desire to be Heavenly Sent', out on the 19th May.  The audience was a huge cross section of people of all ages, including children.  Some of his in between chat -strike that, all of it- can be quite X-rated, so I'd avoid if you are easily offended.  But I'm guessing if you've already got a ticket to see him, you already know that.  Part of Capaldi's appeal is how approachable he is, regularly posing for selfies with fans, and replying to comments on his Instagram page, that you'd be forgiven for feeling like he could be your best friend, ok one who is a public figure and sings in front of 15,000 people, but he genuinely comes across as one of the loveliest people in the music industry.

It seemed back in 2019, when he was nominated for Critics Choice at The Brit Awards that he had achieved overnight success, but it was quite the opposite.  It's been well documented that Lewis has been gigging for years, sneaking into pubs underage and hiding in the toilets until it was time to go on stage.  This is an artist who has grafted for his musical success, and it's well deserved.  Winning song of the year at The Brits in 2020 for 'Someone you Loved' as well as Best New Artist, the same year, 'Someone you Loved' achieved number one status on both sides of the Atlantic, hitting Number One on the US Billboard Hot 100 in November 2019 -something many artists have tried and failed to achieve. 

His unique gravelly tone and powerful lyrics combine to achieve music that has achieved success globally, because he has talent in spades.  Combined with an on stage banter which could rival many comedians, Capaldi has said publicly that playing in front of crowds is his favourite part of being a musician, as with many artists, this was put on hold in March 2020 when lockdown hit, and he announced a hiatus from social media.

 As you can probably tell, a bit of time has passed since the gig in January and finishing this review, but I wanted to get it out before he starts his USA tour this week.  Here's my highlights of the gig-starting off with 'Forget Me', the first single to be released in September 2022 from 'Broken by Desire to be Heavenly Sent.' It was such an exciting moment seeing Lewis walk on stage and his voice live is next level amazing.  Next was 'Forever', one of my favourites from 'Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent. It was so lovely to hear everyone singing along and I think one of the reasons Lewis's fans are so loyal is because he hasn't let fame go to his head.  He's still, as he's said himself, humbled by the amount of people filling arenas to watch him sing.

As I've said, although it was only the second night of the tour, the in between songs chat was laugh out loud funny.  This was proven when someone threw a big pair of white pants onto the stage and, after encouragement from the crowd, he pulled them on and posed for the crowd.  He's definitely got a backup career as a comedian if the music doesn't work out, but I'd bet good money it will.  Other stand out tracks for me personally were 'Before you Go' and 'Grace.'

We were also lucky enough to hear some unreleased tracks from the new album, when I first heard 'How I'm Feeling Now' it struck me as such a different sound that shows his versatility as an artist, he's since gone on to say that it's his most personal song yet, and it focuses on his mental health.  I don't think anyone can imagine what it must be like to go from writing songs in your bedroom, to having millions of people download them and follow you on social media.  Lewis has been open publicly about his battles with Anxiety, and as someone who has also found both Anxiety as well as Depression -which some of these songs helped find me a light out of a tunnel I just couldn't see a way out of back in autumn 2021 -it's very refreshing to hear about someone who, on the surface you would assume has it all because they are famous and sucessful, but struggles with their Mental Health.  'How I'm Feeling Now'-also the title of Lewis's documentary out on Netflix on April 5th.  Click here to set a reminder when it's out. The track struck me as sounding like 90s Britpop, but with songwriting that for me could rival McCartney and Bob Dylan -artists Capaldi has said he grew up listening to on long car trips, while on holiday with his family.  It showcases both the artists now and the potential he has to achieve longevity in the music industry, which is not easy.

At the end of the gig, the rest of the band left the stage, leaving Lewis to sing his most well known track, 'Someone you Loved.' It really reminded me that, take away all the jokes and everything else, and what remains is a singer who is a gifted songwriter and musician, who deserves all of his sucess.  This may have been the first time I saw Lewis Capaldi live, but I'm confident it won't be the last.  'Broken by Desire to be Heavenly Sent' is out on 19th May, click here to download or use your preferred streaming service.  You can listen to 'How I'm Feeling Now' on Spotify here

Apologies there aren't many photos or videos with this review -in most of them I'm singing at the top of my voice and that is not something you need to hear!  Go get any remaining gig tickets now if you can -not to be missed! Click here for a full list <3