Lewis Capaldi - P&J Live 15 March 2020
In a world that’s in turmoil due the new C word, tonight would quite possibly be one of the last large events to happen in Scotland for some considerable time. And who better to perform than Scotland’s very own superstar, West Lothian’s Lewis Capaldi.
The first support tonight was provided by another fantastic West Lothian band, Mark Sharp and the Bicycle Thieves, who fresh from selling out every show of their first headline tour down south, played a fantastic set, including a glorious cover of Underworlds Born Slippy.
Next to the stage were the even more last minute replacements Fatherson, the Kilmarnock band delivered a set of polished rock pop tunes, the standout song for me being the exceptional Ghost.
We then welcome the main man to the stage as the opening chords of Grace chime out, this has long been a favourite of mine so is the perfect start to the evening as it showcases what a fantastic voice Lewis has.
Next up is Forever, another great tune, as usual with Lewis the song is about a relationship with an ex girlfriend which came to an end although rather than being heartbroken this one is more about an acknowledgement that it may end as the lyrics “darling, nobody said it would last forever” highlight.
Lewis then takes the opportunity to have a chat with the crowd telling them that “this has been a delicious tour, and couldn’t think of a better place to end it than Aberdeen, well except perhaps except LA, New York or London” which brings laughter from the crowd.
It’s during these chats that it’s hard to determine whether we are hear for the music or some impromptu stand up comedy.
Don’t Get Me Wrong continues the theme of relationship songs this one again acknowledging that the break up may be for the best, once again it’s an outstanding vocal performance.
We are then treated to Maybe and by this point I am in awe of the vocal performance, at times it sounds even better live than it is recorded.
We then have a song which Lewis wants to dedicate to an ex girlfriends previous boyfriend for the mistakes he made in making her end the relationship and begin one with him, the song is called One. He wants to say thinks but can’t as the lyrics describe “I wish I could say, thank you for all the mistakes, thank you for all of the pain, I guess somebody else's loss is another's gain, I'm saying thank you to the one who let her get away”.
Hold Me While You Wait is next and is another fabulous song in dealing with relationship break ups and is another of my favourite songs.
At the end of the song Lewis asks for a stadium lights up as he has spotted someone in the crowd who is needing assistance, this shows the sense of compassion that Lewis has for his fans.
This is also illustrated that for his stadium tour he had put in place an initiative called Liveline, which provided struggling attendees with a safe space via a quiet room which was on the first floor of the arena for anyone at the show who was suffering from anxiety. Fans were also able to access support from a qualified team before and during his show.
Headspace is the next song and was written when he was aged 17 so makes it the oldest song that featured on his debut album. This is followed by Bruises which is another great song showcasing the songwriting skills of Lewis.
There is another lights up to help another crowd member who has feinted, Lewis announces “there has been a lot of feinters tonight, it must be my raw sex appeal”.
The next song is introduced as a cheery sounding song but is actually really depressing. It’s Hollywood and it’s certainly a more upbeat tune although lyrically it’s about going to LA to escape an ex highlighted by “you know I spent some time in Hollywood trying to find, something to get the thought of you and I off my mind”.
We are then told by Lewis there are only two songs left, but not really as he won’t have played Someone You Loved so he will go off stage and come back on to play it.
Fade is next and this is the song that Lewis admits to being his favourite song from his debut album. His second UK number single Before You Go is the penultimate song and it’s a beautiful rendition which continues to play on in the background as Lewis and the band have left the stage by now and it continues to play in the background until they re-emerge from the crowd to play the final tune.
This is played from an elevated stage in the standing area of the arena rather than the main stage. Lewis thanks everyone for coming out tonight finishing by saying “over the next couple of fucking weeks or months whatever it is, stay at home, stay safe, look after one another, don’t be a cunt essentially” before introducing his worldwide hit Someone You Loved. This brings the evening to a perfect end.
I saw Lewis play at Fat Sam’s in May 2019 on the day Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent was released and to say the performance and the stage show were complete night and day. His stage show this evening was spectacular and befitting for the quality of the songs performed by Lewis, his accomplished vocals often bringing goosebumps.
Setlist
Grace
Forever
Don’t Get Me Wrong
Maybe
One
Hold Me While You Wait
Headspace
Bruises
Hollywood
Fade
Before You Go
Someone You Loved
Watch below for a little bit of Lewis playing live: