Lewis Capaldi
7th January 2020
The Town Hall, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Chris Zwaagdyk.
Strolling into town last night, self-proclaimed ‘one hit wonder’ Lewis Capaldi laid down a set dipped in equal parts melancholia and Glaswegian humour that left the sold-out audience satisfied, but somewhat a little short-changed.
In support, the lovely Yorke (aka Grace Hughes), a Byron Bay native whose stage name is a play on New York, her favourite city in the world. Performing her first international show last night, she gracefully commanded the stage, her sequinned top reflecting minute fragments of light.
Accompanied only by a guitarist and her own keyboard, Yorke offered up a short set of her indie pop stylised tracks which included singles ‘Thought I Could’ and ‘Wake The City’ as well as a promise to donate all the proceeds from her merchandise sales to the Australian Rural Fire Service; ‘Watertight’ a poignant song to follow such a selfless gesture from an emerging artist.
Upping the ante with a cover of Lana Del Ray’s ‘Summertime Sadness’, Yorke proved not only that she has come a long way since her days of busking around her hometown as a teenager but that her aspirations will continue to propel her forward into a bright future.
Amusing themselves with impromptu karaoke to Robbie Williams ‘Angels’ playing over the sound system, the Auckland crowd patiently waited for Capaldi to appear; Flight of the Conchords ‘Business Time’ both a tongue-in-cheek intro and a playful nod to his kiwi fans.
A four piece band in tow and a giant version of the cover of his debut album serving as his backdrop, Capaldi arrived dressed down in simple black jumper and jeans, the fact that he has been nominated for not only a BRIT Critics Choice Award as well as a Grammy not quite getting to his head yet.
And that’s part of the twenty-three years old’s affable and at times disconcerting charm; racing to the top of the charts with both his single ‘Someone You Loved’ and his debut album Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent, one would expect Capaldi to be embracing the pop star life and acting accordingly. Instead, the young singer is a walking conundrum, his songs steeped in heartache and loss, while in between his onstage (and offstage) banter is self-deprecating and at times wildly facetious, his social media posts full of material on everything from blocked hotel toilets to Tinder profiles, supposed net worth and his love for Buckfast Tonic Wine.
Even the title of his album appears to poke fun at his own feigned disdain for both his despondent compositions and the music industry itself, at one-point last night he even referred to his own record company as ‘money hungry’ for releasing an extended version of said debut. Is it all an act? Is Capaldi playing up to his fans? Or as a young artist entering a new decade as a worldwide star, is he just acutely aware of his own limited longevity in an industry where flavour of the month changes by the hour and is therefore just calling it as he sees it?
Either way, his fans love him for it as evidenced by their adoring faces and impassioned sing-a-longs to almost every one of his songs. Opening with ‘Grace’ it is immediately evident that Capaldi can sing, the gravel tinged tone topped with occasional emotional crescendos a recipe that works for lyrics about pining for lost love, just ask Calum Scott and James Arthur.
Part concert and part stand-up comedy show, Capaldi interspersed his middle of the road pop songs with banter about anything and everything, playfully teasing the audience to their immense delight and while for the most part they seemed enthralled with his every move, the show still felt lacking. Maybe it was the absence of confetti and showers of sparks that appeared at his recent Australian shows (to be fair this could have been a venue restriction) or the short set list that scraped in at just eleven songs. Capaldi may only have the one album, but there was ample room for a couple more tunes or at least a cover. The rather monotone lighting and lack of introductions of his own band only adding to the feeling.
Finally upping the tempo a bit more both musically and stage wise with big and bold versions of ‘Fade’ and ‘Hold Me While You Wait’, Capaldi genuinely thanked his fans and farewelled them with the song that no doubt many had been hanging out for; ‘Someone You Loved’ taken over by the audience and strangely turned into a fast paced chant towards the end before Capaldi once again took charge for a sentimental finish; any hope for an encore quickly dashed by the swift raising of the house lights.
Capaldi has the chops, and the fact that he is riding this current wave of success without sacrificing who he inherently is as a person has to be admired. Just how long that wave lasts however remains to be seen, but one can’t help but wish the very best for him.
Were you there at The Auckland Town Hall for this Scottish singer-songwriter? Or have you seen Lewis Capaldi perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
- Grace
- Forever
- Don’t Get Me Wrong
- One
- Maybe
- Before You Go
- Bruises
- Hollywood
- Fade
- Hold Me While You Wait
- Someone You Loved
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