Cardiff’s Blackweir Fields venue is new to the city’s scene, and the team have orchestrated a stacked summer of star-studded shows, two of these nights belonging to Lewis Capaldi.
Joined by Rhode Island’s ‘Tyler Ballgame’ following an album release at the start of the year, he’s gaining notoriety and presence emerging from his nostalgic Americana. The following was BBC Introducing’s award winner, Jacob Alon, whose new-wave folk surprised audiences. Joined by a full band with standout Nial Walker Morrison on drums, inventively using wind chimes and a massage gun to enhance his kit. Alon is wonderful to watch as a younger voice exploring such classic rhythms.
As soon as Lewis Capaldi entered the stage, the tone felt more like a conversation between mates as he spoke. He doesn’t hide or dim parts of himself, which has been his shining quality and appeal to fans. This tour has been so meaningful as he had to take a two year break due to getting panic attacks on stage and he truly thought he would never perform again and you could feel his gratefulness radiating through every note he sang.
Capaldi explored old and new tunes, a big portion coming from his most recent and emotionally charged EP ‘Survive’, which the crowd already knew every lyric to. It’s such a raw album, and this emulates so vividly as eyes got teary. He then explored his old albums and his chart-topping hits, singing so loudly and in harmony that it was heard throughout the whole city. But he didn’t make the show feel commercial, playing covers of his personal favourites, ‘Teenage Dream’ by Katy Perry and ‘Everytime’ by Britney Spears, which made the show even more fun.
The atmosphere of the night was just that, fun. In the festival-like grounds with food stalls and picnic blankets, families, couples, mothers and daughters sang and held each other and sang. It was a celebration of family, community and hope. Capaldi has clearly faced his battles and regained his courage; it was beautiful to see.
