Since wandering on to the X Factor stage in 2012, Lucy Spraggan has had an incredible journey, both professionally and personally. An exceptional singer, songwriter and emotive wordsmith, Lucy’s songs and stories hit with force. She dives deep into themes of identity, belief, and belonging.
Spraggan gave one her most energetic performance to date at Bristol's O2 Academy as she energised the crowd with her upbeat songs. With her seventh studio album due for release in August, the singer songwriter is back on the road with new music and songs from her back catalogue.
London-based singer Cassa Jackson opened the event, delivering catchy hit ‘Suits U’. She continued by singing Parallel Universe . The second support act for the evening was Irish singer-songwriter and multi instrumentalist, Gareth Dunlop. His incredible vocals filled the audience as he opened his concert with Small Talk , followed by Devil Like You from the Lucifer TV series soundtrack. He wrapped up his performance with the upbeat song Look Back Smiling.
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Lucy kicked off the evening with Unsinkable – a remarkable live track that highlights some of Lucy’s most intimate lyrics. Next up was the upbeat Run , before the contemplative Mountains – a song inspired by a chance meeting she had with an elderly lady in a train station.
The recently released OCD was the first new offering of the evening from the upcoming Balance album and it was joined by Bodies and Sober , all incredibly personable. The singalong anthem Tea and Toast was next up followed by the title track from the upcoming new album.
Balance is Lucy at her most honest and reflective. The piano-led track is a powerful and inspiring song which combines her voice with her thoughtful and optimistic lyrics.
Lucy’s an extremely talented storyteller and this is reflected in both her lyrics and onstage rapport. From sobriety to taking care of your mental health, she’s unafraid to explore difficult topics and her heart on sleeve approach serves her well.
Lucy’s setlist had a generous helping of her older material and she took us right back to the beginning with Butterflies , the inspirational Lucky Stars and Lightning from her 2019 album Today Was a Good Day.
This was followed by my highlight of the evening, Lighthouse , which takes inspiration from her journey across America at the age of 18. As Lucy brought the tempo down for the empowering Fight For It , she then took on the crowd-pleaser Last Night (Beer Fear ).
The evening came to an end with Everything Change s, a heartfelt track that sees Lucy look back on the past decade, and thanking her audience for a memorable evening.
With gig stops in Belfast, Dublin, London, and her native Sheffield, Lucy will continue her UK tour in Exeter, Glasgow and Chelmsford.
PAUL GAINEY
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