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Chronicle Live
Entertainment
James Robinson

'What a guy' - Lewis Capaldi pays tribute to Sam Fender to delight of Newcastle crowd

The last time Lewis Capaldi performed in Newcastle was 2018, when he performed to a crowd of around 300 fans at the city's Think Tank venue.

Five years on, and the Scottish superstar has been catapulted to stardom by a string of hits, so it's perhaps no surprise that his latest visit to Geordie-land had something of a larger crowd.

Thousands of fans packed into a sold-out Utilita Arena to watch the singer perform the likes of Someone You Loved, Before You Go and Hold You While You Wait as part of his 'Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent' tour.

Read more: In pictures: Lewis Capaldi's sold-out gig at Newcastle's Utilita Arena

Capaldi is clearly a huge talent and has an even bigger following - his name was chanted around the arena as fans waited for him to appear, and his arrival sent the capacity crowd absolutely wild.

Capaldi came out swinging, beginning with hit song Forget Me. Die-hard fans knew every word and sang along, leading him to warn: "It's better when I sing it, I promise you!"

Lewis Capaldi performing to a sell out audience at The Utilita Arena in Newcastle Upon Tyne. (Craig Connor/ChronicleLive)

Of course, a Lewis Capaldi gig isn't just about the songs. The man has the voice of an angel, but also a wicked sense of humour that would make even the devil blush.

Between songs Capaldi turned the air blue with his hilarious monologues - one where he likened the gig to a date with all of Newcastle that stretched on for six minutes and ended in a way that can't be published here was a particular highlight.

Then there was the spectacular moment when, suspended twenty feet in the air alongside a piano, he revealed the new song Wish You The Best from his upcoming album, Broken By Desire to Be Heavenly Sent. The crowd responded by chanting Capaldi's name, leading him to ask them to stop.

"The longer you go on the longer I have to stay up here," he told fans. "It seemed like a good idea at the time, but I am sh****ing it!"

It's not very often you go to see a music act of this magnitude and also get to see a comedian as well, and the emotional ballads really juxtapose with his foul-mouthed anecdotes and metaphors. It shouldn't work, but Capaldi's infectious personality manages to pull it off superbly.

Lewis Capaldi performing to a sell out audience at The Utilita Arena in Newcastle Upon Tyne. (Craig Connor/ChronicleLive)

The Glasgow-born songwriter is also refreshingly honest. We've all been to gigs where the band traipses off at the 'end' of the show, still yet to play their biggest hit - only to return after chants of "one more tune" from the crowd.

Capaldi did things a little differently - he straight up told the crowd he would be going off stage for five minutes (for a pee, he said, although not in those exact words) before returning and playing two more songs.

The first was written by Capaldi during a recent low point - the singer has been open about his struggles with mental health and panic attacks, and new song How I'm Feeling Now is a deeply personal look at some of his emotions during his difficulties. It was well received, as where all of his other new songs from his upcoming album, set to be released in May this year.

That didn't stop him from apologising for performing them - more typical, blunt honesty - and acknowledging that fans had come to hear his hits. And his final song did not disappoint.

So popular and so memorable is Someone You Love, that even when Capaldi and his band paused to ensure a fan in the crowd received medical attention, the rest of the arena simply carried on without him, serenading the singer with his own song. It was a wonderful moment, leaving Capaldi looking quite touched.

Lewis Capaldi performing to a sell out audience at The Utilita Arena in Newcastle Upon Tyne. (Craig Connor/ChronicleLive)

He had earlier thanked his fans for what he called the best five years of his life, and the Newcastle crowd for what he said was his favourite gig of the tour so far - before name-dropping a particular Geordie icon.

"It means the world," he said, before adding: "Just for good measure - Sam Fender, what a guy!" much to the delight of the North East crowd.

All in all, it was a fantastic night - Lewis, lets not leave it five years before your next visit!

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