In a year all-but dominated by difficult news stories, Lewis Capaldi’s recovery has provided a rare cause for celebration. Having taken a two-year break from touring to focus on his mental health, the Scottish singer returned refreshed at Glastonbury, stealing the show on the Friday with his triumphant secret set on the Pyramid Stage. Buoyed by a national outpouring of goodwill, he’s now back packing out arenas, albeit adhering to a meticulously-paced touring schedule to prevent another burnout.
At the first of three sold out shows at The O2, the 28-year-old seemed to be coping just fine with his workload. Still the undisputed master of the tear-stained torch song and the self-deprecating wisecrack, he launched into his 70-minute set with the quip, “I hope you don’t bore easily because there’s a lot of fucking ballads to get through.” Truthfully, the show zipped by, even if his soul-stirring balladeering felt a little one-gear at times.
