14,000 fans in the Lanxess Arena Lewis Capaldi ends concert in Cologne after only 65 minutes
Cologne · The Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi, who only recently announced that he suffers from Tourette's syndrome, had a concert in Frankfurt prematurely cut short for this reason last week. He is also visibly struggling in Cologne.
At this concert nothing, but nothing at all, goes together. The videos of Lewis Capaldi's songs are extremely human. To a certain extent, they depict the reality of a young Scottish singer and songwriter who auditions in clubs with his guitar, experiences moments of happiness and deepest disappointments in love, and moves out of home in the certainty that Mom will always love him.
The stage set in the Lanxess Arena, where 14,000 fans tremble with Capaldi as to whether he will make this performance, is cool, almost clinical. White floor, four white podiums for the musicians. Wearing white clothes, just like the 26-year-old. White steps, white clouds and, again and again, water rippling through open doors or flooding a gigantic aquarium determine the visual architecture.
Throbbing heart
This is grandiosely done. But Capaldi's voice, which manages the balancing act of feeling secure while at the same time something is bursting inside, seems like a throbbing heart in an icebox in this ambience.
In the new song "Pointless" from Capaldi's second studio album, soon to be released, Capaldi evokes togetherness, as she so often does: "I bring her coffee in the morning, she brings me inner peace." Are there couples in the Lanxess Arena? They are. Oh dear. "Fuck you, guys! I'm a single. I'm a lonely bastard!" bursts out Capaldi. Then, wading ankle-deep in (white) fog, he sings about what it would be like to stay together forever.
Poor price-performance ratio
The price-performance ratio is not right either. Anyone who has saved up money for the concert and was possibly one of those who had to wait out the morning in the cold in front of the Lanxess Arena is ill-served with 65 minutes, including intro and encore. But there are extenuating circumstances. Capaldi, who only recently announced that he suffers from Tourette's syndrome, had therefore prematurely abandoned a concert in Frankfurt last week. He is also visibly struggling in Cologne. On top of that, he also has a cold, has to keep coughing, clearing his throat and ranting: "Fucking cold!“
He still manages "Forever", "Lost On You" and "Bruises" well, even has the fun of taking a particularly creepy selfie ("You'll be horrified!") on a fan mobile phone. Later, he literally clings to the microphone, grips it with both hands as if it were his anchor. The fans stand by "their" Lewis as best they can. With choruses, with hearts held high and lots of applause.
Capaldi is a star
Capaldi does not conform to any common ideals of beauty. And he also suffers from a condition whose symptoms are disconcerting, if not downright disturbing, to those who don't know it's one. Capaldi is a star. How beautiful! And how good! In the old days, that wouldn't have been possible. In the past he would have had to slim down. Force dictated by the record company, and step down from the stage when his illness became known. Step by step, we're getting there. Yes. But we haven't really reached our goal yet. We're working on it.
(Original text: Susanne Schramm; Translation: Mareike Graepel)
