Lewis Capaldi Graces Roundhay Festival

Following in the footsteps of The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Genesis, U2, Robbie Williams and Ed Sheeran, Lewis Capaldi arrived at Roundhay Park as the Saturday night headliner at the newly inaugurated Roundhay Festival.

Whether or not there is enough capacity in Leeds for yet another festival remains to be seen; the city already hosts the Slam Dunk Festival and the Leeds Festival, and, as Capaldi himself pointed out, "Leeds, you had me worried," referring to the initial slow ticket sales for the festival.

Capaldi is no stranger to Roundhay – he appeared here in 2019 as support to Ed Sheeran.

Since then Capaldi has gone on to become a major star, not forgetting his well-documented mental health issues, which led him to step away from music for a few years.

Arriving on stage to his track Hollywood, it was clear that the second time around Capaldi is now in a much better place, appearing to enjoy his time on stage. His in-between-song banter was honest, direct and at times comical.

"Saturday night in Leeds, I hope you are ready for a good night out, though I will be singing some depressing songs," he warned.

Capaldi's hugely successful debut album Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent sold over 10 million copies worldwide and propelled him from bedroom musician to global superstar with Number 1 singles like Someone You Loved and Pointless.

Grace was a reminder of his talent as a gifted songwriter, the grey skies above Roundhay being a suitable backdrop for his melancholy songs.

As the audience took over the chorus for his song, Someone You Loved, it all appeared like a second coming, not just for Capaldi but also for Roundhay Park as an outdoor concert venue.