Live Report: Lewis Capaldi brings heart and humour to Marlay Park

Lewis Capaldi's long-awaited return to Dublin was bound to be emotional.

In 2023, Capaldi took a break from touring to focus on his mental and physical health (specifically, the impacts of his Tourette's syndrome diagnosis, anxiety and vocal issues). Considering his hiatus, there is a sense of anticipation hanging over the Marlay Park crowd long before he even steps on stage.

The evening begins with Bradley Marshall, whose cover of Kodaline's 'All I Want' sets the tone. His heartfelt performance carries the sort of emotional weight that's become synonymous with Capaldi's biggest hits, providing an ideal introduction to the night.

CMAT, fresh from her own impressive headliner in Cork last week, follows with a crowd-pleasing set packed with fan favourites. She leads Marlay Park through her trademark Dunboyne Two-Step, encouraging the reluctant dads and boyfriends in the crowd to join in: "That's the straightest two-step I've ever seen!"

Before getting into 'Take A Sexy Picture of Me', she takes a moment to discuss the body-shaming she's been experiencing online as of late. Her band, meanwhile, stand behind, supporting her statement with an interpretive dance.

"[Body Shaming] is something we should never do, cause its not very nice!" the singer says. "But also, in the case of my physical appearance...it's just crazy because I'm very sexy."

Her set draws mostly from her EURO-COUNTRY tour; she mixes sharp humour with a theatrical stage presence, even playing the title track from the album, which is unusual for her shorter sets, and of course, features her Very Sexy CMAT band.

Shortly after CMAT wraps up, Don McLean's 'American Pie' rings out across the field. Capaldi emerges, launching straight into 'Hollywood', a powerful opener that gets the crowd moving. The song showcases his commanding vocals, though he finishes with a quiet "thank you", appearing shy after realising he has the attention of 40,000 people.

Lewis Capaldi Credit: Gary Ibbotson

'Heavenly State of Mind' is next, and its country-inspired guitar work and bright trumpet flourishes give the song an anthemic quality. It also provides the first glimpse of Capaldi's stage banter.

"Marlay Park, it's good to be back!" he declares, before quickly addressing the elephant in the room.

"Let me just get this out of the way quickly: Niall Horan is not coming. Everyone's always texting me asking, 'Oh, is Niall coming?' You bought a ticket to see me, right?"

Capaldi's ability to engage the crowd remains almost as impressive as his singing. If he ever decides to step away from music, a comedy career surely awaits.

The hits continue and prompt sing-alongs from the Dublin crowd. Midway through 'Wish You The Best', however, Capaldi's battle with the evening heat becomes impossible for him to ignore.

"You see this spotlight above me? It's fucking burning, I'm fucking sweating. I feel like I'm on a sunbed!"

A momentary pause between songs leads Capaldi to admit: "Don't know what to say here to be honest." The silence lasts a few seconds before fans launch into an enthusiastic chant of  "Olé Olé Olé", which becomes a recurring feature for the rest of the night.

'Almost' begins with Capaldi alone with his guitar before the full band joins in, steadily building the arrangement. The song's lyrics follow the struggle of getting over a break-up and the self-deception that comes with it. Regardless, Capaldi finds himself laughing, highlighting the contrast between the heartbreak in his songwriting and the humour that defines his personality.

A brief and welcome rendition of Fleetwood Mac's 'Go Your Own Way' segues into 'Pointless', where the band comes together in a wall of sound that builds towards a stirring climax.

Afterwards, Capaldi encourages his band to extend an improvised section, before stopping himself -  "If anyone's here tomorrow, that part will be even longer."

Another memorable moment arrives when a proposal takes place in the crowd. "Don't ever try and steal my spotlight again," he jokes, before quickly adding, "I'm kidding, that's brilliant."

His newer material shines. While he is introducing 'Something in the Heavens', Capaldi warns that it's slightly "out of his register", though nobody in attendance notices. The song's rougher, faster energy provides a welcome change of pace and pushes the set into fresh territory.

Technical issues briefly interrupt the proceedings, "Something broke. Just talk amongst yourselves." Naturally, another round of "Olés" follows.

'Leave Me Slowly' arrives at exactly the right moment, as the sun begins to set over Marlay Park. The fading daylight creates a fitting backdrop for one of the evening's most emotional performances. Capaldi steps back during certain moments, allowing thousands of voices to take over before re-entering with force for the song's ending.

"Is everyone enjoying themselves?" he asks. The roar of approval that follows prompts the night's most outrageous punchline. "I keep asking that, that's what I must sound like when I'm making love."

Amid the jokes, Capaldi also reflects on the mental health struggles that led him to step away from performing.

"I'm a very brave boy," he quips, managing to discuss a serious topic while still keeping the mood light.

When he introduces 'Forget Me' as "our last song", the crowd groans, before he quickly admits he was joking. Another surprise follows in the form of Creedence Clearwater Revival's 'Have You Ever Seen The Rain'.

For the finale, he signs off with two of his biggest songs, 'Hold Me While You Wait' and 'Someone You Loved'. As Capaldi performs, a ring of artificial rain descends around the stage, encircling both the singer and the band. It creates one of the night's most striking visual moments and, given the relentless heat, may well provide some relief.

Capaldi's performance isn't defined by emotion alone. Instead, he delivers something more complete: a performance packed with powerhouse vocals, heartfelt songwriting, and relentless humour. Most importantly, he looks happy to be back.

It doesn't look like Irish fans will have to wait to see him again. "I'll be back very, very soon", he tells the crowd. It isn't long before fans who purchased his dated tour tees spot that - while there's nothing officially confirmed yet - he's listed to play Electric Picnic on August 28.

Lewis Capaldi Credit: Gary Ibbotson