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Quiet Man, also known as Charlie Phillips, opened the night with melancholic, beautiful, controlled vocals, accompanied only by a keyboard and bassist Mark Johnston. In his song ‘Oversensitive’, he showcased his beautiful vocals, using a delay effect to layer them, adding a gorgeous surround-sound feel to the track, with an electric guitar and a warm bass line complementing Phillips’ melodic keys. He went on to talk about how his struggles with mental health, family, and support network were his biggest inspirations, and how, mixed with his piano, they came together to write a load of sad songs to “perform before the king of sad songs”, aka Lewis Capaldi. Singing songs of heartbreak to this crowd was exactly the way to go. He then moved into a deeper solo with just his keyboard, featuring riffs reminiscent of John Lennon’s ‘Imagine' and belting bridges and choruses. With an added ode to Manchester, Quiet Man’s cover of ‘One Day Like This’ by Elbow was a stunning rendition that perfectly suited his style and paid homage to a Manc classic.
Loyle Carner hit the stage, and the crowd was raring to go, bringing his beautiful blend of R&B and rap to Wythenshawe. Backed by his full band, Carner looked like he belonged on a stage of that size. Having already played Manchester’s Castlefield Bowl in 2024, it was only a matter of time before he headlined the park himself. The set was full of recognisable tunes, from ‘Damselfly’ and ‘Desoleil (Brilliant Corners)’ to ‘Ottolenghi’, with Carner giving props to collaborators Tom Misch and Sampha. The live renditions took the songs to new depths, showcasing Carner’s vocals and the poetic elegance of his lyrics. Interludes from Finn Carter, along with guitarist Raquel Martins’ backing vocals, added an intimate, wholesome layer to the performance.
Carner’s writing explores race, class, inequality, anxiety, and toxic masculinity with tenderness. On ‘Nobody Knows (Ladas Road)’, lines like “Kid who doesn’t fit in / to the world that he live in” land with quiet force. He later calls ‘Lyin’ his scariest song to sing, especially in front of Capaldi, as it’s a different style, and he performs it to his kids, making it personal and humble. In ‘About Time’, he sings about change and fatherhood, learning lessons, and giving his son what he needs, ending with his child’s voice. Dedicating ‘A Lasting Place’ to Capaldi, he shows his gratitude for performing tonight.
Lewis Capaldi performs ‘Hollywood’ with powerful energy and crowd engagement. The bass, drums, vocals, and anticipation are felt, with a saxophonist’s jazz elements opening the song. The crowd sings along to hits like ‘Grace’ and ‘Heavenly Kind Of State Of Mind’. His live vocals and acoustic guitar delivery turn what sounds like a sad, tame recording into a compelling ballad, with the band in full flow.
Capaldi went on to say we are in the dying days of summer, which is apt, since my music is depressing and perfect for feeling down; so if you’re happy now, that will change. The lyrics of ‘Wish You The Best’ (“Glasgow gets farther from LA”) had all the Scottish fans cheering. The single was beautiful, with Lewis’s vocals rising above everything. His tone’s power and smoothness are incredible.
Before commencing with ‘Love the hell out of you’, he warned the crowd against playing only sad songs; emotions were all over the place, with fans FaceTiming loved ones. Notably, Capaldi’s band seemed to have fun, and with live piano and guitar accompaniment, the emotions flowed in the beautiful live performance of ‘Bruises.’ With just Lewis and a piano, it felt intimate despite the large venue.
‘Teenage Dream’ by Katy Perry went straight into 'Pointless', from such a fun song straight into one of his most devastating songs for anyone who’s been through any kind of heartbreak - friends, family, relationships. The production on stage is phenomenal for this song, with heavy electric guitar and bass to match the incredible lighting illuminating Wythenshawe Park. Capaldi shows not only his vocal abilities but also his instrumental skills, with a special little shred on the electric guitar at the end.
‘Something In The Heavens’ highlights Capaldi’s vocal range whilst demonstrating his control. Bringing it back down with heavy drums and an acoustic guitar to balance it out, the soul-feeling drum beat adds an extra heartbeat sound to a classic Capaldi song; the crowd will remember this live version for sure. When the band rejoins, the piano, drums, bass, and guitars create an electric, overpowering sound that almost drowns out Capaldi’s now-quieting vocals. With an acoustic interlude at the end, hearing the crowd highlights how special his performances are and shows the love between him and his fans.
For 'The Day That I Die', Capaldi talks briefly about his time away from music and live performances a couple of years ago, leading into a song he wrote about that time, ‘The Day That I Die’, which he said is about his death. Flowing into another crowd-pleaser, ‘Hold Me While You Wait’, a song whose lyrics mean so much to so many people.
Capaldi’s consistent interaction with the crowd definitely helped make Manchester the “loudest crowd all summer” during ‘Forget Me’. After a brief encore break, he returned straight into a cover of ‘Have You Ever Seen the Rain’, a song that feels like a nod to Manchester’s weather, which luckily avoided the night. Capaldi’s vocals were a stunning match for the Creedence Clearwater Revival song. An added note: ‘Survive’ takes on a whole new meaning when seen live, especially after Capaldi’s mention of taking a well-needed break, as well as Quiet Man and Loyle Carner’s mentions of support systems and mental health. Unfortunately and fortunately, Capaldi has only three more shows this summer, after which he will be away writing new music.
Francesca Wood
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