Lewis Capaldi has asked his fans to keep buying his album ‘Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent’ again so he can make enough money to move out of his parents’ house.
The 22-year-old singer/songwriter headlined the second day of the Kew the Music festival at Kew Gardens in London on Wednesday night (10.07.19) and made his plea to the crowd to send his debut LP back to the top of the UK charts so he can finally get enough cash to get a place of his own as it will help him in his quest to "get a girlfriend".
He said with a smile: "So I brought out my debut album a few weeks ago, I’ve been very surprised by the response to it, ’cause it went to number one. It’s been at number one for five weeks, but not consecutive weeks. And it, maybe, could go to number one this week as well. So I know you’ve paid money to come here, I know the tickets were expensive, f**k me I saw the prices, but if you could stop being so selfish and put your hand in your pocket and buy my album again. I’m 22 and I live my mother it’s undignified. I cannot get a girlfriend because she is smothering me, but I love her dearly."
Lewis played to a sell-out crowd at the event and performed most of the songs from his hit record with highlights including ‘Grace’, ‘Hollywood’ and ‘Hold Me While You Wait’ and he also treated fans to a "song not on the album at all" titled ‘Rush’, joking "if you’ve only got into me recently you’re not going to enjoy this".
Lewis was blown away by the support of his fans – who chanted "oh Lewis Capaldi" throughout his incredible set – especially as he was a late replacement at the festival for Jess Glynn, who had to cancel all of her live commitments due to a vocal cord haemorrhage.
Admitting the show was one of the "best gigs" he’d ever done as he prepared to play his final songs, he said: "I just want to say thank you so f***ing much for coming out and making this so special, this is amazing, this is one of the best gigs we’ve ever f***ing played. It’s by a f***ing mile the best London we’ve ever f***ing done so thank you very much, honestly I did not expect this response. I heard people were picnicking earlier on and I thought it was going to be a chilled one but this has been lovely, you’ve been tremendous, thank you very much.
"This is genuinely a dream come true to get to play to this many f***ing people. I’m trying to be sincere here, I don’t know how to do it, but I’m trying to be sincere. Literally, like, two years ago I was playing in The Waiting Room [in Scotland] to like 200 people so this is f***ing mad, so thank you very much again … I say this at the end of everyone of my gigs and I’ll say it to you too my name is Lewis Capaldi, if you’ve enjoyed this gig please tell everyone you’ve ever met about it. If you haven’t enjoyed it then keep it to yourselves you f***ing busy bastards!"
Lewis closed his set with his number one single ‘Someone You Loved’ and he led the crowd in an a capella singalong of the chorus before leaving the stage.
The Scottish musician had some famous fans in attendance with BBC Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills – who Lewis thanked for his support – and ‘This Morning’ host Holly Willoughby, who was watching from the side of the stage.
Sharing a photo of her privileged view from the side of the stage on her Instagram account, Holly, 38, posted: "All the family tonight watching the brilliant @lewiscapaldi … just wonderful, all singing along together … Belle with her lollipop and… Harry described it as the best night of his life… #kewthemusic. (sic)"
Holly has daughter Belle, eight, and sons Harry, 10, and Chester, four, with her husband Dan Baldwin.
Kew the Music continues with shows from Jools Holland, Craig David, Garbage and Rick Astley still to come.
Lewis Capaldi asks fans to send his album back to number one
