Lucy Spraggan has a knack of bottling up her initial virality and concocting it into a showmanship of vitality. She’s heralded a career of unfiltered poignancy since her humble beginnings on X Factor, and tonight we welcomed – or rather she welcomed us, she is just that lovely – to Rock City…
LUCY SPRAGGAN
We’re getting to that tender time of year in which queueing for the doors to open truly sets precedent for the night ahead. Pavement ablaze with sunlight and supporters, Talbot Street holds witness to the lengths that Spraggan’s fans will go to for the lass (literally, mind you: the queue stretches far past the bus stop quite comfortably).
Resembling two sides of a coin are the supporting sets of psychedelic Tiggi Hawke and the suave surety of Sonia Stein. Both intimately kinetic in their sounds, they compliment our headliner beautifully and capture what the songwriter is all about. Expressing yourself.
Nothing says expression like the beating of a heart; the crowd themselves are incessantly rhythmic in their chants of “Lucy! Lucy! Lucy F**king Spraggan!” as the opening number Breathe freefalls into clarity. It’s an anthemic antidote to monotony and for the next hour and a half, we can breathe and let go of the outside world.
“Where have you all been?! I need to be hitting up Nottingham every night!”
You’re Too Young is an unfiltered foray into storytelling as Spraggan explains the concept of this particular tour. “No one likes new songs!” And so, her stripped-back persona relayed quite literally as she stripped the show back to fan favourites, starting with the beginning of her songwriting. We don’t think she’ll be blaming the raucous cheers on the vodka with Last Night received warmly.
A graceful ebb and flow between conversation and vocally nuanced numbers eclipsed the night. The tangibility of her connection with the audience could be siphoned into the ruminations of Unsinkable or exploded into rockabilly Blues Song. Accompanied by tales of her childhood, relationships, and mental health, the show crescendos with wave after wave of Lucy Spraggan at her unbridled best.
Sober is candidly cathartic. The crowd have organised amongst themselves signs which read ‘always with you’ to hold up during the song; the gratitude is emblazoned in her tears and a real emblem of her humbleness.
“Nottingham, you are definitely one of my favourite ever gigs! Artists say that all the time but I am not lying to you tonight!”
Call her ‘spring in her step’ Spraggan, no time is wasted jumping into the next tune – Run is a proper head-boppin’, toe-tappin’ tune that serenades us into the debut of an unreleased song, Other Side Of The Moon. Rich in lyrical relatability and respite, the devote silence deems for an emotional moment.
How apt for an encore than Fight For It. Lucy Spraggan is a testament to sailing the tides of life unashamedly herself. She’s surfacing against those rocky waves, one chord at a time and a cheeky wink of an eye.
LUCY SPRAGGAN PERFORMED SUNDAY 19TH MAY
WORDS: TALIA ROBINSON
ROCK CITY NOTTINGHAM
We’re not only Nottingham’s favourite venue and nightclub – we’re the UK’s best live venue with a rich history of performers that have played here. Everyone give a massive cheer for Lucy Spraggan, she smashed it on the night and was a show for the history books!
Also while you’re at it, why not check out our gig guide and see if any other of your favourite artists like Lucy Spraggan are playing soon! We also have our club nights on a Thursday (Tuned), Friday (Get Lucky) and Saturday (Rebel Rebel) so check those out too!
