PAOLO NUTINI // O2 ACADEMY, EDINBURGH
Paolo Nutini’s Halloween night performance makes Edinburgh’s O2 lose it!
★★★★☆ (4/5)
PAOLO NUTINI
PHOTOCREDIT: JODIE CANWELL
Paolo Nutini is a man whose name can be a bit divisive. Criticized by some for his evolution of style and others for his rather nonchalant approach to fame; Nutini seems to ruffle feathers whatever he does. However, over the years his fanbase has grown and grown resulting in the Paisley singer becoming a headline act with three consecutive number one albums.
Nutini is currently blasting through his UK and European tour but that is just the beginning. In December he is playing in Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena and then playing a whopping five-night run in Glasgow’s OVO Hydro. Nutini is then set to play more shows in Ireland in June of 2023.
Support for the night was the Irish indie-boppers Newdad. Combining the bleak with the upbeat, they create tracks that are just the right mix of hard and soft to make them considerable as both easy-listening and abstract. Their opening set was punchy and gusty. The group’s brilliant drummer Fiachra Parslow stole the show at points with his fierce-but-joyous playing while Julie Dawson hypnotised the crowd with her humble charm. Newdad were an excellent starter for the evening and are a group that modern indie fans should keep an eye on.
The venue was bustling as Paolo Nutini promptly took to the stage. His latest album Last Night in the Bittersweet is his most tender and intense to date and, considering the events of the last couple of years, is something his fans connected to straight away. Opening with the charging Afterneath and Lose It Nutini set an eerie vibe that was perfect for this Halloween night performance.
As so many of his beloved song were sung so loudly by fans, Nutini was frequently able to hold his microphone down and listen along instead of singing. Newer track Through the Echoes was belted out so loudly that seemed to send a wall of sound through the venue, the same could be said for Acid Eyes. Nutini’s latest album compliments his older and his beautiful version of 2009’s Candy cradled the audience and lead them into 2022’s poetic track Everywhere which sailed the crowd into a sway. He also played a hard and heavy mashup of 2006’s tracks Jenny Don’t Be Hasty and New Shoes combined with the 1978 smash by The Undertones Teenage Kicks.
For well over 2 hours Nutini played a relentlessly strong set and anticipation was great for what would come in the encore. Attendees were treated to the unique delight of seeing Paolo and his band come out in Halloween costumes. They dressed in Ghostbusters uniform, fought a large inflatable Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and threw plushies of Slimer out into the audience. Everyone had fun as the stage played ghostbuster and Nutini danced openly before moving on to close the night with the anthemic Shine a Light. Nutini and his band all left with a smile and so did the fans - the night was a roaring success for all involved.
Tickets to see Paolo Nutini’s sets are always in high-demand and Nutini has responded by touring hard. He celebrates his early work but continues to refresh his style stopping him from ever being accused of being stagnant. He appears as someone who stays very true to himself and that deep within his devil-may-care persona is someone who cares so very profoundly. Nutini puts this heart in to his shows and fans should grab the chance to see him.
REVIEW BY: KATRIN LAMONT
SETLIST:
O2 ACADEMY, EDINBURGH
AFTERNEATH
LOSE IT
SCREAM (FUNK MY LIFE UP)
ACID EYES
STRANDED WORDS (INTERLUDE)
BETTER MAN
HEART FILLED UP
ONE DAY
COMING UP EASY
THROUGH THE ECHOES
RADIO
PETRIFIED IN LOVE
PENCIL FULL OF LEAD
JENNNY DON’T BE HASTY // TEENAGE KICKS // NEW SHOES
TAKE ME TAKE MINE
CANDY
EVERYWHERE
IRON SKY
ENCORE:
GHOSTBUSTERS - (RAY PARKER JR COVER)
LET ME DOWN EASY
SHINE A LIGHT