Live Review

Lucy Spraggan – O2 ABC, Glasgow

• 9th Nov 2013

Lucy Spraggan played to the first sell out crowd of her current tour last night in Glasgow, and the packed main hall in the ABC was well entertained as she played an excellent set. Perhaps best known as an acoustic singer songwriter, Spraggan is playing with a full band on this tour and the additional musical backing seems to suit her very well.

First support act Shannon Saunders was on very early, just after 7pm, as the venue had a 10pm curfew. Her solo acoustic pop songs were decent, but it was the slower numbers that suited her voice best, allowing her emotional tones to come through strongly. Stars from her current EP, played on electric guitar, was good and closer Heart Of Blue on keyboards, where she showed real vocal power, finished the set off very well.

Swede Andreas Moe showed a good vocal range on his songs such as Ocean Blue, hitting the high notes very well. Playing acoustic guitar and bass drum, his songs had excellent rhythm and his cover of Springsteen’s I’m On Fire was rather good. The faster paced It’s You, the title track from his EP, was the highlight of a good set that went down very well.

Lucy Spraggan first came to prominence in the music industry through the Live And Unsigned competition, where she finished as national runner up. Her popularity soared through her participation on X Factor, although she eventually left the show due to illness. But a record deal and several hit singles were to precede the recent release of her debut album Join The Club, from which most of the set was taken.

Spraggan strolled confidently onto the stage backed by a four piece band (lead guitar, bass, drums and keyboards). Opening with her debut single Lighthouse meant that the crowd were singing along from the very start, the young and mostly female audience seemingly knowing every word to her songs. Several slower tracks allowed Spraggan to show her tender side, with both ’91 and Let Go sounding very good.

It was noticeable that Lucy Spraggan soon build a good rapport with the audience. She explained the background to almost every song, detailing her past heartbreaks and adventures in a nicely self-deprecating way. And the touches of humour in her tales of teenage angst went down very well with the crowd. There was variety in the performance too. The faster Join The Club, about taking chances in life, and the hip hop style You’re Too Young, where Spraggan ditched her guitar, were both highlights. The clever lyrics of Last Night, a song about a drunken evening, were also well received.

Don’t Know Nothing About The Blues was another nice lyrical composition, and also gave her lead guitarist a chance to shine, which he took well. The inspiring Mountains and the satirical Jeremy Kyle were also good, before the set ended with Safe, the closing track from her album, written when Spraggan was only fifteen. It was no surprise when the band returned quickly to the stage for a three song encore that concluded with crowd favourite Wait For Me, giving one last opportunity for a massive sing-along.

Playing with a backing band clearly suits Lucy Spraggan. The bigger sound adds to her music and she has both the voice and the personality to lead from the front. Her cleverly constructed songs are delivered with feeling and she clearly enjoys playing live music. This was a fine performance and her many fans showed how much they enjoyed the show with a great response to every song. The future looks bright for Lucy Spraggan.

Venue: O2 ABC, Glasgow
Support Band: Shannon Saunders, Andreas Moe