during a highly anticipated performance at the Gastonbury Festival, Lewis Capaldi was forced to stop due to Tourette’s syndrome, nervous system disorder from which he suffers. Disorder that prevented him from continuing to sing his most famous hit, Someone You Loved.
Chilling moment: at Glastonbury the audience sang for Lewis Capaldi
Saturday June 24, Scottish artist Lewis Capaldi has had a very difficult time on stage at one of the world’s most beloved festivals, Gilles de la Tourette syndrome. It is a neurological disorder characterized by motor tics and vocal disturbances from which the Italian-born artist announced he was suffering from last year. It is a disturbance which, understandably, if it occurs during a live performance, in front of a huge audience, can compromise the “success” of the performance. And so it was.
During his set at Glastonbury, the singer had shown nervous and, as soon as the first notes of his most famous hit started Someone You Lovedhe was no longer able to sing. But at the same time, an incredible thing happened at that very moment. The audience, as soon as they realized the discomfort the artist was experiencing on stage, belted out the song for him.
“I just need you all to sing along with me, as loud as you can,” Capaldi said. And this happened. A moment that has been around the world and that has proven how much closeness can exist between human beings. How much the heart can expand, to make room for the suffering of others.
The break after the Glastonbury performance: “I’ll be back as soon as I can”
If it is true that the precise moment in which all the audience sang in its place is proof of the above, at the same time for Lewis Capaldi this fact meant many things. Even because it is not the first time that this disorder of his prevents him from taking home concerts without interruptions (before Glastonbury he had already taken a three week break).
As, the artist is back on Instagram to announce yet another stop. “I will be taking a break from touring for the foreseeable future. The truth is, I’m still learning to adjust to Tourette’s impact. It became clear on Saturday that I need to spend a lot more time on my mental and physical healthso I can continue doing what I love for a long time. I’ll be back as soon as I can».
Lewis Capaldi’s tour had dates scheduled in Zurich, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Seoul, UK and Europe, between now and September. And, clearly, many of these dates had already been sold out for months.
Confessions in the Netflix docu-film How I’m feeling now
Only a few months ago Lewis Capaldi had decided to tell himself one hundred percent in a documentary on Netflix, How I’m feeling now. A focus on his personal and professional life.
Lewis Capaldi on 24 June 2023 at Glastonbury Festival. Credit: Kate Green/Getty Images
In the film, the Scottish artist of Italian origins recalled how it all began. It was 2018 when his EP came out Breach. A project that also contained Someone You Loved.
The song instantly became a hit around the worldeven peaking at #1 on the US singles chart. From that moment Lewis Capaldi had to deal with enormous popularityeverywhere.
Lewis Capaldi and popularity, through ups and downs
At the beginning of the docufilm he asks himself: «Is it worth feeling so bad?». The reference is, clearly, to the ups and downs that popularity ends up giving. If it is true that his songs have reached incredible numbers (15 billion plays and sold-out live shows in 36 countries around the world), at the same time Capaldi had to deal with some personal difficulties. Like frequent panic attacks or Tourette’s syndrome itself.
In the documentary filmthe star said she was on her way to better living this condition, between anxiolytics, a strict diet, a psychological journey and attention to sport. “Now everything is much more manageable,” she said. At this time, his performance at the Glastonbury Festival has confronted him with the need to “dedicate a lot more time” to his mental and physical health. But now, after what happened on that late English afternoon, he is certain of one more thing: he is not alone in this journey. There is an audience ready to support him. And, if necessary, even sing to him.
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