Let’s not make any bones about it, dear reader: here at One on One HQ, we’re all cool as fuck.
There must just be something in the water around here – either that or running a website as indisputably great as ours immediately elevates you into a realm of #TooCoolForSchool that’s usually only occupied by the David Beckhams, Ryan Goslings and/or Rick Astleys of the world. We’re cool, we’re calm, and we’re nonchalant at best, and nothing is able to crack our ice-cold exterior: it’s like that, and that’s the way it is.
Our favourite band puts out a cracking new record? Meh. Our two favourite singers collaborate on what can only be described as The Pop Song Of The Century? Again, meh. Foo Fighters and the aforementioned Mr. Astley team up in Tokyo for a so-surreal-yet-oh-so-epic mashup of two bonafide classics? Meh, meh, meh.
Sure, we love it, but we’ll be damned if we show it – after all, it’s a dog-eat-dog world, and we’ve got an image to maintain here.
Sometimes, though, something happens that comes perilously close to cracking One on One‘s ice-cold demeanor.
Hell, sometimes this even forces us to do a ‘lil jig around the office to celebrate how undeniably excited the news that has just filtered through has made us. It happened when The Spice Girls reunified; it happened when we stumbled across this video of a deer inadvertently playing a Phil Collins drum fill; and it happened when
None of those can compare, however, to how we reacted when we found out that Lewis Capaldi, Nina Nesbitt, and Billy Lockett were all joining forces for a super-massive UK tour. Seriously: we lost our shit. But, hey, how could we not? It’s not like they’re three of our absolute favourite new artists, who – between the three of ’em – are responsible for some of the best alt-pop songs we’ve heard in the last couple of years.
Naturally, we decided there and then that we had to be there.
What’s more, we even decided that we had to share this glorious experience with you, the lovely readers of One on One. So, dearly beloved, just scroll down to find out precisely what we thought of each and every act on this stellar line-up when the tour of the year rolled into Bristol’s SWX over the weekend:
Billy Lockett
If you haven’t already heard of this guy, then you will very soon. He’s been on our radar for a while now, but he’s upped his game with his last couple of releases: not only are they the best songs he’s ever put out, but they’re also the kind of arena-ready soft-pop bangers that any self-respecting muso will be ranting and raving about to anyone who’s willing to give him the time of day. His set at SWX may have been short, but by God was it sweet: if you ever get the chance to check him out, then we think you’d be a fool to miss it.
Nina Nesbitt
If you ask us, Nina Nesbitt is one of the most talented singer-songwriters on the planet right now. Not only has she had a hand in crafting some absolutely cracking pop songs for other artists, but she’s also spent the last few years amassing a seriously impressive back catalogue of some of the best soul-pop songs we’ve heard for a long, long time.
She airs the likes of The Best You Had, Loyal To You, and Stay Out tonight, but the fact that there’s no room for the likes of Chewing Gum, Selfies or The Moments I’m Missing just goes to show how absurdly brilliant her creative output to date has been. She’s got a new album coming in February, and we’ve heard whispers that there’s a UK tour to follow in April: we’ll see you down the front.
Lewis Capaldi
As a rule of thumb, we’ve got a hell of a lot of time for anyone who uses Mamma Mia as his walk-on music (let alone one who then uses Bohemian Rhapsody as his walk-off song). That, however, is not the reason why we flippin’ adored Lewis Capaldi‘s set at SWX last Sunday. The reason, dear reader, would be because he was absolutely bleedin’ fantastic. Despite the fact that – as he highlighted – he’s only actually popped seven tracks out into the world thus far, he still managed to hold the audience’s attention for over an hour’s worth of solid-gold piano-pop bangers: which, as we’re sure you’ll agree, is No Mean Feat.
What’s more, his voice sounded just as good (if not better) than it did on record; his light show was actually pretty freakin’ awesome; and, just to top it all off, he turned out to be pretty damn hilarious when the time came for him to deliver the obligatory between-song chit-chat. We’re rarely sure of anything round these parts, but we are sure of this: if you ever get the chance to see a Lewis Capaldi show, then do go along, because we can guarantee that you won’t regret it.
