Liam Eunson describes the sheer talent and energy Paolo Nutini brings home on his international tours and more…

Paolo Nutini, a staple in Scottish music culture, went on tour to promote the release of his fourth studio album ‘Late Night in the Bittersweet’. During his world tour he performed over five times at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow giving the crowd a great show, breaking crowd records in his home country. 

The OVO Hydro in Glasgow is one of the top venues in the country but this was no trouble for Paolo as he broke the venues record with five sold out shows. Paolo Nutini, still proving that he plays a key role in Scotland’s music culture, came prepared to put on a show filling out the Hydro on the 14th of December, 2021.

A massive buzz of excitement was built between the opening act, Lizzy Reid. Paolo’s entrance with the opening song being the first track on his new album ‘Afterneath’ which played a part in creating an enticing atmosphere at the beginning of his show. 

Paolo played the perfect setlist going between new songs and old bangers. There was a shift in Paolo’s style between ‘Caustic Love’ in 2014 and his new hit album ‘Late Night in the Bittersweet’ towards more rock, a big shift from songs, such as, ‘Candy’. This shift in genre was represented perfectly on stage with the way he played his old beloved hits whilst adding more of a rock twist to songs like ‘New Shoes’ and ‘Jenny don’t be hasty’. 

His stage presence was everything you expected, despite being in a 14,300 person capacity arena, all attention was on him. The rock and roll icon had all eyes on him standing with his classic look of a pair of skinny black jeans and t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up providing an incredible energy to the crowd. 

The show ended with an encore in classic style with Paolo going off stage and the crowd cheering for a few more songs. When he stepped back on stage the crowd’s energy was electric following along with the excitement the crowd had all night. 

Paolo Nutini’s unique stage presence, extraordinary musical talent, and extensive repertoire of old classics and new successes combined for the ideal spectacle, placing Paolo on par with Scotland’s greatest performers.

Concert rating: 4 out of 5, really recommend.