Lewis Capaldi has described his Glastonbury 2023 performance as “probably the best thing that’s ever happened” to him, calling it the “most important” day of his life.
The 28-year-old singer took a break from performing after he suffered a breakdown on stage at the festival two years ago, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Vocal tics caused by Tourette’s syndrome prevented the hitmaker from performing, and he now “dreads to think” what might have occurred if he had not stopped.
Capaldi opened up about an “even worse” incident in Chicago just weeks before the Glastonbury event, where he was “convulsing” backstage amid a “crazy panic attack and mental episode”.
On the This Past Weekend podcast with Theo Von, he shared: “A few weeks prior to that show we were playing in Chicago and I had a very similar episode – it was probably even worse.”
He continued: “I couldn’t come back and finish a song. I was backstage convulsing and having this crazy panic attack and mental episode. Way worse than what happened at Glastonbury.”
Reflecting on the aftermath of his Glastonbury ordeal, Lewis said: “Because Glastonbury is such a big stage, it was the first time people outside my shows had seen it. At Glastonbury, when I came off stage it was weird, I had this (feeling) ‘everything’s alright now, I can actually go and get help and fix myself for the next two years.’
“In a weird way, it’s probably the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I wouldn’t have stopped otherwise. Glastonbury 2023 was, for sure, really important – maybe the most important day in my life.
“Someone upstairs was like ‘this has to happen now otherwise…’ I don’t want to think of where I would be now if I’d continued. We were meant to go to Australia. It could have been really, really horrible. I dread to think what would have happened.”
Lewis made a triumphant return to Glastonbury this year to perform a secret set. He explained: “I really wanted to come back and do Glastonbury as like a mental win – finish the thing that I couldn’t finish before.”
Lewis now attends weekly therapy sessions, which have proved “really beneficial” for him, and he is now taking life-changing antipsychotic medication.
He revealed: “It was really scary when they offered it. Antipsychotic? I’m like ‘I’m not psychotic’. It’s changed my life. Anxiety levels are so low these days. I don’t feel the stress.”
The musician was also recently left astounded after his UK and Ireland comeback tour rapidly sold out earlier this month. The 17-date fixture will see the Someone You Loved singer perform at numerous venues including The O2 in London, Cardiff’s Utilita Arena and Dublin’s 3Arena, as well as dates in Glasgow and Aberdeen in his home country of Scotland, in September.
In an emotional social media update, he expressed: “Honestly didn’t expect this at all, genuinely had no idea what to expect after taking a break for so long so (me) seeing this tour sell out faster than any tour I’ve ever played is the most incredible surreal feeling.
“Thank you to every single one of you who got a ticket and I’m very sorry to any of you who wanted to come and missed out this time. There won’t be any other shows for now, want to make sure I don’t push myself too far too soon, means more than ya know how many of you were waiting to get tickets this morning.”
He continued in a subsequent post: “Seen a couple of people mention bigger venues, honestly after taking the break it’s impossible to know how many of ya might want to come or not come to shows.
“Also looking at even bigger venues (stadiums probably the only option which is mental haha) would be the most terrifying thing ever for me. Hope you all understand, I really do want to see as many of you as I possibly can and your support means the world.”