Lewis Capaldi’s Glastonbury Festival set did not go to plan, but the moment showed the strong connection between the singer and his fans.
Capaldi, 26, began to experience Tourette syndrome symptoms at the start of his set and they intensified as his hit “Someone You Loved” began to play.
The Scottish singer was interrupted by tics as he tried to perform, but the crowd stepped in to sing the full song.
Tourette syndrome is a disorder characterized by “repetitive movements or unwanted sounds (tics) that can’t be easily controlled,” according to Mayo Clinic. Males are three to four times more likely to develop the syndrome than females.
Capaldi apologized to the crowd at the end. “Glastonbury, I’m really sorry. I’m a bit annoyed with myself,” he said, per BBC.
“I feel like I’ll be taking another wee break over the next couple of weeks. So you probably won’t see much of me for the rest of the year, maybe even,” the “Before You Go” singer added. “But when I do come back and when I do see you, I hope you’re still up for watching us.”
With regards to Glastonbury, Capaldi said it was his dream. “If I never get to do it again, this has been enough,” he told the crowd before walking off.
Fans praise Lewis Capaldi following his Glastonbury set
The singer was praised on social media for the impact the moment had on others with Tourette syndrome seeing a celebrity with symptoms at a high-level event.
“Losing his voice, ticks taking over, he battled through and the crowd lifted him up. What a set #LewisCapaldi absolutely incredible #glastonbury2023 moment,” one fan tweeted.
“As a parent with a child who has tics, this is beautiful to watch,” BBC journalist Shilpa Kannan tweeted. “Like it happened with #LewisCapaldi — when you are very happy or excited, it can take over and the more you try to resist, the more you tic. For the crowd to support him was wonderful.”
“Crippled: Austerity and the Demonization of Disabled People” author Frances Ryan also weighed in, calling it “such a beautiful moment.“
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“Anyone saying ‘it was heartbreaking’ or ‘he shouldn’t have gone on’ is seriously missing the point. Disability is not a bad thing to be hidden. It exists alongside success and joy,” she added.
Lewis Capaldi announces a break from touring after Glastonbury Festival
Capaldi said Tuesday that he’s taking a break from touring for the foreseeable future as he seeks to adjust to the impact of Tourette syndrome.
His announcement follows his Saturday performance at the Glastonbury Festival where he appeared to lose his voice and the crowd carried him through his songs.
“First of all, thank you to Glastonbury for having me, for singing along when I needed it and for all the amazing messages afterwards,” he said in a statement on Instagram.
“The fact that this probably won’t come as a surprise doesn’t make it any easier to write, but I’m very sorry to let you know I’m going to be taking a break from touring for the foreseeable future,” he added.
Capaldi was due to perform in Zurich, Switzerland on Wednesday. His current tour, which would include venues in Australia, South Korea and Iceland among others, was due to climax In the United Arab Emirates on Oct. 7.
In his statement, Capaldi said he was “still learning to adjust to the impact of my Tourette’s and on Saturday it became obvious that I need to spend much more time getting my mental and physical health in order, so I can keep doing everything I love for a long time to come.”
Lewis Capaldi took a touring break leading up to Glastonbury
Capaldi announced earlier this month on social media that he was canceling all tour dates leading up to Glastonbury to “rest and recover” as he was “struggling” mentally and physically.
“I’m getting all the help and support I need from the incredible people around me, who I’m so grateful for,” he added.
Lewis Capaldi fans take overfor singer as he appears to deal with Tourette’s tics onstage: Watch
Lewis Capaldi talks about Tourette syndrome diagnosis
The musician first revealed his Tourette syndrome diagnosis in September.
“I’ve always had it apparently,” he said on Instagram Live. “I do the shoulder twitch quite a lot and you see underneath every TikTok people are like, ‘Why is he twitching?’ Which is fine. Curiosity is fine. I get it.”
Capaldi added that he’s still “learning” about his new diagnosis.
“The worst thing about it is when I’m excited I get it, when I’m stressed I get it, when I’m happy I get it,” he said. “It happens all the time.”
Capaldi also told BBC in January he felt “good” about people knowing about his diagnosis.
“I’m glad that it’s out there,” he said. “It’s been nice to hear people’s own experiences with it as well, to know I’m not alone in my twitching.”
Contributing: The Associated Press
