This concert was originally supposed to take place on the 1st of February, it was postponed due to Jack Savoretti being ill. So Lausanne instead of being the first stop of this Switzerland and Germany tour ended up being the last. It was definitely worth the wait!

Gizmo Varillas 8.30pm-8.55pm

Gizmo Varillas is a singer/songwriter originally from Santander in the North of Spain. The Spanish vibes can be heard in his music which is coloured with positivity and great melodies. He presents some songs off his debut album El Dorado (2016).

He sings both in English and Spanish, with the latter adding to his music even more sweetness than the one already held in the lyrics. He involves the audience in singing some vocals and come and meet him after the show! You can tell from his sunny music that he has spent most of his life near the sea. His songs come as a refreshing sea breeze that lightens up the day.

A beautiful voice to top it all up and charm the audience, that as he said is one of the best in this tour!

 

Jack Savoretti, 9.30pm-11.55pm

The four members of the band take the stage followed by Jack Savoretti himself, acclaimed by the audience. The first song on the menu is “Sleep No More”, taken from the album of the same name which was released in 2016. Jack Savoretti starts whistling, and then quietly singing.

He is very friendly with the audience addressing to it during the breaks between a song and another one, telling anecdotes, jokes and so forth.

He jokes on the fact that most of his songs are sad and tells that once he was in the studio and decided to write a happy song and… he came up with “Helpless”, the saddest song on his last album Sleep No More but which, as he claims “is disguised in a happy song”. Which is true because the rhythm of the tune is pretty happy and easy going with the guitar riffs intertwining with the drums beats.

At one point he is left on stage alone as the lights darken. He introduces the song “Tight Rope” by dedicating it to a person who saved him from the dark and brought him back into the light. It’s an heartbreaking moment and the audience stands still and silent, taking in every word and each sound. Jack Savoretti has an incredible talent on conveying emotions on stage, he gives everything while singing.

His pianist joins him for the next one and Jack Savoretti gets rid of his acoustic guitar and only holds a microphone. The piano notes start to set in, unveiling all the beauty of “Breaking the Rules” as he starts singing, heightening even more than usual his charming and powerful voice. An intimate and moving moment where the voice of the singer is in perfect harmony with the delicate piano notes. An unforgettable and intense performance which sends chills down your spine!

After this acoustic moment the rest of the band comes back on stage and Jack Savoretti sings “Lullaby Love” which is dedicated to his daughter and all the things you have to be good at once you become father.

It’s then time for some livelier songs, like “Start Living in the Moment” and “Back Where I Belong” which have a folk-rock turn to them, with the drums getting more and more present and powerful, making the audience dance along to the rhythm. A jump in the past with the touching and outstanding “Not Worthy”, followed by the new song “Catapult” with its sweet melody and lyrics.

Jack Savoretti presents his talented bandmates and announces the last song “When We Were Lovers”, a beautiful pop-rock ballad, with a great refrain to sing along to. They then come back for an encore with “Only You” and “Written in Scars”. Ending in beauty with the blues-rock song “Knock Knock”, where the guitar riffs get all colourful and the pace is fast. At the end of the song Jack Savoretti and his bandmates come to the front of the stage holding each other and smiling to the audience.

An Italian woman I met two years ago at a Ben Howard concert, which blew my mind, once told me “Wait until you see Jack Savoretti, he is amazing live!”. I guess she was right, a mind-blowing gig patterned by many emotions!

 

Setlist:

Sleep No More
We Are Bound
Deep Waters
Tie Me Down
Helpless
Sweet Hurt
I’m Yours
Tight Rope (acoustic)
Breaking The Rules (acoustic)
Lullaby Loving
Home
Other Side of Love
Start Living in the Moment
Back Where I Belong
Not Worthy
Catapult
When We Were Lovers
Only You (encore)
Written in Scars
Knock Knock

Simona @TakeMe2aConcert