If there’s one thing Lucy Rose wanted to communicate throughout her run of cinema shows this summer, it’s that she hasn’t just spent the last two years aimlessly writing songs and backpacking in an attempt to find herself. In a very special showing of a twenty-minute long documentary last Friday night (14 July), two hundred and fifty fans gathered at the Duke of York’s Picturehouse in Brighton to gain an insight into Lucy’s journey through Latin America, and the life changing adventures she experienced. Visiting eight countries and playing countless gigs booked by fans (the same fans who then provided Lucy with accommodation throughout the entirety of her trip), she met an abundance of people from all walks of life, and found inspiration for her new album, Something’s Changing, released last week via Communion Records.
Describing herself as “lost” and “an un-cracked glow stick” emotionally following the release of 2015’s Work It Out, the documentary is both touching and uplifting, and gives a very honest and open account of an incredible opportunity made possible purely by Lucy’s fans, and the impact it had on both the lives of the singer and those who she met. Following the documentary, after which there were very few dry eyes in the house, Lucy and her band played a set of fifteen songs, interspersed with commentary from the singer herself.
Opening with a series of acoustic ballads such as “Love Song” and “My Life”, Lucy appealed to both old and new fans through her mix of both past and more recent singles, her voice and the gentle yet achingly honest tone of the songs lulling the audience into a relaxed state of enjoyment. The acoustic tone continued as Lucy played a series of old favourites, including “Middle of the Bed” and “Bikes”, subtly integrated with most recent singles “No Good At All” and “Moirai”. Dedicating the performance of “Moirai” to Frank, an unwavering supporter who recently passed away, the personal dimension of the show was further conveyed, and reinforced the importance of meeting fans and knowing their stories to the artist.
After a standing ovation, Lucy and her band returned to the stage for a performance of “Floral Dresses”, a collaboration originally featuring The Staves, before ending with crowd favourite, “Shiver”. Stating that the song is considered one of her most relatable, the personal dimension of the performance was further implied, and demonstrated that, for Lucy Rose, making music is about a lot more than about just selling records.
