AS part of their tour, Danish band Lukas Graham visited Manchester’s O2 Ritz on Friday night (May 27). Quays News entertainment reporter Samantha Rooke went along for us…
Before the doors of the O2 Ritz opened, fans eagerly waited in line to see Lukas Graham. The Danish pop-soul band that’s made up of lead singer Lukas Graham Forchhammer, as well as drummer Mark Falgren, bassist Magnus Larsson and keyboardist Kasper Daugaard, rose to fame after their hit song “7 Years”.
It was the first time Lukas Graham had performed in Manchester and they didn’t disappoint anyone with their note perfect performance.
The night started with support act Grace Sewell better known as Grace. The 19-year-old Australian singer began with her most popular song, ‘You Don’t Own Me‘ featuring G-Eazy, a cover version of the original 1963 song by Lesley Gore.
This created a great atmosphere as it engaged the audience and had them all singing along before continuing the set with other catchy songs from her upcoming debut album.
The crowd cheered as the music stopped and the four-piece band came on stage with The Rusty Trombones. Lukas Graham apologised for technical difficulties, before shortly starting the set with popular song ‘Better Than Yourself’ getting the crowd prepared for the night ahead.
Lukas Graham were absolutely superb last night in Manchester. Energy was non stop and the crowd were class. They will be very, very big.
— Calum (@Cal_f_18) May 28, 2016
@LukasGraham please come back already ?? #LukasGraham #mamasaid #Manchester pic.twitter.com/3EVdC0H87N
— Katy ♕ (@katy_ej) May 28, 2016
Before each song Graham introduced them explaining their background stories. This was a nice touch, as the audience could understand what the songs meant to him as well as letting the audience relate to the lyrics.
This aspect made the night stand out from other gigs, as Graham captivated the audience with his heart warming speeches.
After he made a touching tribute to his dad who passed away three years ago he explained that most of their songs are about his grieving experience. However, he also showed appreciation for his mum in the set by performing the catchy song “Mama Said”.
The band was very lively on stage and had an amazing presence. The members all seemed to have a close friendship, especially Graham and Larsson as they were constantly jumping around the stage together.
Three members of the band ended up taking their tops off after explaining it was “too hot”, before singing their upbeat song ‘Only One Nice Guy‘. Making the audience clap and scream along with their performance whilst, drummer Falgren, perfomed a strong solo on the drums.
Here is a recording I made of @LukasGraham performing 'Nice Guy' last night in Manchester. #lukasgraham https://t.co/M5ldTUdYkK
— Tracey Media (@TraceyMedia) May 28, 2016
After finishing the set with the slower track ‘Funeral‘ Lukas Graham disappeared leaving the crowd chatting: “we want more”.
The band then came back on stage for their encore and the crowd knew what song was to come as their biggest hit ‘7 Years‘ came on. The band reminded everyone not to just look through their phones and rather soak up the performance.
The band finished the set with their beautiful song ‘Happy Home‘ before the set ended and they thanked the audience and turned round to take a selfie with the crowd.
Their stage presence shone as they constantly interacted with the audience throughout the performance.
I think Lukas Graham is a must see band. Their songs all reflect their own life experiences yet they are beautiful songs that everyone can relate to, which is why I believe they have suddenly become so popular.
By Samantha Rooke
@samantharooke1
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