Dundee has always been a special place for Lewis Capaldi.
The city has played host to some significant milestones in his musical journey.
Capaldi performed at the opening of Dundee V&A in September 2018 having just launched his singing career in 2017 with his self-released viral hit Bruises.
The Bathgate balladeer had only been to Dundee once before.
He watched The View perform live at The Doghouse on Brown Street in 2013.
“I went up with a bunch of my pals and it was incredible,” he said.
“I was a huge fan when I was younger, and I still am.
“Kyle Falconer is an incredible songwriter.
“The rest of the band are amazing players.
“I must have seen them about 14 times in my life.”
Capaldi stole the show at Dundee V&A gig
The Courier described him as an “up-and-coming Scottish singer-songwriter” before he supported Primal Scream at the V&A concert at Slessor Gardens.
When he took to the stage, Capaldi joked to the crowd: “If you don’t like chubby guys singing sad songs you’re not going to enjoy this.”
There were no gimmicks.
His raw talent was evident.
He stole the show.
And yet, things were about to get even better.
Someone You Loved was released as a digital download in November 2018.
The piano-led weepy ballad was the third single from his Breach EP.
It gradually gathered momentum.
Someone You Loved broke into the Top 10 in February 2019.
It climbed to Number 1 where it stayed for seven weeks consecutively.
Capaldi performed at Fat Sam’s Live in Dundee on May 17 2019 which was the same day his debut album, Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent, was released.
It was part of a link up with Broughty Ferry-based Assai Records.
The only way to get tickets was to buy a pre-order bundle through Assai.
The show sold out within minutes.
Capaldi launched debut album at Fat Sam’s
Capaldi performed with a full band.
He opened with his single Grace.
Capaldi introduced and played songs from his new album.
He also showed off his incredible vocal range and self-deprecating humour.
The crowd sang every word back to him including the new songs.
Fat Sam’s owner Tony Cochrane was hugely impressed.
“He was down to earth and you couldn’t meet a nicer guy,” said Tony.
“He sounded even better live than on record.
“You got the feeling you were witnessing something special.
“In between songs he spoke with the crowd and was very funny.”
Tony shared an incredible video of Capaldi singing Someone You Loved.
The Courier said Capaldi was “someone the city loved”.
“He was very humble and appreciated the support,” said Tony.
“Lewis didn’t strike me as someone who took his success for granted.
“That’s part of his charm.”
Dundee message at the Grammy Awards
Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent topped the charts.
It outperformed the rest of the Top 10 combined.
Someone You Loved became the most-streamed song of all time in the UK.
It was nominated for a Grammy Award.
Capaldi attended the ceremony in January 2020 in Los Angeles.
A familiar face was right there with him.
Tony is a partner of LA publishing firm AFM which produced the official Grammy Awards souvenir programme which is one of the key keepsakes for artists.
He congratulated him for his nomination with a special message in the programme.
Tony described him as “Scotland’s finest music export”.
They caught up afterwards on the red carpet.
“We showed him the programme and he was delighted,” said Tony.
“It was a lovely moment.
“He also spoke about how much he had loved playing Fat Sam’s Live.
“That was a real source of pride for us.”
Tony gave him a framed copy of the programme message for his mum.
Capaldi returned to Fat Sam’s Live in 2023
In November 2022 he announced his second album would be released in May 2023.
Capaldi was still writing about failed relationships on Broken By Desire to Be Heavenly Sent which included Forget Me, Pointless and Wish You the Best.
A UK tour included dates in Aberdeen and Glasgow in January 2023.
It was later announced that Camperdown Park in Dundee would host Radio 1’s Big Weekend in May 2023 with Capaldi named as Sunday headliner.
He announced he would return to Fat Sam’s Live before closing the Big Weekend.
Twice.
Two intimate acoustic shows would feature a Q&A session with fans.
“He specifically asked to play Fat Sam’s Live to promote the album,” said Tony.
“Maybe he thought we were his lucky charm?
“It was special because Lewis could fill stadiums all on its own.
“He was delighted to come back.”
Tickets from Assai Records included a copy of the new album.
They sold out – again – within seconds.
He took to social media afterwards to thank his Dundee fans and said it was “very, very surreal” and that “he could not wait” to play the shows.
BBC Radio 6 Music’s Matt Everitt led him through a brief Q&A.
The audience were invited to ask questions and he finished with four songs.
Capaldi loved his return to Fat Sam’s Live
There were requests to sign things and pose for pictures.
He even climbed into the crowd.
Capaldi jumped the barrier to greet 80-year-old Janet Kirk from Forfar.
It was her first-ever gig.
He gave her a cuddle and posed for a photograph.
It made her day and summed up the magic of Lewis Capaldi.
“It was my birthday in February,” said Janet.
“My grandson asked if there was anything I would like.
“I said I would love to meet Lewis Capaldi.”
Grandson Oliver managed to get tickets and the singer’s attention during the Q&A.
“I was delighted,” she said.
“I listen to him all the time on the radio.
“His voice is brilliant.”
He signed off by performing The Pretender, Haven’t You Ever Been in Love Before?, Wish You the Best and Before You Go, complete with audience singalong.
Everyone – again – went home happy.
Capaldi performed at Radio 1 Big Weekend
He returned to Dundee for Radio 1’s Big Weekend.
Capaldi told the crowd how much he loved his time at Fat Sam’s Live.
“I was here last week and played at Fat Sam’s just down the road,” he said.
“It was a beautiful experience.
“I will never forget it.”
Capaldi still managed to deliver a masterclass at Camperdown Park in May 2023 despite struggling from a bout of Tourette’s syndrome tics.
He changed the lyrics from Glasgow to Dundee during Wish You The Best.
Capaldi took a break from performing after the Glastonbury Festival before making a surprise return to the stage at a charity gig in Edinburgh in May 2025.
He is set to make his music comeback with a third album in the works.
The final word goes to Tony Cochrane.
“Third time lucky?” he said.
“Hopefully he will remember Fat Sam’s when he launches his new album.
“After all, he wouldn’t want to break the charm…”
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