Sam lifts mood after defeat

Nigel Kennedy and Sam Ryder

Sunday, July 14

AS a classically trained musician, I was excited to indulge in Nigel Kennedy’s musical violin expertise.

The world’s best-selling classical violinist performed an eclectic gig to a hushed and older crowd before the slight rowdiness of the football kicked in.

He wore a vibrant yellow top, a scraggy, dark-coloured overshirt and had spiked his grey and partly shaved hair.

Kennedy’s invigorating and boisterous movements while playing sequences from Vivaldi and Bach were impressive.

I was enthralled with his speed, effortlessness and layered dramatics with the help of other musicians on stage.

Kennedy incorporated classical tunes and jazz into his set, drawing on his love of rock, notably Jimi Hendrix.

He frequently closed his eyes as if he was being taken to another realm, while simultaneously and smoothly fingering, plucking and double-stopping.

Kennedy filled the song introductions with banter and audience participation.

Closing his second appearance at the festival, he chanted: “England, England, England”. Shame the team failed to perform as well as him.

Sam Ryder brought nothing but good vibes, energy and passion to the closing set of the festival.

Whipping his voluminous golden locks, he stomped around the floating stage, which was illuminated with vibrant stage lights and backlit with incredible graphics on the festival’s 10m wide LED screen.

The 33-year-old had a tough time at the start of his set, trying to cheer the dispirited crowd following England’s defeat in the Euros final, but he seemed unfazed.

Perhaps in the hope of an England victory, he had chosen to wear red, white and blue with Sonic the Hedgehog-themed trousers and a red open overshirt.

Sam opened his set with his joint David Guetta and Sigala song, Living Without You.

Listening to the unrecognisable songs from his small music portfolio, I found myself sitting most of the time but still in awe of his boundless energy and stage presence.

Fans who had travelled to see the Eurovision contestant enjoyed his songs, including Mountain, for which they formed long-limbed triangles over their heads as he sang the chorus.

Ryder’s voice was solid and unfaltering, showcasing his impeccable musical talent with great falsetto.

Towards the end of his set, he sang some more recognisable tunes and I shifted from bopping my head to flailing my arms to the rhythm.

The crowd exhausted their finest dance moves with his closing cover of The Source’s You’ve Got The Love and revelled in his hit song Space Man as he jumped off the stage.

Alex Carter