Live Review: Will Heard – 20th September 2023 – Lafayette, London, UK
3 min read
Last night, Will Heard hit the stage at Lafayette, continuing the build up to his debut LP. The night kicked off with support Kyra delivering a powerful set. Her soulful stylings gelled perfectly with Will’s crowd, and her incredible voice reached pitches only dogs could fully register. She even managed to rouse a sing along before her set was through.
After initial technical difficulty, the show begins with Come In. Starting with acapella backing and just Will’s voice, it set up the perfect impression for the set going forward. Sonnentanz utilised the full band to their strengths, tight bass and groove-focused drums laying solid foundations. Will was having the time of his life, dancing and smiling away as he thanks the audience for coming. Going into Girls Like Beyoncé, he showed off his skilful rap flow, weaving in and out of his bars with ease. Trust’s anthemic chorus and catchy post refrain were enough to send the crowd into a swaying ocean of bodies, but the tune overall was even more vibey in the room. The middle eight to Falling For You continued the feeling, while Wasteman changes the sound up entirely. The reggae infused, modern rap and soul fusion isn’t just one of Will’s biggest hits but also one of his most infections.
“I played this on my last tour, and on the last night I took all my clothes off” Will told us to an almighty cheer, announcing the song Naked. “I won’t do it again, don’t worry”. Introducing the band, it was admirable to see Will giving each member their moment to shine and show off their skills. Starting with the backing vocals, and then later introducing the rest, it was a humbling moment. New song Honey Child went down well with the crowd, Will saying that they’re debating about whether to release it as a single. By the sound of the reaction, it’s safe to say we can expect the song very soon. “Apparently I’m allowed to tell you when my album releases,” Will said “3rd November”. The song that precedes Stole My Heart is the next song to be released, and came from the guitarist Ben’s initial beat that was found on TikTok. A sweet story for what is a sweet song.
After chants of ‘one more song’, Will came back alone to perform with just an electric guitar. The older song Stronger Than Me is followed by What Do You Do, one of his newest. Ending on the one-two punch Flashlight and Waiting On You, he finished proceedings on a high. A great performance from a great young talent.
Set List:
Come In (intro)
Sonnentanz
Girls Love Beyoncé
Trust
Falling For You
Wasteman
Beep Me
Naked
Honey Child
Rumour Mill
Stole My Heart
Go Far
Encore:
Acoustic – Stronger Than Me?
What Do You Do
Flashlight
I Better Love You
Writer and Musician, Ryan Bulbeck has been published with a number of online publications, and has worked with a myriad of great artists, both as a performer, and as a producer. His most recent band The 295 are still active, playing shows around the UK.
