Rag’n’Bone Man – 6th November 2021 – Eventim Apollo, London, UK
2 min read
English singer-songwriter Rory Graham, better known as Rag’n’Bone Man, rose to prominence after his 2017 debut album release Human. He also won the British Breakthrough Act and Critic’s Choice Award at the Brit Awards that same year. His second studio album, Life by Misadventure, followed in 2021, debuting at no. 1 on the UK Albums Chart and received generally positive reviews by critics. Last month the bluesy baritone embarked on a European tour which is seeing him play mostly music halls and theaters throughout the UK, with other stops in Ireland, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, France, Germany and a number of other countries that his talents have reached and expanded a growing fanbase. We were lucky enough catch the him about halfway through the tour at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, London.
Taking the stage at 9pm and joined by his five piece band and two backing vocalists, Rory kicked off the show with a the upbeat All You Ever Wanted, the first single from his latest album. The roughly 90 minute set included songs from both of his studio albums and showcased his broad influences from rock, R&B, blues and soul. Despite having the backing of very talented musicians, no doubt the most powerful instrument on stage was his phenomenal voice. His distinctive voice is surprisingly versatile and he displays a vocal range that is truly incredible- allowing him to transition from a deep baritone to a high falsetto effortlessly. Deep, rich and soulful (yet never strained), it is amazing to hear him belt out these choruses without even breaking a sweat.
Though the whole set was fantastic, there were some standouts such as Skin, which really got the audience singing, and Anywhere Away From Here, his duet with P!nk, which was sung beautifully by one of his backing vocalists, and of course his big hit Human which closed out the set. He then returned for an encore of Hell Yeah, which included an exuberant bass solo, and then finally closed out the show with Giant, the song he recorded with Swedish DJ Calvin Harris which was a huge international hit in 2019. The gospel inspired, dance hit was a great way to end the show as it really got the crowd on their feet and showcased the very best of his magnificent voice.
Setlist:
All You Ever Wanted
Fall in Love Again
Skin
Time Will Only Tell
Somewhere Along the Way
Old Habits
Alone
Changing of the Guard
Perfume
Grace
Anywhere Away From Here
Crossfire
Be the Man
Party’s Over
Human
Encore:
Hell Yeah
Giant
::: Renowned For Sound Technical Director and Film Reviewer ::: Robert is an IT geek, movie fan and part-time movie reviewer/editor. Robert also looks after the ‘behind the scenes’ technical elements of Renowned For Sound.
