Duncan Laurence: Concert Review

I was so excited to see the Eurovision Song Contest winner of 2019 Duncan Laurence live. This Dutchman appeared out of nowhere and suddenly he won the contest with his heart-melting piano ballad Arcade. With his adorable and cute appearance, he managed to make a lot of fans. And now he’s touring across Europe with only two released songs. I really didn’t know what to expect from his show. But I didn’t want to miss the chance to see him live for the first time in Switzerland. I was sure he wouldn’t only play two songs but the rest was a mystery. Thanks to abc Production Switzerland I got to see him performing live at Mascotte Club, Zürich on the 15^th of November. It was a cold Friday night, the doors opened at 7 p.m. and 10 minutes before I was queueing with other fans. Due to the fact that it was rather a small venue I didn’t expect many people so early. As soon as they let us in, I could feel the relaxed energy. Fans treated themselves to a drink at the bar, while chatting with their companies. This time I wasn’t only surrounded by teenage fans, there were a lot of adults and elder people. For this concert I went on my own and I really needed a bit of me-time on this day. Unfortunately, Duncan wasn’t selling any merch. I was standing right in front of the stage and I was so nervous and excited being so close.

Support Act: Seb Lorez

At 7.30 p.m. the Swiss-Columbian Singer and Songwriter Seb Lorez went on stage. If I’m honest I never heard his name before but I’m always open to discover new artists. Seb created a chill calming atmosphere with his music. He played the acoustic and the electric guitar alternating, he also used a looper and created his own beats. Seb’s vocals sounded enchanting and harmonious. He promoted his EP Slide Away, which was released this summer and also played some unreleased songs. A cover of a famous song would have helped him to interact with the crowd. Seb was nervous and seemed a bit shy while talking to us. But since he was also lovely and friendly, I’m sure he gained some new fans. I’ll definitely keep an eye on his next releases.

Duncan Laurence’s Performance

During the stage reconstruction, a crew member put on the setlist sheets next to the instruments. Since I was standing in the front row, I could read the song titles and got excited to hear so many unreleased songs. At 8.20 p.m. his band members took their places on the stage and started playing a very long intro. They really built-up tension but it almost got annoying. The lighting was dimmed, so they created a dark spiritual atmosphere. Then suddenly, Duncan went on stage and he felt the music in his entire body while moving to the beat slowly. He was like in another dimension. The opening track was the powerful track Kings. With the next ballad Stranger he kept the dark ambiance and impressed us with deep lyrics and heavenly vocals. The audience was hypnotized and paralyzed since we were hearing these songs for the first time. Duncan went all black for his costume: wearing skintight black jeans, a black shirt underneath a black jacket.

In his first speech, he told us how amazed he was by Zurich, especially by the view of the lake. He admitted that he loves traveling and singing, so touring is the best combination for him. Then he asked us how we are. While we were cheering, he said: “Me too”. Afterward, he introduced the next song Dry Your Eyes with the words:

“Sometimes in life, things go the way they go and sometimes things just don’t go right. And that’s what it is, right? Just remember when things don’t go right there always be better times. As much as it doesn’t seem right, the more you will appreciate the better times. That’s what the next song is about”.

Dry Your Eyes is a touching and motivating ballad. Then we enjoyed acoustic vibes when he performed My Memory Hates Me only with his female guitarist. I really liked this song and can’t wait for the release. In another speech, he told us about his journey as a songwriter how Will Maas supported him to believe in himself and to write about whatever he wants to without thinking about if others would like it or not. Ice age meant to be one of these songs. For this upbeat track, we left the dark ballads and could dance and clap along. Dear Nothing brought back the dark spooky vibes alongside some red lighting.

Afterward, it was finally time for Love Don’t Hate It, his new single. And yes, we knew the lyrics and could sing along proudly to this love anthem. “Let’s not complicate it if it’s love, don’t hate it”. Then he introduced the ESC winning track Arcade, most of the people came only knowing this one song. It was magical and powerful just as expected. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get enough of this ballad. I wish he had performed this song twice during his set. Maybe an acoustic piano version as an opener and again with the band as a closer. They didn’t leave the stage for an encore and just continued the show with one last lovely song, he was accompanied again by his guitarist.

After performing for an hour they left the stage. Duncan was cute and adorable during the night but he still kept a distance to the audience. Even though I was half a meter away from him there was like an invisible wall between us or let’s say I felt invisible. I literally had no eye contact with him during this one hour. But he wasn’t better with other fans. Duncan didn’t really notice us, which made me upset. Maybe he was just nervous or wanted to seem professional, or maybe this is the way an artist interacts after winning the ESC. However, I admit that he is one of the most talented male singers of our time: his vocal range, falsettos, and angel-like vocals were pure talent. I’m sure he will release his debut album next year; you’ll definitely enjoy listening to it. Check out my Instagram for some videos of the concert.

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