Even the last conversations of the audience fell silent when the lights on the stage came on and the first guitar sounds rang out. Rory Graham, Rag’n’Bone Man’s real name, and his band opened the Seaside Festival show with the rousing song “All You Ever Wanted”. It was the start of a concert full of emotions and that exceeded expectations.
A new opportunity
Who doesn’t love it when a concert starts with a real banger and gets you in the mood straight away? Rag’n’Bone Man’s voice filled the entire bay. The song with its energetic beat was exactly to my taste. The melodic, slightly distorted guitar and the short solo brought additional dynamics to the piece. On this evening, the man whose soul and blues had conquered the world stood in front of an audience that had clearly been waiting for him – something I couldn’t necessarily say at the Heitere Openair in Zofingen two years ago.
I remember my first live moment with Rag’n’Bone Man. The hype surrounding his music, especially his distinctive voice, made me curious. However, his performance had left me strangely unmoved. It just didn’t really catch me. Okay, I hadn’t seen the gig from the first song. Compared to the Seaside Festival audience, the audience at that time also seemed rather restless and more talkative. Somehow I missed the connection.
But sometimes it takes a second attempt. In Spiez, the audience was now more present and ready for the artist from East Sussex. Fans stood in front of the stage with posters, and there was an almost palpable sense of anticipation in the air. So I also decided to give it another chance.
With the power ballad “Skin”, Rag’n’Bone Man played another classic from his debut album “Human”. The gospel influence in the song is one of many genres that he incorporates into his music. Did you know that the song was inspired by the relationship between Jon Snow and Ygritte from the series “Game of Thrones”? Admittedly, I never really followed the series.
From MC to platinum singer
Rory Charles Graham, known as Rag’n’Bone Man, is a British blues and soul singer who was born into a musical family in Uckfield, East Sussex in 1985. As a teenager, he was already active as an MC in a drum and bass crew. The inspiration for his stage name Rag’n’Bone came from this time and came from the British 70s sitcom “Steptone & Son”. Originally starting out as a rapper, he made his breakthrough in 2016 with the soulful hit “Human”.
His eponymous debut album “Human” from 2017 became the fastest-selling debut album by a male artist of the decade and went four times platinum. The album won him several BRIT Awards, including Best British Single.
The second studio “Life by Misadventure” followed in 2021 and not only became the fastest-selling album again, but also reached number 1 in the Swiss album charts. It expanded its style with more pop and electro elements, but remained profound and personal.
The evening took an exciting turn when Rag’n’Bone Man introduced the new track “What Do You Believe In”, which will be released on 18 October 2024 on his third album of the same name. It shows an exciting further development of his style. He sees this album as a return to his musical roots, combined with personal and emotional depth, but also with new elements.
Only human
This was immediately followed by the song “Healed”, which felt like a musical hug. The strong, soulful ballad and the warm, gentle groove made Rory’s powerful voice stand out even more. Nobody can deny that he has a really great voice. He also seemed very likable.
“Do you feel like singing?” he asked and the audience didn’t need to be asked twice. Especially not when he announced his hit “Human” – as expected, the audience was beside themselves. But then it turned out that he had made a mistake with the set list, which he sheepishly waved off. Well, even a Rag’n’Bone man is only human.
Instead, he played his new single “Rush of Blood”, which was released shortly before the Seaside Festival. When it was finally time for “Human”, Rory surprised everyone with a spontaneous short rap part in the middle of the song. This excursion into his hip-hop roots gave the song a completely new dynamic and swept the audience away – I was totally thrilled too.
Driven by this energy, Rag’n’Bone Man asked the audience: “Can I get a hell yeah?” and launched into the song “Hell Yeah”, which he had recorded almost 10 years ago with Vince Staples. The atmosphere was boiling and the energy lasted until the last song. The crowning finale was “Giant”, his hit with Calvin Harris, during which Rory once again gave his all and captivated the audience.
The new album
While I was a little disappointed at the first concert, Rag’n’Bone Man in Spiez exceeded my expectations. Especially his rap part in “Human” was my absolute highlight. It brought in a lot of variety, was cool and immediately regained my attention.
Complete photo gallery: Rag’n’Bone Man at the Seaside Festival Spiez
Ich kann es kaum erwarten, zu sehen, was Rag n Bone Man für die Zukunft noch auf Lager hat. He will go on tour this fall, but unfortunately without a Swiss stop. Maybe it will work out next year. However, his new album “What Do You Believe in” will be released on 18 October 2024. Hopefully with more rap mixes.
All information and tour dates can be found on his website: www.ragnboneman.com/live
