When we arrived at De Helling around 7 PM, there were only about seven people waiting outside for The Lottery Winners. Some had travelled all the way from England, while others were Dutch fans from different corners of the country. A few even brought vinyl records hoping to get them signed later. It was clear early on that the ticket sales had fallen short, leaving the venue at less than half its capacity.
Saint Raymond, whose real name is Callum Burrows, opened the night. He is a singer songwriter from Nottingham with two albums, four EPs and a long list of singles to his name. His music sits somewhere between pop and indie rock. Years ago he toured with Ed Sheeran on the UK and Europe legs of the ‘Multiply’ tour.
He stepped on stage with a warm smile and welcomed the crowd. He introduced himself and said he was here to warm the audience up for The Lottery Winners. Then he started his first song of the evening, ‘Come Back To You’. After the song he thanked everyone and mentioned that this was his first run of shows in about two years. He joked that he had needed to google his own lyrics because he had forgotten some of them, comparing his set to karaoke. While tuning his guitar he asked if anyone had a good joke to fill the time, which got some laughs, and then played ‘Right Way Round’.
The crowd gave him a big applause and he mentioned that it was his first time in Utrecht, calling it a beautiful city. He then joked that he hated Amsterdam, only to clarify with a grin that he loved Amsterdam but did not think it was good for him. He continued with ‘Everything She Wants’.
He then asked who was ready for The Lottery Winners. When the crowd’s cheers were not loud enough, he repeated the question until the response met his standards. While introducing his next song he messed up the title and laughed at himself saying he did not know the names or lyrics of his own songs. He played ‘Movie In My Mind’ as the laughter faded. He opened up about not having played music in a long time and thanked The Lottery Winners for inviting him on tour. He explained that his next song, ‘Heaven Knows’, was new, although he was not sure when it would be released. Then he introduced ‘Nightcrawling’, saying it was written for a friend who would get very drunk and text people he should not text.
The room fell quiet as everyone paid close attention to his lyrics, completely absorbed. Saint Raymond thanked the audience for listening, told them he was on all the social platforms and prepared his final song. He joked that fans did not have to follow him if they did not like the set. Then he closed with ‘Falling At Your Feet’.
After a short break The Lottery Winners came on. The indie pop band from Leigh in Greater Manchester formed in 2008 with singer Thom Rylance, guitarist Robert Lally, bassist Katie Lloyd and drummer Joe Singleton. Their first album, The Art of Communication, came out in 2010. A decade later they released their self-titled debut album, followed in 2023 by Anxiety Replacement Therapy, which reached number one on the UK Albums Chart. Earlier this year their fourth album Koko, short for “Keep on keeping on”, became their second number one. They also toured as the opening act for Robbie Williams on his Britpop tour, yet despite their growing reputation they walked into a venue that was less than half full.
Their set started with ‘We Like To Party’ by the Vengaboys playing over the speakers as they walked on stage. Thom greeted everyone and immediately brought up the elephant in the room. The venue was more than half empty because most Dutch people were celebrating Sinterklaas, a tradition similar to Christmas but not quite the same. Since December 5th is the main celebration day, it made sense why the turnout was low. Still, those who were there made up for it with enthusiasm. One fan had even brought a bag filled with Sinterklaas gifts for the band and placed it right at the front of the stage.
Thom could not hide his excitement about the gift bag. The first present he opened was an almond roll, a traditional seasonal treat. Someone in the crowd explained what it was, and without hesitation Thom announced that he did not like it. The audience erupted in laughter. He decided that instead of tearing through all the gifts at once, they should open one after each song. Before the music even began he unwrapped a wooden clog, which earned another cheer. When Thom asked what Sinterklaas wears, the crowd shouted bishop outfit. A fan claimed her red shirt counted, and Thom quickly joked that she did not have to take her top off. After ten minutes of delightful chaos he jokingly declared a do over, stepped off stage, then immediately returned and restarted the show properly. With that he asked how everyone was feeling and led into their opening song, ‘Superpower’.
The band continued straight into ‘Worry’. Thom asked the others to create a theme tune for receiving presents, and they did, while he pulled out the next gift. The crowd shouted that it was pepernoten, a small spiced treat. Thom tossed some into the air to see if Rob could catch them with his mouth. After several attempts they succeeded, and the crowd cheered. They then played ‘You Again’, which the audience sang along to loudly. Next up was another present, this time for Rob, who unwrapped a second clog, forming a matching pair. Without missing a beat they shifted into ‘Favourite Flavour’, and the crowd continued to sing and dance.
After the song Thom asked the audience to replace their cheers with airhorn sounds. When they did, he immediately admitted that he hated it. He thanked everyone who came, explaining that his jokes about the low turnout were only meant in good fun. When he asked who had travelled for the show, fans from all over the Netherlands shouted back, along with a handful of people from England. Thom joked that one of them lived so close to him they could have hosted the concert in his hometown. When he asked who was Dutch, nearly every hand shot up. Seeing all the raised arms, Thom joked that he felt like he could crowdsurf across the room.
He then talked about their new single, which was doing well in the UK. When he asked who had heard it, the crowd yelled enthusiastically, although Thom teased them that the streaming numbers were terrible and they needed to do better. He pointed out their top Spotify Wrapped listener, who had streamed 81,000 minutes of their music. Thom called it amazing and then jokingly told him to get a life. He explained that because they were filming a music video during the performance of their new single, everyone needed to dance. After teaching the chorus they played ‘Your Last Song’, and the audience gave it everything they had.
Another gift appeared, this time chocolate letters for Katie, all of them the letter K. Thom joked that he wished the band had brought something for the fans, then remembered they had plenty of merch that they could buy at full price. When he asked how people had discovered The Lottery Winners, the crowd shouted Pinkpop, Frank Turner, Nickelback, the Levellers and even Will And The People. When he asked who came alone, several hands went up, and the band followed with ‘You Are Not Alone’.
The rest of the band then briefly left while Thom performed ‘Struggling’ solo, encouraging the crowd to sing along. The band joined him for the last notes and they followed with ‘UFO’. Thom explained that it was about feeling different and how the band had given him true friends. Fans lifted their phone flashlights and the room lit up beautifully. They opened the final gifts from the bag, another Dutch treat. Thom immediately forgot the name and called it “the thing”. He promised to teach a Sinterklaas song but instead began reciting lyrics from ‘Much Better’, which the crowd immediately joined in on.
The band announced their final song, but before starting Thom took a moment to reflect on how incredible their 2025 had been. They ended with ‘Letter To Myself’. Thom even sang part of the song directly to a fan while forming heart shapes with their hands. The band stepped off stage briefly before returning for an encore that opened with ‘Burning House’.
Thom asked if everyone was having a good time and then asked “When we were in Sweden we played ABBA. In Copenhagen we played AQUA. What is the big Dutch tune?” The crowd shouts “Radar Love” by Golden Earring, and Rob ends up singing and playing part of the song. Thom compared Rob to a sexy jukebox and they lead the crowd into their song with a dance routine, ‘Turn Around’.
Before ending the night Thom thanked everyone for the gifts, the drawing a young fan had made for Katie and the energy in the room. He reflected on the band’s 17 year journey, from playing to three people to signing with a major label, getting dropped, and never giving up. Their final song, ‘Start Again’, captured that spirit. They walked off as ‘Dag Sinterklaasje’ played and the audience waved them off with laughter.
The show was a perfect mix of chaos, charm, and heartfelt connection. Despite the smaller crowd, The Lottery Winners made every fan feel like part of the celebration, turning gifts, jokes, and singalongs into an unforgettable experience. Fans left De Helling buzzing, knowing they had witnessed a truly special night.
