On Thursday November 20th Waiting For Smith, aka Harry Llyod, did a headline show at the Nochtspeicher in Hamburg. The last time he was in the city was in May of this year, playing a support slot. Previous to that he played a headline in this city in April of 2024 at the Häkken.
The people present brought so much energy that the room felt double as full and created together with Harry and his band on stage, a great evening.
First on stage was the Dutch singer Melle. He started out with the song ‘A Fool’. After it fans clapped and he thanked the crowd for having come down early to watch him perform. He also talked about Harry having been the support on his headline tour back in October and that now as ‘an exchange’ he’s supporting Harry.
Melle continued with the songs ‘Can’t Believe My Luck’ and ‘Easy To Love’. For the latter he explained that ‘It’s about love. But also, it’s inspired by my grandparents, when they were together I think they were married for 50 years, they were together for 60 years and we celebrated it with this family dinner’. He then said that his grandpa stood up at the table and said to Melle’s grandma that she makes it so easy, as a response to people asking his grandpa how he manages to be together with someone for that long. Which Melle thought ‘is really sweet’. He also played his newly released song ‘At My Worst’, as well as ‘Living Like That’. After that one he said to the audience ‘You guys are the best’.
For the song ‘Old Summer’, he said it’s about nostalgia. Melle once again showed his gratitude by saying to the crowd ‘Super happy that we’re here tonight, really good to meet you all and I hope to see you again very soon’. He ended his set with ‘Run Run’. Fans gave him one last applause for the night after it.
Now on was Harry, together with him on stage Jara Narayan de Werd (keys), Jonny Brister (drums) and Pablo van der Hulst (bass). They started with the song ‘Some Words’ and continued with ‘Raised Up’. Harry then thanked the people in the crowd for having come to the show and shared that he hoped to succeed in getting their worries shaken off. Before the song ‘Hopelessness of Love’ he animated the audience to do the macarena to it. Fans also sang words back to him!
Harry talked about him recently having become a dad. He then started with the song ‘Baby Child’, which he wrote for his daughter! He then asked the audience where people have come from to the show, if not from Hamburg. Someone replied with a town close to Hamburg and he thanked them for having made the journey.
For ‘Nature’s Mind’ he asked for people to sing ‘the note ah’ and explained it as a way to open oneself’s heart. Together with Melle, Harry went into the middle of the crowd and then they sang ‘So Much Love’. For ‘White Light Of Love’, people put their phone lights on! For ‘Kindness & Love (I feel safe)’ Harry said ‘Safety with another, what an amazing feeling that is. To truly feel yourself with someone. To feel so yourself that you maybe someday don’t know who you are, but you always come back for the love that you have for each other. The sanctuary of another, the safety that they provide, that mother, that brother, that father, that sister, that friend, hold them close. Hold them close, that’s the good shit, that’s the fucking good shit.’
Harry said that he felt like he’s playing to more people than he actually was, noted that ‘ cause the energy is high’ and thanked the audience again for being at the show. Him and his band then continued with ‘I Like Life, he split the crowd in two, one side sang ‘I like life’ and the other one ‘Do you like life ?’. Both sides came closer and closer to each other and Harry then encouraged fans to say hello to someone they don’t know.
‘Life is precious, it’s fragile, you can do many amazing things with it. So go for, share light, share love, share joy, that’s what it’s all about. Share the thoughts in your mind you have towards yourself, the way that you love yourself and the world will love you back. Change the thoughts in your mind, to change the words that come out of your mouth, to change the actions that become your life. And your reality will unfold to the most glorious thing you’ve ever seen, I promise you. You can do it’. Followed by the room clapping and then he and his band went over to ‘Feel Ya Flow’ and closed the night with it.
