Following years of hard work, Lindsay Ell got her breakthrough in the US earlier this year when her song Criminal entered the Top 20 on the US Country Airplay chart. Charting within the Top 30 on the Hot Country Songs chart, the track is her first major hit outside of Canada. Taken from her Top 5 album The Project, Criminal has opened plenty of doors for Ell and grabbed the attention of fans across the world. Almost a year on from her headline show at Borderline in London, Ell returned to the venue last night for a sold-out show.
Not many artists can hold the attention of a packed-out venue on their own but Ell does it with ease. Armed with her trusty guitar, Ell confidently strutted out on stage and treated fans to a selection of tracks from The Project alongside some surprises. She opened her set with Waiting On You and within seconds of playing her guitar, she silenced the crowd and held everyone’s attention. There’s something incredibly captivating about watching Ell as she showcases her guitar skills. It’s jaw-dropping to witness and she’s so comfortable on stage, it’s hard not to get swept away with her.
A storming rendition of album track Castle followed, one of Ell’s best, before the punchy Wildfire and catchy Champagne got the audience singing along. For Mint, Ell mashed it up with (Sittin’ On) The Doc of the Bay giving it a new twist that worked really well. Vocally Ell was on top form and her voice filled Borderline. She sings with such passion and energy, and on songs such as Space, which came near the end of the set, she sounded incredible. Ell is an artist who really delivers on stage and she holds absolutely nothing back.
Elsewhere in the set there was a short cover of Britney Spears’ classic …Baby One More Time and Ell performed her collaboration with The Vamps, Stumble Home, and Horses, which she recorded with Keith Urban for his latest album. Ell treated long-time fans by throwing it back to 2016’s All Alright. The highlight for me though was Criminal and I feel like every time I hear Ell perform it, it gets better and better.
When it came time for Ell to depart the stage, the audience rushed to queue and meet her after the show. The atmosphere was buzzing with fans discussing the incredible performance we’d all just witnessed. I’ve seen Ell perform several times over the last year and I never get tired of watching her. She’s a truly remarkable performer with a unique gift to be able to command a room. Her guitar skills are mind-blowing and her voice has never sounded better. I hope we don’t have to wait too long before she heads back over to the UK for more live shows.
