LIVE MUSIC Inside the court of King David
Craig David has come a long way since he released his debut album, Born to Do it, in the early Noughties. Ahead of his arena tour, which kicks off in Cardiff on March 16, he spoke to Katie Gupwell about his amazing comeback
OVER 10 years ago the young star Craig David hit the charts with tracks such as Fill Me in and Seven Days. He also won three Ivor Novello awards for songwriting and was nominated for six Brit Awards at the age of 19.
After fading from the spotlight for a few years, Craig made one of the biggest comebacks of the year in 2016.
His sixth album, Following My Intuition, went to number one in the UK album charts and he picked up a wave of new fans along the way.
“It was amazing when I found out I was doing an arena tour – you get to play to such great crowds,” explained Craig.
“I’ve been to Cardiff before and I’m really looking forward to starting the tour there.
“The first show is always exciting because you’ve come to the end of rehearsing and you’re ready to perform. It’s a similar feeling when you get to the final few shows.”
Craig said he is looking forward to incorporating some DJing into his gigs – similar to the more DJ-focused TS5 shows that he’s been putting on at festivals.
He spent a lot of time DJing in his youth. but when his first album took off, he started to perform more with live bands and acoustic sets.
“I want to create a good party atmosphere. Now I get to see people of different ages listening to my music. There’ll be people who know my older tracks like Seven Days and Fill Me In, but then there’ll also be a younger generation who like newer songs like When the Bassline Drops.
“Parents could be talking to their children about me, and connecting with them about my music, which is great.”
Craig says the show will also reflect a good balance of this – showcasing his best hits from the past and present.
After topping the charts and receiving a Brit nomination for Best Male Solo Artist earlier this year, we can expect to see a lot more from the R&B legend.
“I’ve been working on some new stuff,” he added.
“I’ve been in the studio since around Christmas time and we’ve been writing so much music.
“Nowadays, people are constantly demanding new music and I love that – I hope to drop some new material later in the year.
“I don’t know if that’ll be in the form of an album, but I’m aiming to put some new music out there.”
And he’d also like to duet with man-of-the-moment Ed Sheeran.
“I’d like to work with Ed. It takes skill to be able to use an acoustic guitar and combine it with rap music – and I love that. “I think he’s amazing.” Craig will perform at the Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, on March 16. Box office: 029 2022 4488.