There are a lot of smiles tonight, with The Lottery Winners supporting Nickelback. It would be difficult to say who is having the best time. Whilst the heaving throng that fills The O2 to the rafters are seemingly having the night of their lives, there are three other individuals here whose grins could possibly be seen on another planet in the solar system, given how wide and fulsome they are.
The Lottery Winners
The O2, London – 21 May 2024
Words: Paul Monkhouse
Photography: Robert Sutton
Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger is obviously incredibly happy to be back on this particular stage, and tattooed fan Craig is staring with wild delight at the thousands in front of him as he stands on the stage and indulges in the best karaoke session in London.
Neither of these reactions though can top the absolute euphoria of The Lottery Winners singer Thom Rylance, the brilliantly funny and warm frontman who looks like he has actually won the biggest jackpot that the event his band are named after can offer one human being. It’s a wonderful thing to see.
Whilst they may not seem the obvious choice to open for the arse-kicking Canadian megastars, The Lottery Winners are perfectly suited for this sort of massive stage and a sea of people who stretch to the heavens.
Having cut their teeth with constant touring and opening for artists as diverse as Tom Jones, Richard Ashcroft, and Paul Weller, amongst others, the shimmering and perfectly crafted pop rock is the ultimate good-time soundtrack to a night out with friends.
Imbued with huge hooks, singalong choruses and perfect harmonies, the Greater Manchester quartet plays like their lives depend on it, and according to Rylance, the band have “played every pub in the country” on the road tonight. The frontman is certainly larger than life, and his banter is both self-depreciating and cocksure, the humour is more honest and sharper than virtually every professional comic ever to stand on this stage.
The happy blast of Worry opens their set, and the combined might of Rylance, guitarist/singer Robert Lally, bass player/vocalist Katie Lloyd, and drummer Joe Singleton makes it impossible not to dance and move.
With the promise that he was going to tell his mother he now had a ‘proper job’ as he gazed out, the frontman led the band through The Meaning Of Life. The inspirational Letter To Myself was full of spoken word punk poetry and groove that bands like Smash Mouth created on their very best days.
Positivity absolutely pours from this band, and the likes of Much Better and the touching You’re Not Alone are so good that even the dourest would be forced to light up like a thousand-watt bulb.
Making the vow to be headlining the O2 within four years, you can’t help but believe that if anyone can, Rylance and The Lottery Winners have all that’s needed to do exactly that. Magnificent.
