Lana Del Rey at BST Hyde Park: Review and setlist, ‘One of a kind’ backed by Father John Misty

Well, she’s 20 minutes late but Lana Del Rey is on stage and there are 60,000 relieved fans at BST Hyde Park. It’s a heck of an entrance but a slightly tentative start, despite a huge singalong to second track Young and Beautiful.

By Bartender she’s having her hair done on stage - even by pop’s standards, Lana is an eccentric. The seated session with the stylist breaks the momentum, but is a fascinating choice. There’s a mystique behind the smile that’s hard to penetrate. Everything is wrapped in affection, but there is a genuine warmth in there too.

I would have liked to have heard more from the latest album, but The Grants brings beautiful harmonies and special moments (“So you think about heaven”).

Fan phones are out for some TikTok lip sync for Ride, and that goes double for Born To Die.

These are people who have grown up with Lana over 13 years, and their relationship is close. At one point she’s not only having selfies and signing albums, she’s just chatting to the adoring front row - it’s a better way to pass a few minutes walking off and waiting for calls for an encore.

Perched on a piano, Candy Necklaces has a tenderness to it and then: “I think this is where I got cut off last time. Sorry about that.”

Diet Mountain Dew follows, and the huge Summertime Sadness, which still feels like an unlikely international smash to me, for some reason.

Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd is lovely (“When’s it gonna be my turn?”), as, of course, is Video Games.

While I could also have done with more opportunity to dance during the set, there’s no doubt that Lana delivered for her fans.

Lana Del Rey setlist at BST Hyde Park

The setlist, as recorded on setlist.fm.

A&W

Young and Beautiful

Bartender

Chemtrails Over the Country Club

The Grants

Cherry

Pretty When You Cry

Ride Monologue

Ride

Born to Die

Blue Jeans

Norman Fucking Rockwell

Arcadia

Ultraviolence

White Mustang

Candy Necklace

Diet Mountain Dew

Summertime Sadness

Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd

Video Games

Father John Misty

“I often feel when I’m playing to 60,000 people who don’t know who I am, that I should probably just play the fast ones. But, I think, given our headliner, you’re probably up for a few languid ballads of despair.”

Plenty of people here know who you are, Father John. But, yes, this crowd is up for a ballad - and Buddy’s Rendezvous is just the ballad for these occasions.

“I love you too. I think it’s going to work out between me and you,” says Joshua Michael Tillman, who cuts a dashing figure on stage. The crowd is taken with him.

Total Entertainment Forever is a great song and When You’re Smiling and Astride Me is all big band show tune

The crooner/lounge singer shtick reaches its peak in Nothing Good Ever Happens at the Goddamn Thirsty Crow (“The older I get the more preposterous it sounds”).

Father John clearly enjoys his tongue-in-cheek louche lothario persona, and it is genuinely charming.

Gang of Youths

Sydney and London-based Gang of Youths deal in widescreen, cinematic guitar and synth anthems somewhere between Springsteen and The Joshua Tree.

“This song’s about dancing, drinking and being good to one another - three of my favourite things,” says singer David Le’aupepe. A valiant effort is made to get the crowd dancing with the peppy Let Me Down Easy, but it may be too early (and the audience too English).

It’s an entertaining show, nonetheless, thanks in no small part to Le’aupepe’s charisma. Magnolia and Goal of the Century stand out.

Syml

The white suited band of Syml bring a very festival vibe to the afternoon, with rolling drums, folksy melodies and vocals drifting into Bon Iver falsetto. I already had my head on the grass, fully relaxed, before a lovely cover of The Chordettes’ Mr Sandman.

The thundering beats of Symmetry raised the volume and a jangly Where’s My Love was followed by sweet closer Corduroy.

Riopy

“I immigrated to your country, by the way. So, thank you England for having me.”

Pianist Riopy introduces Rockefeller Room with the story of how it came out whole when he came across a piano at a time of deep depression. It’s drama and beauty I could have listened to all afternoon.

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