The crowd were thrilled to see Lewis Capaldi after a two-year wait. They cheered his first two songs - and then were treated to a surprise announcement. "I have no new music to play you. I rescheduled a lot of shows last year because I was like, 'Guys, I need to finish my new album'."

"And I was supposed to do it, but I am horribly lazy. So we're just going to play you all of the old stuff."

For someone to admit to being lazy is an extraordinary thing. In most societies sloth is frowned on: in mediaeval times it was listed as one of the seven deadly sins. Dante's great poem The Divine Comedy shows those who are guilty of it in Hell, punished by being thrown into a snake pit.  

Some modern thinkers, though, argue that there are benefits to idleness which we should embrace. There is even a magazine called The Idler which extols its virtues.

"I'm a big fan of being lazy," writes Chris Bailey, an expert on productivity, in an article for CNBC. "And when I say 'lazy', I'm not talking about occupying your time with mindless distractions; I'm talking about proper idleness - or choosing to do nothing."

At work, he believes, it is fine to have a checklist of things you have to get on with. But at home we should slow down and spend our time on occupations that make us happy.

This does not mean being unproductive. Relaxing and letting our minds roam free allows our brains to recharge and come up with new ideas. Researchers found that during bouts of idleness our minds wander to the future 48% of the time, helping us make long-term plans.

"Now more than ever, we need idleness and the calmness that it brings," Bailey concludes. "So stop being so busy and allow your brain to do nothing."

Dr Sandi Mann, a psychology lecturer at Central Lancashire University, agrees. When we daydream "we are freed from the shackles of conscious restraints," she says. "We may see things differently and look at new ways of doing things." Another academic, Dr Isabelle Moreau, argues that laziness can be a positive form of rebellion.

In the 17th and 18th Centuries, laziness was seen as a desirable quality - something people aspired to but that only the rich could indulge in. According to Samuel Johnson, "every man is, or hopes to be, an idler".

Ultimately, though, it was the Protestant work ethic that came to dominate Western society. Since the Industrial Revolution, one of the most damning adjectives in the English language has been "workshy". Today hard work is widely recognised as the key to success.

And whatever the benefits of mental idling, health experts are extremely worried about the effects of physical inactivity. It can contribute to problems like diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer, depression and dementia.

In the UK, as many as 70% of people do not take enough exercise. A quarter of the population is classified as obese, and almost 60% of the rest are overweight.

Yes: Life is short, and we cannot make the most of it if we waste time doing nothing. It is impossible to achieve anything worthwhile if we do not put a lot of hours and energy into it.  

No: Just as farmers leave fields fallowUnused, so that the quality of the soil improves. so that they can recover after being grazed, we need to give our minds and bodies a break so that they can function properly. Daydreaming can be very creative.  

Or... As with everything in life, we need a balance. People who spend the whole day lazing around will get nowhere, but those who work too hard will burn themselves out. We need time for work and leisure.