Ed Sheeran @ Festival Hall, Melbourne (04/03/2013)
From the opening acoustic rendition of stirring album closer 'Give Me Love', complete with percussive guitar-slapping and screaming middle eight, to the encore of 'You Need Me (I Don't Need You)', Ed Sheeran had the audience at Festival Hall eating out of the palms of his very deft hands.
A showman like no other, of a calibre not seen since Robbie Williams in his prime, Sheeran has the presence to captivate and an astonishing talent that is beyond question. Not only can he get his tongue around condensed lyrical verses, he can beatbox, expertly use an acoustic guitar and loop pedal to support himself through an entire set and sing with a depth of soul beyond his years.
After asking Melbourne “you alright?” in those sing-song Jamie Oliver London intonations, he proceeded to instruct the crowd of its role as gospel choir. "If you're too cool to sing you shouldn't be here", he boldly claims, and I proceed to get my choir-girl game-face on.
All the pop hits were included, and all sounding even better live. 'Drunk' was a crowd-pleaser, as was 'U.N.I', which his choir was told to sing along to even if it meant making the words up.
'Grade 8' was a stomping live version, defined by slamming guitar and vocal gymnastics, and that ghetto beat boxing. He then told the crowd to spread a “universal ssshhh”, and sung a minimalist rendition of an old folk standard 'Wayfaring Stranger'.
A highlight came when he led the crowd in a click to keep the beat, to introduce heartbreaking ballad 'Small Bump'.
The most interactive the gig got was for his astonishing cover of Nina Simone's 'Be My Husband', and non-believers of the healing power of collective song were undoubtedly transformed.
He showed his musician-ship and support for his peers by having both his supporting artists on stage with him. The slow-burning love song 'Kiss Me' was performed as a duet with English singer-songwriter Gabrielle Aplin, and aside from balance issues by virtue of her weaker voice, was a lovely rendition.
Joined by Mike Rosenberg, aka. Passenger, for 'Heart's On Fire', the pair's chemistry was infectious and their harmonies bang-on. Clearly mates off-stage, there is no competition, only genuine camaraderie. I never felt more of a gushing fan-girl.
Forever the professional, when Sheeran breaks a string during one raucous guitar-belting song (it was only a matter of time), an expert crew member runs on with another ready-tuned acoustic without skipping a beat.
Over an hour of entertainment passes all too quickly, and Ed Sheeran leaves the stage for the first time. He has saved a couple of obvious favourites for encore, and one less obvious.
'You Need Me (I Don't Need You)' packs more frenetic energy than ever, and the wordsmith breaks it down into techno and hip-hop for an extended version. It is at this point that he shows off the full scope of his talent, beat-boxing and free-styling so fast it's hard to make out any actual words. His vocal stylings are in a league of their own, and even if you can't pick up every word, he nonetheless enunciates every letter.
Paring it back for the special hidden gaelic track on +, 'The Parting Glass', Sheeran winds the geed up crowd down. As the sombre tones of number 1 smash, 'The A Team' ring throughout this iconic venue, everyone witnessing knows this is pop history in the making.
Rebecca McCann
A showman like no other, of a calibre not seen since Robbie Williams in his prime, Sheeran has the presence to captivate and an astonishing talent that is beyond question. Not only can he get his tongue around condensed lyrical verses, he can beatbox, expertly use an acoustic guitar and loop pedal to support himself through an entire set and sing with a depth of soul beyond his years.
After asking Melbourne “you alright?” in those sing-song Jamie Oliver London intonations, he proceeded to instruct the crowd of its role as gospel choir. "If you're too cool to sing you shouldn't be here", he boldly claims, and I proceed to get my choir-girl game-face on.
All the pop hits were included, and all sounding even better live. 'Drunk' was a crowd-pleaser, as was 'U.N.I', which his choir was told to sing along to even if it meant making the words up.
'Grade 8' was a stomping live version, defined by slamming guitar and vocal gymnastics, and that ghetto beat boxing. He then told the crowd to spread a “universal ssshhh”, and sung a minimalist rendition of an old folk standard 'Wayfaring Stranger'.
A highlight came when he led the crowd in a click to keep the beat, to introduce heartbreaking ballad 'Small Bump'.
The most interactive the gig got was for his astonishing cover of Nina Simone's 'Be My Husband', and non-believers of the healing power of collective song were undoubtedly transformed.
He showed his musician-ship and support for his peers by having both his supporting artists on stage with him. The slow-burning love song 'Kiss Me' was performed as a duet with English singer-songwriter Gabrielle Aplin, and aside from balance issues by virtue of her weaker voice, was a lovely rendition.
Joined by Mike Rosenberg, aka. Passenger, for 'Heart's On Fire', the pair's chemistry was infectious and their harmonies bang-on. Clearly mates off-stage, there is no competition, only genuine camaraderie. I never felt more of a gushing fan-girl.
Forever the professional, when Sheeran breaks a string during one raucous guitar-belting song (it was only a matter of time), an expert crew member runs on with another ready-tuned acoustic without skipping a beat.
Over an hour of entertainment passes all too quickly, and Ed Sheeran leaves the stage for the first time. He has saved a couple of obvious favourites for encore, and one less obvious.
'You Need Me (I Don't Need You)' packs more frenetic energy than ever, and the wordsmith breaks it down into techno and hip-hop for an extended version. It is at this point that he shows off the full scope of his talent, beat-boxing and free-styling so fast it's hard to make out any actual words. His vocal stylings are in a league of their own, and even if you can't pick up every word, he nonetheless enunciates every letter.
Paring it back for the special hidden gaelic track on +, 'The Parting Glass', Sheeran winds the geed up crowd down. As the sombre tones of number 1 smash, 'The A Team' ring throughout this iconic venue, everyone witnessing knows this is pop history in the making.
Rebecca McCann