Review: Ed Sheeran, Manchester Arena

DESPITE having enjoyed Ed Sheeran’s music since 2011 when his debut album ‘+’ topped the charts the singer isn’t really an act I had on my gig wish list.

His latest album ‘÷’ includes a wide variety of music styles and has taken over the top 20 since its release with its more upbeat content.

Even so, I did wonder how a solo artist would manage to fill the stage and have the same sort of impact as some of the full bands I have seen at the arena.

I needn’t have worried.

The use of a smaller stage, impressive lighting and a video wall mixed with Sheeran’s boundless energy and stand-out vocals held the crowd’s attention with no problem at all.

The excellent use of a loop pedal to build elements of the songs meant he didn’t have an accompanying band either.

Opening the show with the crowd-pleasing, Castle on the Hill, grabbed the 15,000 fans’ attention. He then took Manchester Arena on a whistle-stop tour of the new record including stand out tracks Perfect and Happier.

‘Impressive lighting and a video wall mixed with Sheeran’s boundless energy held the crowd’s attention’

These were alongside some favourites from his first two albums including The A Team, Thinking Out Loud, Lego House and Sing. The notable omission from the set list was current chart number one Shape of You which formed an energetic encore with You Need Me, I Don’t Need You.

There has been some criticism of Sheeran’s Irish songs on the album for being twee and predicable. This didn’t seem to bother the Manchester crowd. In fact Galway Girl and Nancy Mulligan – written about Sheeran’s grandparents – were the among the most popular songs of the night and left the crowd on a high.

The gig ended with Sheeran telling the crowd he’d be back in 2018. And after this truly brilliant show, he’s certainly back on my gig wishlist.