I’d never, up until last weekend, gone to a concert by myself before, but Ed Sheeran tickets were very hard to come by when they went on sale a few months ago, and I was determined to put myself much closer to the stage after catching his show last September at the Air Canada Centre. I managed a 30th row ticket, but it meant being on my own. I am always up for trying anything once and so I talked myself into it and off I went on Saturday night.
Foy Vance opened and I sadly missed all but his last two numbers because of a late dinner with fellow concert-goers. He too is a talented singer-songwriter, and he held the attention of the large crowd well as he closed the set with the beautiful “Guiding Light”.
So how did the two shows compare? The setlist difference was minimal; there were little tweaks here and there to remove or add a song (“One” was replaced by “Photograph”, while “Runaway”, “Kiss Me” and “Afire Love” all disappeared to my great chagrin, and “Nina” was added to the “Don’t/Loyal/No Diggity” medley. There was an interesting rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “I Was Made to Love Her” which by Ed’s own admission is still evolving as a cover. Overall, this setlist was shorter than the last one, and I wondered if vocal fatigue was the culprit since he has been touring for a long time without much of a rest.
There is something exciting about seeing an artist live for the first time, and I remember being blown away last fall just watching him alone on stage creating his sound layers using loop pedals and a simple acoustic guitar as a drum and stringed instrument. He has mad skills adding his individual tracks until a wall of music is unleashed and comes at you in the most exquisite manner. I’ve recognized now when I see him in duets on television that he is most comfortable on his own; he has mastered his pedal techniques and his timing and shines as an individual. On the live stage, it is a spectacle to behold like no other.
Video from the film “The Lord of The Rings” in the background as Ed Sheeran sings “I See Fire”.
Being so close to him this time around was also interesting because I took the atmosphere in from a different vantage point. He reached me easily due to my proximity to the stage, but it is impressive to watch him command a large crowd to sing along. It was once again a Freddie Mercury moment for me, which might seem like an odd comparison at first. However, I was 14 when the Queen frontman first delighted me with call and repeat vocal exercises and I’m sure the young ladies doing the same with Ed fell under the same under his spell. Lighters have been replaced by the flashlight glow of cellphones, but the warmth is same spell. It made the singing of “A-Team” by 18, 000 fans a sweet communal experience under soft lights and I am not so cynical yet that I didn’t enjoy it.
The official video for “Thinking Out Loud” accompanies Ed Sheeran as he sings the song to an enthusiastic crowd.
And finally, despite my annoyance that some people were determined to watch the entire concert through the lens of their cell phones instead of enjoying a direct view, I am happy that Ed Sheeran’s typical demographic meant that my sight line on the floor was not obstructed by a giant of a man, which is usually the case.
This young man is the real deal, and I hope to report a hat trick of concert enjoyment when he passes our way again in September. I’ve got two tickets, but I may yet trade them up for a single seat up close.