Ed Sheeran a one-man hit
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Ed Sheeran performing at Rod Laver Arena.
Source: News Corp Australia
NOT since John Denver has one man managed to sell out Rod Laver Arena on his own.
But two decades ago the late Denver wasn’t greeted by the deafening wall of screams British singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran received on Saturday night.
It’s just Sheeran and his acoustic guitar on stage, with his trusty hi-tech loop pedal at his feet. By constantly looping his own vocals, guitar and DIY beats Sheeran becomes an arena-filling one-man band before your eyes.
It allows him to effectively busk in sold-out arenas, without sacrificing too much intimacy as he continues to upsize venues in line with his growing popularity.
Indeed while he’s only had two albums, but Sheeran’s setlist is already wall to wall greatest hits.
Sheeran’s range runs from the world’s “our song” Thinking Out Loud to his first hit The A Team, which subverted the mainstream with a graphic description of a drug-addled prostitute.
Sheeran also dusts off his rap skills on Take It Back becoming a smart mash-up of Stevie Wonder’s Superstition and Bill Withers’ Ain’t No Sunshine while the bitter Don’t is softened by snatches of his own Nina and Blackstreet’s No Diggety.
His radio fixtures Lego House, Drunk, Sing, I See Fire and the stunning Give Me Love show Sheeran doesn’t need a band when he’s got the whole audience behind him.
But, like his mate Taylor Swift, he’s in the extremely fortunate position where fans are just excited to hear his new songs, setting him up nicely for the long haul as an artist in an era of stars.
There’s a lot to like about Sheeran. He’s not only in touch with his sensitive side, it’s the backbone of his career.
That honesty is what has connected him with the masses, a relatability that extends to Sheeran insisting all tickets were $ 99, with no VIP packages and no floor seating to create a pub feel – and let more fans in.
And extra credit for singing until he loses his voice after each show as he battles sickness rather than canceling like some of his contemporaries have.
Ed Sheeran plays Rod Laver Arena on Sunday and Monday, with tickets as rare as Ed Sheeran reviews without redhead jokes.
