If anyone was born to perform – it is Ed Sheeran. The man comes alive on stage.
Kicking off a three-night stint in Brisbane (17 February) at Suncorp Stadium, Sheeran was in the zone. His energy was electric. His grin, cheeky. His hair, tousled. And his fans hopelessly and ecstatically devoted. He chatted to the stadium-sized crowd like they're his mates.Ed ran round the circumference of his circular stage the entire show, effortlessly. Without missing a cue. And with the most spectacular breath control. He played the guitar like it was part of his being and his vocals soared out into the vast sky above.
There's a natural charm to his performance, a sense of ease, an effortless confidence born from both innate talent and years honing his craft.
Put simply, Sheeran knows how to gig; and as he told us during one of his conversations, he's been doing it for a long time.
Image © Zoe Russell
He is world-class. Charismatic. Insanely talented. Humble. Welcoming. And so gosh darn excited to be performing. Especially on his birthday.
The stage set up was stunning – giant guitar picks masquerading as video screens, allowing fans to have clear visibility from any seat.
The massive digital screen, set high and wrapping around the stage, played visuals ranging from arty paint splashes to colourful graphics, to black and white close ups of Sheeran in action.
For the majority of the concert, Sheeran performed solo. Simply his guitar, his vocals and a loop machine at his feet. It was more than enough.
However, he opened with a band. . . and fireworks. Literally opening with a bang from the pyrotechnics, Sheeran began the show the same way he ended it – with a relentless energy that sided more with rock than pop.
Dressed in head to toe black, as were his band and the solo guest violinist, the tour uniform appeared to be black tees, denim and a gleeful grin. Sheeran's tee had BRISBANE typed across the front. A small, thoughtful touch.
Image © Zoe Russell
His set list included his global hits, lesser-known fan favourites and a couple of sneaky surprises.
For the first time in Brisbane, he performed 'Visiting Hours' a song he wrote for the memorial of iconic tour promoter Michael Gudinski who passed away in 2021.
Sheeran also spoke about 'Perfect', the song he said has impacted the most people out of all his songs. "I have people coming up to me every day, telling me about what this song means to them, what moment it is connected to."
He ended the show with 'You Need Me, I Don't Need You' – a wildly-thumping track that showcases Sheeran's spitfire rapping and amped-up beats.
Yet even as he steers away from his earlier style and moves his music in a new direction, Sheeran brings such musicality to everything, it still sounds incredible.
Image © Zoe Russell
A frenetic uptempo energy replacing his slower-paced romantic ballads might not win over every fan, but it will be his evolution as an artist that will land him in legend status.
It's clear Sheeran is a conduit, as he channels those ear-worm melodies and heartfelt lyrics. His music connects a vast array of people, from all walks of life, all drawn towards this man who seems to meld notes into something magical.
He manifests as kindness wrapped up in sunshine vocals, with this ability to take the essence of our flawed, yearning, awesome humanity and craft it into the perfect pop song.
He is a glorious culmination of soul, sweetness and savvy life advice, who feels like a best friend, a wise mentor and the loveable larrikin next door who genuinely and gratefully enjoys what he does – and that's why the world loves him and his music.
