In a recent interview with Radio 1’s Fearne Cotton, Ed Sheeran expressed a burning ambition to, one day, headline a stadium tour and, such has been the trajectory of his career to date, few would be surprised if he had achieved this goal within the next two to three years.
At present Sheeran is in the chaotic midst of a tour which he kicked-off in Osaka in August and will see him play massive venues in Lithuania, Switzerland and the Philippines before the house lights go on for the final time in Auckland in April of next year.
One diminutive redhead, his loop pedal and a beat up old acoustic guitar in front of tens of thousands of fans is a tall order; even for someone like Sheeran who is currently riding the crest of a tidal wave.
This week Ed Sheeran stomped relentlessly on his trusty loop pedal and strummed violently on that fabled under-sized guitar during two sold out nights at Manchester’s Phones 4 U Arena and, in the process, any doubts that that particular demographic may have had over his ability to rise to the occasion in bigger venues, were banished in emphatic fashion.
Aged 23 Sheeran’s rise to fame is somewhat cliché; humble beginnings comprising small gigs in smaller pubs, followed by the inevitable meteoric rise to stardom, which sees him now not only rubbing shoulders with the likes of Taylor Swift and Pharrell Williams but jostling for position with them in the charts.
In 2009 he claims he played 312 gigs and it is this work ethic, coupled with his humility, which has endeared him to millions of people across the globe. Indeed, it is rare for such a niche sound and unconventional look to succeed in an industry which at times appears to have a very stringent set of prerequisites.
Ed has been forced to adapt to the big stage as the demand for his live shows outgrew smaller, more intimate venues. The soullessness of some of these larger settings is something that both he and his fans will have to contend with if his success continues.
In Manchester Ed Sheeran showed that it is possible to make that transition a seamless one.
Combining songs from his new album ‘X’ (multiply) with a scattering of the songs (A Team, Lego House) that first allowed him to forge his scorching path through the music industry, one man, his loop pedal and that beat up old guitar delighted the ears of those in attendance.
His most recent single ‘Thinking Out Loud’ is expected to top the official chart this week and the performance of the track coincided with something seldom seen at an Ed Sheeran gig as he swapped his acoustic guitar for one of those new-fangled electric ones.
In this moment the yawning arena seemed to shrink in a moment of intimacy belying the vastness of the arena.
The blissful melody of Sheeran’s slower songs was shattered sporadically as he showcased his, often underrated, rapping ability and his astonishing proficiency with a loop pedal during ‘Bloodstream’ and ‘You Need Me Man, I Don’t Need You’.
By the end of the gig there will have been few in the arena left unsatisfied as to whether this young man can achieve his dream of headlining a stadium tour. Talent, it would appear, transcends everything, so why not?
Just 24 and a half hours later another leading male in world music took to a very different stage in the same city.
There are many comparisons which can be drawn between Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith; they are separated in age by just 15 months and this year each has released an album of astonishing critical acclaim, yet, whilst Ed Sheeran rides serenely on his tidal wave, Sam Smith is on the next wave; one of tsunamic proportions.
By his own admission, as he paced the exposed floorboards of Manchester’s modest yet ruggedly majestic Albert Hall, it took Sam Smith a while to find his voice. He left his ambitions of emulating Lady Gaga behind and started writing music that was ‘true’ and his debut album ‘In the Lonely Hour’ was the masterpiece which resulted.
Smith performs his songs - aided by a colourful and dynamic backing ensemble - as if he is singing each for the very last time, he loves this album, and in the cosy confines of the Albert Hall, that is clear for all to see.
But, like Sheeran, it is reasonable to expect that the success of this album will result in a similar requirement to meet the demands of his adoring public by reverting to larger, less characterful venues. A challenge which he will have no choice but to rise to if he is to keep pace with his compatriot’s success.
Between songs Smith cuts an awkward, meek, figure, uneasy under the spotlight with an eternally grateful look etched across his face, as if he can’t quite fathom where his talent has brought him. But when he sings he transforms into an elegant behemoth, comfortable in the knowledge that his voice is as miraculous as that of those he idolised growing up; Houston, Carey, Winehouse.
It was perhaps fitting that during ‘Stay with me’, two nights of music and the careers of two ludicrously talented young men melded into one as Sheeran, who had described the song as ‘his favourite’ of 2014, joined Smith on stage to perform a duet which elicited cheers that would have blown the roof off of any venue in the world.
