(written by guest contributors Emma Blanche and Shalini Nanayakkara, two 16 year olds from Ottawa, who make the trip down the 401 to catch this show)
Massey Hall was grooving a couple of Tuesday nights ago in the presence of Irish alt-rock band Snow Patrol.
But it seemed most of the younger crowd had gathered for the opening act, a short ginger-haired acoustic bloke from Suffolk, England by the name of Ed Sheeran. He stepped on stage with only his guitar and a loop-peddle. Despite the fact that his debut album, +, isn’t released in North America until the summer, his understated “Hi” was met with many screams as he walked on stage. The young artist clearly had not expected such a boisterous crowd, asking repeatedly for his fans to “Sing don’t scream,” saying that “If singing replaced screaming the world would be a better place.” His set list included his UK hits, Give Me Love, and The A team, a moving ballad telling the story of a young woman struggling with a drug addiction. After managing to break the string on his guitar after an extended performance of his hit single You Need Me, I Dont Need You, he encouraged the audience to help him out with the rest of the song in the form of a ‘gospel choir.’ Ed later joined Snow Patrol in a performance of the band’s recent single, New York.
Here’s an Ed Sheeran video where he gets drunk with his cat.
The crowd matured considerably as Snow Patrol entered the scene – but the enthusiasm picked up after their first number, Hands Open, when Gary insisted everyone stand. The audience complied, save for a couple of boring concert goers who don’t like anything anyway. Once the show got moving, we were pleasantly surprised to find Lightbody’s voice richer and more expressive than the band’s recorded album work. His stage presence was fun and easy-going, jokingly flirting with lead guitarist Nathan Connolly and advising one surly-faced man, “If you’re happy, tell your face.” He warmed the audience by having the entire hall repeat the haunting line “shut your eyes and sing to me,” in chorus, creating a more intimate atmosphere. Adding to the band’s rich acoustics were epilepsy-inducing light sequences that accentuated the upbeat moments of the songs, as well as background graphics showcasing fitting images of eagles and snowy landscapes. The whole concert was energetic, moving, and well worth the trip down from Ottawa.