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Graham Clark
Music Features Writer
@Maxximum23Clark
5:16 PM 18th August 2019
arts

Ed Sheeran, Roundhay Park, Leeds

 
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Genesis and Robbie Williams are some of the artists who have played concerts at Roundhay Park, but Ed Sheeran has to be the first Yorkshire man to headline there.

Over two days up to 160,000 fans turned out to watch one of pop music's most talented and successful acts from the last 5 years.

Before that though Lewis Capaldi had the unenviable task of warming up the sell out crowd on Saturday night, the second of the two gigs. The last time I saw Capaldi was at the Leeds Festival last year playing to a crowd of around 100. A year is a long time in pop music; fast forward 12 months and a Number 1 album and single have propelled him into the mainstream.

He performs Hold Me While You Wait and the audience hold on to and sing every word back to him - for 3 minutes he could have been the headline act whilst he sung the Number 1 hit. His style of music lends itself to that of Ed Sheeran which explains probably while he was so well received.

The Darkness
The Darkness
Unlike The Darkness whose style of rock seems totally unsuited to the Ed Sheeran audience- the only thing The Darkness and Ed Sheeran have in common is Suffolk where Sheeran now lives and where The Darkness come from.

Lead singer Justin Hawkins tries his best to entice the crowd to sing, clap and move but it falls down on mostly deaf ears. His attempt at a handstand in front of the drum kit got more applause than some of their songs. It is not until I Believe In A Thing Called Love, their biggest hit that things begin to look up for them. A case of great band, wrong audience.

Ed Sheeran and his songs have dominated pop music - if you thought Adele was a worldwide phenomenon than Ed Sheeran has matched that and more - his tracks have been sung from Justin Bieber to Stormzy.

For one man and a guitar (plus a stunning light show) to entertain 80,000 people says something about him and his songs. He has hit the mainstream market. The age of the fans at Roundhay ran from 7 to 70 and they welcomed home the Yorkshire born Sheeran with open arms.

He bounds on stage with youthful enthusiasm as Castle on the Hill resounds around Roundhay Park. It was the first of many songs that will be sung, covered, remembered and played over the next 50 years and beyond.

He reminisces about when he played The Cockpit in Leeds at the start of his career to then playing gigs at Leeds University.

He deviates from the set list to sing Love Yourself, the track he wrote for Justin Bieber, Sheeran's version sounds purer and delicate.

There are many opportunities to light up Roundhay Park with a mobile phone before Sheeran shares "If you are not here to sing, you are at the wrong concert".

What then follows is back to back hits from Thinking Out Loud to Perfect to Sing - and the fans certainly did.

As he encores with Shape Of You and You Need Me, I Don't Need You it was clear that the sold out crowd definitely need Sheeran. From busker to worldwide superstar he has now gone from playing The Cockpit to Roundhay Park - I can't think of any other act to do that, but then Sheeran tonight proved yet again he is in a class of his own.