ELLIE Goulding brought her Delirium tour to Manchester Arena last night. Quays News entertainment reporter Isobel Hine went along…
With support coming from Lany and John Newman, Manchester Arena was teaming with enthusiastic fans, some of which had been queuing all day long to get the best view of their favourite artist. With songs from her latest album, combined with her adored and well-known anthems, it was without a doubt an impressive and colourful production.
The first support act was Lany: a trio based in LA. After forming in 2014, the boys have grown a passionate following in the US, and despite them not being as recognisable in the UK, they still managed to cause a stir at Manchester Arena. They performed a collection of their goose-bump inducing tracks, their most well-known one being ‘ILYSB’. The beautiful sound they made combining a rich vocal with synth and percussion was gorgeous, and they created a serene and pleasant atmosphere. These guys are definitely worth looking out for in the future.
John Newman was the next and final warm-up act before Ellie took to the stage. His suave style and confident nature shone as he performed hit after hit. Tracks such as ‘Come and get it’, ‘Cheating’ and ‘Love Me Again’ encouraged the crowd to dance and clap their hands, the one getting the best reaction being ‘Not Giving in’. His band complete with famous brass instruments were impressive and the costumes were on point. Even without his impressive vocal, his energetic and unique dance moves were enough to get the room buzzing.
After a short break it was the moment everyone had anticipated. She came on looking sexy and edgy, combining her trademark short shorts with a pair of funky Dr Martin boots.
Her first song was ‘Delirium’, and you could feel the joy growing in the crowd as she danced around the stage. She performed a string of tracks including ‘Aftertaste’, ‘Holding on for Life’ and ‘Goodness Gracious’ before she talked to the Manchester crowd, much to their excitement. She joked that she had a cup of water to “survive” and that she had another identical cup with a similar liquid labelled ‘Party Petrol’, showing the crowd she was ready for a good time.
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These songs were energetic and up-beat, but then Ellie performed a more emotional number. Stripped back with just her white guitar, she stunned the audience to silence with ‘Devotion’. For those who say that Goulding is not talented or that she can’t sing is unbelievable wrong. They need to witness her voice in its purest form, because it is mesmerising.
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She briefly left the stage and after what must have been a stressfully quick costume change, she came back on wearing bright neon colours to perform some more energetic songs. She got the audience grooving along to ‘Keep on Dancin’ and ‘Don’t Need Nobody’. The huge production was commendable, along with the professional dancers who were rather easy on the eye.
Her third costume was stunning. She stepped onto the stage wearing a gorgeous lace white dress, and she sat on a small platform at the front of the stage. She began to sing ‘Explosions’ and as she did, this platform began to move down the runway to another stage. It looked like she was kneeling on a small boat which was sailing over the crowd in the standing area. Bright lights from audience members’ phones filled the arena like stars in the night sky.
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The song which followed prompted the most tears. The track entitled ‘Army’ which she explained was written about her best friend revealed her sensitivity. The screens displayed photos of Ellie with her best-friend, and the crowd sung lyrics back to her whilst being filmed and shown on the screens too. She followed this with songs such as ‘On my mind’ and Calvin Harris cover ‘I Need your love’ before saying she was about to perform her last song.
Before she began the song, she asked the crowd to hold up their mobile phones because she had “seen them all night”. Everybody obeyed and the arena was filled with beautiful light. Then, Ellie told the crowd to put the phones away and keep them away. She said she wanted everyone to enjoy the moment, like many did when they went to concerts without even having a mobile phone. This was a wonderful addition to the show, and it meant everybody put away their technology and sang ‘Burn’ all together with their hands reaching into the air.
Her encore was the most spectacular. She appeared back onstage wearing a multi-coloured cape with the words ‘freedom’ on the back. To go with this glittery number, the screens played a backdrop of colourful sparkles. By this point, practically the whole arena was up and dancing, even the people who had seats. She sang ‘Anything Could Happen’ and then finished with ‘Love Me Like you do’, and these songs emoted such a phenomenal feel-good vibe.
During the encore Ellie also sang her famous cover of Elton John’s ‘Your Song‘. At times she stopped singing and just listened to everyone singing the iconic song back to her, the result was a beautifully electric atmosphere.
Overall it was a spectacular show. Ellie’s wonderful talent combined with her band, dancers and the remarkable production side of things made it an enjoyable night.
By Isobel Hine
@isobelmhine
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