Ed Sheeran's Chennai concert: A night of musical magic, surprises and unforgettable moments
As twilight divinely painted Chennai’s skies in hues of amber and violet, the YMCA Ground thrummed with electric anticipation. Around thousands of Sheerios, wielding Ed’s Mathematics Tour t-shirts and eager voices, gathered under the open sky, united by their only mission- to witness the ginger-haired troubadour, weave his musical magic
CHENNAI: Ed, the tourist: It's kind of a selfish trip for me as I have come here to be a tourist and also my show. It's been two and a half days here, and I am just in love with the city.
We, the band members: When I was young, I had thoughts of owning an electric guitar and being part of a rock band. But it really didn't suit me. So I got a loop pedal and this is precisely how I have done it for the past 20 years. Which means, all you guys are the members of the band.
The A Team: I first sang this in an open mic in a pub in London. People usually go to pubs to socialise with their friends, not to listen to a slightly overweight ginger person play guitar. When I wrote the song, I thought it was special. People never paid attention for a few months, and it later became a minor hit in the UK. I signed a record deal, and it became a major hit. This song became my passport to travel all around, and also the reason I came to India for my first ever show. But I still remember playing it in an empty room.
Historic rendezvous
As the clock neared midnight, and the concert was coming to an end, Ed started playing his chart-topping hit, Shape of You. He took the crowd by surprise when he started humming Urvasi Urvasi. By the time we all could blink an eye and take a breadth, there we had our country’s legendary composer AR Rahman. As we gasped for breath, we were forced- wouldn't have wanted it any other way- to groove to the mashup of Shape of You with Urvasi Urvasi.
From anticipation to a night to remember
From the moment doors opened, the excitement in the air was palpable. Dr Priya, who is 33, was accompanied by her mother, in her late 50s, and her father, who is in his early 60s. “My mother loves Ed,” Priya says. She was introduced to his music with the 2014 hit Photograph, which also happens to be her mothers favoured song. “It reminds me of my daughter's childhood memories much like the video,” her mother quickly adds.
For nine-year-old Gabriel, who is from Paris, residing in Chennai for the last six years, he couldn't possibly miss an Ed Sheeran concert. It happens to be his first ever concert too. “It’s really difficult to get an Ed Sheeran concert ticket in Paris. We are pleasantly happy that it's been easier here,” explains Geraldine, his mother. The audience swayed to the rhythm, sang along to every lyric, and waved their phone flashlights in unison, creating a mesmerising sea of lights.
