By Chloe Mari A. Hufana
CONCERT REVIEW+ – = ÷ x Tour (The Mathematics Tour)Ed SheeranMarch 9SMDC Festival Grounds, Pasay City
GRAMMY-winning singer-songwriter Edward Sheeran, better known as Ed Sheeran, performed the last stop of his The Mathematics Tour in Southeast Asia in Manila last Saturday at SMDC Festival Grounds with a crowd of more than 50,000 Filipino Sheerios in attendance.
The Mathematics Tour is a testament to Mr. Sheeran’s diverse musical prowess as an entertainer. Despite being only accompanied by his guitars and a loopback station, he can sell millions of tickets because of his sheer talent. He is the perfect example of “less is more,” eschewing the grandiosity of typical concerts and focusing on what he can do the best instead: singing about what millions of fans are feeling.
During the four-hour concert on March 9, the British singer was joined by his opening acts: fellow Brit Calum Scott and Filipino ensemble Ben&Ben. The relationship between the three acts was evident from the get-go: Their taste for soulful ballads and lyricism. It was no surprise Mr. Sheeran chose the two acts to accompany him as they all share a penchant for moving words that tug at your heart. The hours spent waiting to hear them sing live were well worth it, as they all delivered performances that saw the audience singing along with.
CALUM SCOTT FEELS THE MANILA HEAT
Mr. Scott opened the concert with his newest single, “Lighthouse,” rousing the crowd with his electric yet vulnerable performance. This was followed by “At Your Worst,” a funky song that made the audience want to dance. A collaboration with fellow Brit DJ Jax Jones, “Whistle,” was an EDM piece that energized the otherwise tired crowd.
While he was in the middle of his set, Mr. Scott — who was wearing a sage suit — remarked on the city’s humid weather. Despite being his third time performing in the country, this was the first time that Mr. Scott performed in an open venue as the opening act.
Towards the end of his set, Mr. Scott sang “You Are the Reason.” He said that he, Jon Maguire, and Corey James Sanders never thought this song would be as popular as it turned out to be as it is a “simple dedication of love from one person to the other.” It has garnered over a billion streams on the music platform Spotify since its release eight years ago.
The song that kicked off his career was the last one in his eight-song list, “Dancing on My Own,” a cover of Swedish singer Robyn’s song of the same name. He added a twist, however, incorporating Whitney Houston’s 1987 hit “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.” In 2016, Mr. Scott competed in Britain’s Got Talent, earning the Golden Buzzer from Simon Cowell for his performance of the song.
BEN&BEN’S DREAM COME TRUE
Following Calum Scott onstage was the nine-piece Filipino indie folk-pop ensemble, Ben&Ben. A true Filipino favorite, the group said how surreal it felt to be opening for one of their inspirations as musicians.
The crowd roared at the opening guitar riff for “Pagtingin,” then sang their hearts out. Ben&Ben then played “Sa Susunod na Habang Buhay,” an honest testament to the “the one that got away” trope. A moving performance of “Leaves” followed, reminding the audience that “all will be all right in time.”
Of course they had to perform “Kathang Isip,” the song that first brought the group to everyone’s attention in 2017. With more than 200 million plays on Spotify, the song is about sincere longing for someone. Urging attendees to use their flashlights, the ensemble sang together on an inspirational performance of “Araw-Araw” to end the band’s setlist.
They were able to captivate a crowd who knew them well, showing exuberance that they were opening for Mr. Sheeran. While there were foreigners in the audience, the local band appeared to have captured their hearts as they were also seen swaying along to the music.
ED’S THIRD TIME IN MANILA
The four-time Grammy winner’s last visit to Manila was in 2017 for his ÷ Tour. Remarking that the Filipino crowd is the loudest he has performed for, Mr. Sheeran promised he wouldn’t wait another seven years to visit the country again and said that Manila holds a special place in his heart.
Two Sheerios in the audience, Jilliane and Chelsea, were seeing Mr. Sheeran for the first time. For them, it was an amazing experience, and the wait was well worth it. Chelsea talked about her experience in getting a concert ticket, and said that the effort of moving mountains to be present, was worth it as it was a dream come true to see her idol live.
For more than two hours, the Halifax native played more than 30 songs for the crowd. He started out with “Tides,” a song that narrates his ever-changing life, from his youth to now being a father to two daughters.
A staple in all his shows, he was accompanied by a loop station. “Everything you hear tonight is completely live, there is no backing track, whatsoever,” he assured the audience
While other pop stars are known for their glitzy costumes and backup dancers, Mr. Sheeran wore the Manila edition of his tour T-shirt, black denim pants, and a pair of sneakers. Completely alone on stage with his guitar, he still managed to electrify the crowd, urging people to scream out the lyrics to his popular songs.
The singer recalled how Filipinos welcomed him in 2015 for his X Tour, and called Filipino Sheerios as the “most crazy” fans he met as he was welcomed with great enthusiasm.
Mr. Sheeran is known to stay faithful to his set list during his tours. However, for the Manila leg, he performed a special serenade for the crowd — “Lego House” from his first album, +, in 2011. The song’s music video features Harry Potter star Rupert Grint (he played Ron Weasley) who bears a striking resemblance to Mr. Sheeran.
“Thinking Out Loud,” “Love Yourself,” “Photograph,” “Tenerife Sea,” “Happier,” and “Perfect” made up the “sing-along session” of the concert. Hit after hit — the “songs your grandma may know” said the singer — fulfilled every Sheerio’s dream of hearing Sheeran’s most popular tunes live.
While some audience members may have found his use of a rotating stage dizzying, the Brit superstar dazzled the Filipino. Their love for Mr. Sheeran is a testament to their appreciation of well-thought-out lyrics and raw talent. Ranging from love songs, longing for our youth, losing someone dear, and being hopeful for the future, Mr. Sheeran’s songs resonate with people across all generations
Towards the end of his set, Mr. Sheeran called Ben&Ben’s lead vocalists, twins Miguel and Paolo Benjamin Guico, back onstage to sing their hit “Maybe the Night” together. It was spectacular seeing one of the world’s biggest stars singing original Pilipino music, animating the crowd.
“You’ve been a huge blessing and inspiration to so many musicians and fans, us included! This will forever be deep within our core memories,” said Miguel Guico on his Instagram account after the concert.
The rest of the audience is sure to share his sentiments.