ELLIE GOULDING | LIVE REVIEW
Cardiff University Students Union, Thurs 10 Oct
The first time I saw Ellie Goulding play in Cardiff was a few years back, before she reached the level of fame she holds today. A shy, unassuming blonde girl, hiding behind her hair as she played to a small pub crowd; despite her lack of stage chat and overflowing charisma, you could tell this girl was something special.
Fast forward several years to last Thursday. We start with a support set from ‘special guest’ Lulu James, who despite having a strong voice lacked the likeability factor that’s so important to be able to engage with the crowd. To be fair though, I do always feel sorry for warm-up acts: rarely does the majority of the audience really want to see them.
Anyway, back to the main event. As the band began to play the opening notes, the Ellie who came on stage at the Great Hall was a far cry from the last time I’d seen her perform. When the lights came up she launched onto the stage, opening with Figure 8 and following on with Ritual without pausing for breath. It took those two songs for me to get my head around the fact that the tiny figure on stage was producing the most incredible sound. Several more songs followed in the same vein; the focus fully on creating a brilliant performance. It was great to see she was clearly having an amazing time, with much energetic dancing and interaction with her band.
Following a high energy first 45 minutes, which included crowd favourites Starry Eyed and Guns And Horses, Ellie disappeared from the stage, only to return with an acoustic guitar. Playing I Know You Care – “a song about my dad” – and a cover of Elton John’s Your Song, the crowd fell silent as the lack of instruments fully showcased her incredible and unique voice.
When the band returned to the stage, the energy of the crowd only seemed to intensify, with songs such as Anything Could Happen and I Need Your Love getting everyone singing along. The encore arrived far too soon, and by the end of the final song (newest single Burn), the crowd were left wanting more. Although admitting to everyone that she was an incredibly shy person, her obvious love of performing ensured that it was impossible not to have a good time.
words HELEN LOCK
photos SIMON AYRE