Ed Sheeran reigns supreme amid downpours at Mt Smart
TWOminutes to show time, pop heavyweight Ed Sheeran begins his walk past the crowds. The lights cut and he’s handed his guitar, which he promptly uses to play one of his many hits, Castle on a Hill.
The artist is truly humble, taking time out to explain his method; how his loop pedal works and what he’s got planned.
‘‘I promise to really, really entertain you tonight,’’ he says, in a sort of apology for the truly crumby weather Auckland and much of the country is plagued with this weekend.
The ginger haired lad is unoffensive and predictably charming on stage. It’s a small stage, too, with only backing screens and his microphone – maybe part of the "necessary adjustments" to the staging and screens at Mt Smart Stadium to "ensure the safety of the audience" the producers for Sheeran’s three Auckland concerts were forced to make because of the atrocious conditions. But that is enough, especially with his charm.
‘‘I fell in love with this country and kept coming back,’’ he tells the crowd.
There’s no better way to get a crowd cheering then declaring your affection for them, but for some reason, Sheeran seems genuine.
It’s a good start to his six-date New Zealand tour.
The multi-Grammy winning artist came into Auckland’s Mt Smart Stadium with already