GEORGE EZRA – LIVE AT THE LIMELIGHT 14.10.2014

The act that is currently Number 1 in the UK Album Chart was in Belfast this week. It wasn’t The Odyssey, Waterfront or even Ulster Hall that was hosting this, but The Limelight that secured this coup.

It shouldn’t perhaps have been that much of a surprise, as at the start of the year, George Ezra was nominated for the BBC’s Sound Of 2014.

The hype is worth it, as Ezra has recorded three of the best and catchiest songs of the year – Cassy O, Budapest and Blame It On Me.

He was supported by Rae Morris, whose current single “Closer” is well worth listening to.

Ezra casually walked on stage, sipping a cup of tea, prompting someone beside me to remark “He’s drinking tea ……. how cute” before issuing a mission statement, “My name is George and i’m here to play some songs” and jumping straight into Cassy O. The crowd sang along.

A newcomer, Ezra has already picked up some pop star ettiquette, perfecting the “This song is from my new album” line, beaming with pride at being able to say it, with this current tour being his first since his debut

He trolled the crowd with the cliched anecdotes about his time in the city he’s playing, before revealing that his only experience of Belfast was visiting Nando’s, but didn’t clarify if it was the Victoria Square branch or the Ormeau Avenue one.

Ezra’s album, Wanted On Voyage, was mostly written about his experiences while inter-railing around Europe and encountering what he described as “Odd people”

He played two songs about cities – Barcelona (not a Freddie Mercury/Monserrat Caballe cover) and Budapest, the final song of the set. Well, until the encore.

For the encore, he appeared wearing his own merchandise, a t-shirt saying “Good girls go to Heaven, Bad girls go to Budapest”

Quite what Hungary’s Tourism Minister makes of that, is unknown.

During the encore, fans were treated to a cover of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.

Girls, and Boys, in The Limelight, certainly had fun.

Photo Album