Ellie Goulding lights up Leeside with breathtaking performance
The first time I saw Ellie Goulding live, it was pretty much by accident.
It was a sunny afternoon at Electric Picnic - not the kind of day you want to spend inside a tent. Ellie Goulding was on the Main Stage, and after a quick pow-wow with the gang, we decided we'd check it out.
I was completely unprepared for just how much I enjoyed it. I was converted there and then.
Of course, this wasn't a festival, and I was in unfamiliar territory - a proper pop concert. As a man pushing 40, I was in all kinds of minorities. This was a young crowd, and I would say at least 80% female (an impression later confirmed by the 100-deep queue for the toilets. Poor things).
But no matter - I was here to see a singer at the top of her game. Even since the Picnic revelation I've found Ellie Goulding's studio output a tad overproduced, but here I could enjoy it in all its naked glory.
As a venue that (understandably) books its fair share of legacy acts, it was quite a coup for Live at the Marquee to book an artist as current as Ellie Goulding, and the place was rammed.
Arriving on stage at little after 9pm, the English songstress immediately made a statement of intent, kicking off proceedings with her Calvin Harris collaboration 'Outside'.
.@elliegoulding has just arrived on stage at The Marquee Cork! #excited pic.twitter.com/c6Jv4pHqCo
— Universal Music Irl (@UniMusicIreland) June 24, 2015
And when she started pogoing, it seemed that half the crowd almost instinctively followed her. She had us in the palm of her hand - and she hadn't even finished the opening song yet.
Cue rapturous applause. The intro to the next tune seemed to suggest things were going to slow down, but I really should have known better as she duly belted out 'Figure 8'. She really hit her stride here, breaking into full air-guitar mode, to the delight of band and audience alike.
The tempo kept up as she gleefully bashed her front-of-stage drum kit, provoking yet more howls of appreciation from a clearly captivated audience.
Then it was straight into the anthemic 'Goodness Gracious'.
This time we roar as she slithers and gyrates across the stage. If another artist did that, it might seem arrogant or even smutty, but such is Goulding's likeable, freewheeling style, we’re just delighted she's having as much fun as we are.
And she seems to like us too. Of course, we Irish fans love hearing how great we are, and are well used to artists duly obliging. But when Goulding says: "Irish fans are the best, always the most passionate", you really believe her.
#PHOTO Ellie Goulding performing at The Marquee tonight. #3 pic.twitter.com/wbDloimlw0
— Ellie Goulding France (@EllieGFR) June 24, 2015
The opening notes to the next track are recognised instantly, as her breakthrough hit 'Starry Eyed' is greeted by screams en masse.
#VIDEO Ellie Goulding performing 'Starry Eyed' at The Marquee tonight #3 pic.twitter.com/L0YOHwovb7
— Ellie Goulding France (@EllieGFR) June 24, 2015
There's too many phones and not enough dancing for this grumpy old(ish) man's taste, but hey - maybe Goulding and singers of her generation are used to it and even take it as a compliment.
Of course, nobody could keep this frantic pace up, and the blonde popster allowed us to catch our collective breath as she slowed things down a tad.
The highlight of this little hiatus from fist-pumping was always going to be her Elton John cover 'Your Song'. It was genuinely hair-raising to hear what seemed like the whole venue sing along. As she paused before the last line, the crowd were having none of it, booming back "How won-der-ful life is, now you're in the world". Indeed.
Whatever came after that couldn't hope to compare, but that hardly mattered. She had built up enough goodwill by that stage people were happy to take her lead.
The tempo gradually built again with 'My Blood'. She then skillfully asked the seated sections to give us all cheer, with a volume and enthusiasm I didn't think they had in them. Yep, she really had everyone on side.
The atmosphere here tonight is simply incredible! @elliegoulding knows how to put on a show #LATM15 #CentreStage pic.twitter.com/5Qn0OT3ZUW
— Vodafone Comedy (@Vodafone_Comedy) June 24, 2015
"It makes me smile when I see so many people," she said disarmingly. "I'm just the warm-up act, you know!"
Well, I'd hate to be the band that follows her. As the opening refrain to 'Anything Can Happen' began, we all immediately screamed it right back at her, and throughout, to Goulding's obvious delight.
The atmosphere was then raised yet another notch for 'I Need Your Love'.
The roof has come off #LATM15 as @elliegoulding performs an EPIC version of 'I Need Your Love' #CentreStage pic.twitter.com/B2tEe9ZADX
— Vodafone Comedy (@Vodafone_Comedy) June 24, 2015
Barely a hand on the dancefloor wasn't raised, and she continued to whip fans into a frenzy with 'Lights'.
Her "kind of last song", her Generation Y anthem 'Burn' didn't quite hit the heights it's capable of, but was enthusiastically welcomed nonetheless and saw Goulding gleefully strap a guitar on to remind us, as if we needed it, that she's not just a pop singer.
Maybe we've lost that knack of calling for encores, or just that we knew it was coming anyway, but the loud calls for a return never quite came. Not to worry though, when Goulding and co bounded back on stage, the rapturous applause let them just know how welcome they were.
'Love Me Like You Do' provided a fitting farewell to a near faultless gig.
Ellie Goulding has a disarming persona and stage presence that's hard to describe in words.
There's a sense of pure joy in what she does, that never seems contrived or forced. When she's furiously jumping around the stage, she's doing it not because she's supposed to - it's just what she feels like doing!
Confiding that it was a "weird time" as she prepared to embark on her tour and a third album, she said: "It's nearly kind of finished, it'll be out this year, so there'll be a whole other (live) set and stuff."
If her career so far is anything to go by, she has absolutely nothing to worry about.
