Isabelle Hunter
Following the release of his 7th studio album, ‘Marry Me’, Olly Murs celebrated in style at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena on Thursday 27th April. From all-time classics in the X Factor days, to some brand new tracks, it was an unforgettable night. Impact‘s Isabelle Hunter reviews.
Arriving at the venue, it was fascinating to see such a mixed crowd heading in. I felt like I had been transported back to 2009 when Murs was on the X Factor. The arena was filled with white veils, an ode to his album ‘Marry Me’, and it was exceptional to see so much support for Murs. Scouting for Girls kicked off the night with a set that had the whole arena clapping and dancing, warming us up for the main event.
As the lights went down, Murs appeared as a silhouette, sporting an iconic all-white suit. His energy and onstage presence was truly electric, as the first notes to the title track Marry Me rung out throughout the arena. Having been a fan of Murs over ten years ago, I felt my ten-year-old self screaming, as this was my first time seeing him live. Murs had a larger than life personality, echoing around the arena, which was truly infectious for the audience. Everyone was ready to see where the night would take us.
Murs did a variety of covers
The set included a majority of upbeat dance tracks, with even his new music not straying too far from the classics. I especially loved that Murs did a variety of covers, including Elton John’s I’m Still Standing. The beat transitioned perfectly into his own tracks, continuing the hype of the audience straight into the next song.
Murs based his set on the fact he’s getting married this year, and he truly wouldn’t let us forget it. When he announced he’s finally taken, he was met with some cheers, but also a loud ‘Boo’ from the crowd – clearly showing how much he means to the fans. His wife – Amelia – was even featured on the big screens during Feels Like Forever. A very sweet dedication to his fiancé that the crowd both loved and hated (due to the fact Murs is now ‘off the market’).
I have to say, despite the night being overall an enjoyable experience, Murs’ questionable dance moves sometimes had us cringing slightly. Maybe it’s an age difference angle, but to me, it took away from the vocal strength and power in his voice. Despite this, a lot of the crowd loved these moves, it just wasn’t my cup of tea!
A very touching moment that had the arena stunned into silence
The other half of the set featured some very well-known tracks, including a dedication to Caroline Flack. Murs performed a slow ballad version of Sweet Caroline, a very touching moment that had the arena stunned into silence; you could truly hear a pin drop. He told the crowd that when he heard the news about Caroline, he would dedicate a song to her in every show during the rest of his career. In-between the upbeat dance tracks and some ‘questionable’ jokes about his fiancé, this felt like a special moment that will always be remembered.
During his performance, Murs stopped addressing the audience to crouch down and talk to a woman at the barrier. Her name was Jean, and she was eighty-seven! Jean was having the time of her life, and to the screams of the audience, Murs jumped down to give her a hug. It was lovely to watch Jean throughout the night, and see her singing along to the tracks. In my opinion, this just shows how Murs’ larger than life personality targets all ages during his shows.
A fan favourite was of course Heart Skips A Beat. Released over twelve years ago, the track had the entire crowd on their feet and singing. Followed swiftly with a ‘Wedding Medley’ of multiple songs usually heard at Weddings. A giant disco ball glided down from above, making the entire arena shimmer as Murs had the time of his life on stage. It was clear to me Murs loves what he does, and isn’t going to stop anytime soon. The show felt like one huge party, bringing together an audience of all ages.
Truly ending the evening on a high
I never thought I would enjoy a Olly Murs show as much as I did! Having listened to him back when I was kid, I was thrilled to still be as excited to see him perform live as I did when I first saw him on the X Factor. Murs rounded off the show with an encore of Troublemaker, truly ending the evening on a high. I would recommend anyone to see Murs live, even for the nostalgia of his hit tracks from 2011!
Isabelle Hunter
Featured image courtesy of Alex Watkin. Permission to use granted to Impact. No changes were made to this image.
In-article images courtesy of @ollymurs via @instagram.com. No changes were made to these images.
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