Ed Sheeran performs at the MCG

MUSIC
Ed Sheeran + – = ÷ x Tour (The Math Tour) ★★★★★
Melbourne Cricket Ground, March 3rd

It looked like a spaceship had landed. In the center of the MCG was a podium surrounded by screens. Symbols flickered across, a countdown began, and as the screen lifted, there was the man Melbourne had been waiting for.

Ed Sheeran opened his show Thursday night with his track tide followed by an explosive rendition of BLOWa track co-written with Bruno Mars and Chris Stapleton as flames erupted from the stage.

Sheeran’s Mathematics Tour Friday night show in Melbourne broke records for the most tickets sold for an Australian concert, attracting 107,000 people.

Flames and fireworks added to the spectacle as glowing firework-style flashes and giant guitar pick-shaped screens surrounded the expanded open stage, revealing the singer’s face to the crowd in the nosebleed section.

Sheeran moved across the stage, recording loops on his custom-built station affectionately dubbed Chewie II. Every sound heard on the night was recorded live as he added instrumental and harmonic layers to his tracks.

Melbourne holds a special place in Sheeran’s heart as it is home to two close friends who recently passed away: mentor and Mushroom Records co-founder Michael Gudinski (who encouraged him to play with MCG) and cricket legend Shane Warne . He devoted himself visiting hours to Gudinski and The A Team to warn.

Avid Saints fans, Warne and Gudinski, were instrumental in introducing Sheeran to St Kilda Football Club, where he performed a surprise pop-up concert for players at Moorabbin Oval on Tuesday this week.