SHEERAN

Pic by Ryan Keen // yup, the hot and super talented brit singer songwriter.

Pic by this guy, who apparently knows how to take good pics.

You know I can't not feature a pic from my fav photographer ever, Liz

I'm writing this from my bed, with a sore throat and wearing a cat-with-a-hat t-shirt, fighting one of the worst post concert blues ever. Ed Sheeran is definitely someone you need to see live.

Funny thing I was desperate about not being able to get the tickets for the Milan show, and came to know about this Rome date perchance, thanks to BandsInTown (which I'll love forever for that). I even got a pre-sale code and before I knew it, I was the proud owner of a X tour 2015 ticket, parterre, entry 2.

January came along before I even realized and here I was, on Monday, queuing in the cold since 9 am. It was definitely better than what happened in Turin, though: we were sitting, the queue wasn't moving until they opened the gates and we've even be able to go to the bathroom twice! *does a happy dance*. We stayed there for basically 12h, all wrapped up in blankets, using our backpacks as pillows. A moment of craziness happened when, two hours before they let us in, for no reason, every one stood up and people started jumping the queue. Luckily, though, the security was good and, especially after what happened at ItaTube, I felt my heart singing when this big guy grabbed a couple of queue-jumping kids and put them aside, informing them they were only going to get in after everyone else had.

Once inside, we were gladly surprised by Ryan Keen, aka Ed's opening artist. A part from being an especially good looking brit boy, he was amazing. He managed to get the crowd jumping and singing, using us as his personal, ginormous choir, and did this thing with his guitar that was like he was drumming over it (?) I don't know, it was just so good. Also, he did a little cover of Bruno Mars' Uptown Funk which is my jam now so extra Meow points for that.
I really need to remember to check out the opening artists before going to concerts, because I would eventually find out I like them a lot and enjoy two shows with one ticket fee, like I did in Turin.

In case you are a little Ryan Keen's fan, he sang (not in order) Trouble, Wish You Well, Thank You, See Me Now, Skin and Bones, Know About Me, When The Day Breaks.

Then Ed came on and oh-my-God, is he a stage animal? There was just him, his guitars and two microphones. He did his base himself, singing and playing in this magical (technical term) mic that was repeating it during his performance. He was jumping around on this metal stools he had on stage and directing the crown beautifully, making us sing, clap, wave and illuminate the arena.

My favorites parts were when he was rapping: he's like a beast and gets so hyped you get hyped as well and before you know it you're bouncing on the beat like you were at a Jay-Z gig, and then he says he's not a rapper...(but a singer with a flow).

He was improvising, modifying his own songs keeping the crowd guessing what he was going to play until he started with the real melody and watched us go wild. He did some amazing mash ups: I'm talking One / Photograph ("Hearing you whisper through the phone 'You are the only one'" is now my favorite lyric, like, ever), Don't / No Diggity / Nina, Gold Rush / Don't Worry Be Happy / All About That Bass (My personal fave as I love all three so much), Take It Back / Superstitious (Such a JAM!), You Need Me Man, I Don't Need You / Jam Rock / The Next Episode / Fancy (I went wild on this one).

My favorite song though was Drunk, as it is my all time favorite (even the video is perfect: it features a cat and Nina Nesbitt!) and he asked us to sing as loud as we can and boy, did I do it. I can hardly speak now but it was so worth it. That's like the best memory.

He opened with I'm a Mess and closed with Give Me Love (before the encore). A part from the songs already mentioned he also played (not in order): The A Team, Sing, Bloodstream, Tenerife Sea, Thinking Out Loud, I See Fire, Lego House.

He was just so good and cute. He said he forgot how much he liked being on tour (this was his first show since before Christmas) and thanked us like 100 times. He conceded us an encore (You Nee Me Mash Up and Sing) and even took a picture of us which made me super happy, because I love when artists take pictures of crowds I'm in. The best part was right before the ending, when he bursted out in a 'Thank you, you've been fucking amazing tonight' with people going wild and a smirk on everybody's faces, including Ed's, as it was the first swear word -outside the songs- of the night and we all knew it was so appropriated in that moment.

The only words I could use to describe that little ginger smiley nugget is passionate and wild. Seeing him jump up and down the stage, sweating, with his guitar and his kinda rapper's moves and spit genius lyrics here and there like he was ringing a bell (see what I did there?) was such a pleasure. I love love love him, and if you ever get the chance please go and see him live and please do it from the parterre. I was lucky enough to get a nice spot and seeing videos from people who were sitting made me understand how all the queueing and stuff was worth it: it's just not the same.

If you think that was a good day, may I add I also met one of my favorite Italian YouTubers ever after the concert and he was so nice and funny and we laughed and joke along. LIFE WIN.

To think that on Monday morning, when my alarm went off and I knew I had a whole day of cold and queuing ahead of me I thought 'Gosh, I hate this, I don't want to do it anymore'... But I guess the best days start at 6.30 am.