EZRA

Pic by the amazing and far more Instagram skilled Lisa

Probably I have already said it a million times, but I love going to concerts.
I love music and hearing it live is one of the best thing in the world so I decided a while back to use a bit of my money to enjoy this kind of experiences rather than splurging everything on lip products (Though I bought a new lip liner yesterday, #guilty).

So on Saturday I attended George Ezra's gig at the Viper Theatre, Florence. Now, if you don't know who this kid is, you're missing out. God, if you're missing out. Probably you already know him, though, through his massive hit Budapest (The one which goes *sings awkwardly* 'For you oooh oh ooooh oh I'd leave it all') and probably wasn't expecting that voice to come from a fresh, white, 21 years old. But it does.

He's a songwriter and his music is very particular. It's something that's easy to like but at the same time you don't see this kinda songs around so much. It has a bit of folk and country (Nothing like the Lumineers though), but also blues and a spritz of alternative rock. He wrote this one album basically on a train as he was traveling around Europe and it really makes me want to buy a ticket and go, to sit on the floor of a train station with two anklets and a big backpack and no make up, to wander around a foreign city at night with different songs playing from different rooms far away gently overlapping.

The concert was like something I have never experienced before. As you know, I'm used to big stadium shows with fireworks and confetti, and so this one was different. First of all we arrived there only a couple hours before and didn't have to queue at all, but went straight in. There were already some people there but we were so close to the stage anyway (maybe fourth or fifth row?), something so different from the 2km distance I was used to.

The witnessess were various. There were girls with pink hair, hipster boys with glasses, nerd boys with shirts, punk girls with floor length black skirts. Everyone was dressed different, aged different, but that's just something that comes with a non traditional genre of music I guess. Never in my life have I seen so many different people gathered together to listen to the same music.

Rae Morris opened for him. She's a young girl who's 50% big curly hair. She was very good, just her voice and the piano felt enough and I'd highly recommend you to check her out.

Then George came out and the concert started. It was only him with his guitar, a bassist and a drummer, with a black sheet in the background on which his name was towering. The room, though not very big, was packed for when he started singing.

There was no choreography, minimum talking, just his incredible voice filling up the entire place, merging with the public that was singing their heart out to every single word. He sings with his eyes closed, his face serious, moving slowly, his guitar hanging just in front of his stomach. When one song is over he smiles, looks like an awkward 20 years old for a second and then has a sip of water and a bit of Lipton tea in a plastic glass, that at first glance looks like beer. He says something about the next thing he's gonna play, then another song starts.

A highlight was when, after a couple seconds into Get Lonely With Me he stops everyone and asks if he's out of tune, then, he retunes his guitar. 'Sorry, I was meant to be professional' he apologies with a smile. The audience cheers.

It's not a dancing show, but during Cassy O' everyone goes crazy, jumping and screaming, especially after George has slowed down the bridge even more. When he sings Barcelona I almost cry, holding my friends' arms, moving slowly, the blue lights creating a gloomy atmosphere, but it's during Breakaway that the public starts swaying as one like a sea wave and takes out their lighters and phones.

My favorite song live was probably Leaving It Up To You. We clapped as one during the chorus and then pitched the little 'oh oh oh oh' thing when we saw he doesn't sing that bit live and he smiled and nodded and then applauded us.

Before singing Budapest George claims it's the last song but we ask for an encore so we also get a cover of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and Did You Hear The Rain. He has to leave now, he says, and thanks each one of us.

The concert is over, it was about a hour long, and I feel so happy. So happy because we've all come together for one reason. So happy because I've made happy a 21 years old from Bristol and he made me happy that night, even though we speak different languages and come from different backgrounds. I didn't feel sore or tired, I just felt incredibly happy.

Now it's Wednesday and the post-concert depression is all over me. It's hard to get back into the swing of things: school, gym, life. I feel sorry because I know that his next concert will be bigger and less intimate and though I wish him luck and success, I'd also like all his concerts to be like this one.

If you have the opportunity to go to someone's first tour, please go. If you have the opportunity to see George Ezra live, please go. If you have the opportunity to spend a night listening to one of your favorite artists singing your favorite songs, please please please go.
While for me, I'd be lying there in a fetus position, counting the days till my next concert.