Ed Sheeran review: Laser-beam pop melts even cynical dads and boyfriends

Tribute: Ed Sheeran in a Grenfell T-shirt to mark yesterday’s anniversary

Early on during his Wembley Stadium set last night, Ed Sheeran mischievously identified the contingent within his ever-swelling arena crowds who still stubbornly refuse to sing and dance. They were mainly, he explained, the “hero dads” chaperoning giddy tweens and the dragged-along boyfriends.

Well, by the time Sheeran capped off his main set with an abominably funky, floor-juddering rendition of Sing, it was hard to picture even the most dedicated Sheeran-phobe still huffily folding their arms. Raising the curtain on a quartet of performances this was an evening of undeniable, laser-honed stadium pop.

It barely needs stating that Sheeran — fringe clumped with sweat, head down as he works his loop pedals — possesses a mystic ability to turn cavernous 80,000-capacity spaces into the pub

back-rooms he started out playing. But the sheer speed of lift-off, as dusk encroached under the Wembley arch, was staggering. Castle On The Hill proved a bustling opener, The A Team’s gentle acoustic sway prompted an early singalong, Bloodstream built to an intense, almost grungey finale, Andrea Bocelli provided the soaring surprise accompaniment on Perfect and even Galway Girl, that stout-drenched abomination, got sane-looking people jigging.

Thinking Out Loud kicked off a late triptych of slowies that merely chugged along. But then, after the briefest exhortation, he was back on stage for an encore, unleashing an irresistible carnival in the form of Shape Of You. That he had removed a layer to reveal a Justice 4 Grenfell T-shirt on the first anniversary of the tragedy added a touch of poignancy to an evening where cynicism wilted in the face of joyful, communal celebration.

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