George Ezra LIVE @ The Cluny, Newcastle, 23.2.14

The Cluny is one of Newcastle’s most loved small venues, not to mention the possibility of it being simply the most troublesome venue to locate in the city.  Tucked away in the heart of Newcastle, this prestigious venue has had the honour of nurturing some of the UK’s hottest acts to date (did somebody mention Arctic Monkeys played back in 2005?)  So, it’s no real surprise that George Ezra preformed one of his first headline gigs in this historical venue, on Sunday 23rd February 2014.

The crowd piled into the dimly lit room for Ezra’s 12th date on his UK tour, bubbling with chatter and excitement.  The venue was instantly transformed into a cauldron of anticipation, however, it wasn’t long until the room fell quickly into melodic silence and a new, nineteen year old boy’s name was dancing hotly on everybody’s lips – Sam Fender.

Ezra’s support for the night came in the form of local boy Sam Fender, whose cheeky charismatic anecdotes about policemen knocking at his door and getting hammered the night before instantly made the swooning girls fall head-over-heels.  Fender, who joked about his highly appropriate name, played original heart-wrenching tracks that spoke of loss and passion – drawing the crowd into a stunned silence.  It’s not very often that you see a sold-out crowds mouths being picked up off the floor in surprise.

The bar was raised high for Ezra, however, the twenty year old, who just placed 5th on The Sound Of 2014 Shortlist, burst onto the tiny stage with such ferocious colour, that there was no doubting how he’d rightfully earned his place at the top.

George Ezra preformed a dazzling forty-five minute set, simply showcasing his phenomenal talent through his haunting vocals and mesmerising guitar playing.  A beautiful rendition of ‘Over the Creek’ from his ‘Did You Hear The Rain’ EP, echoed vigourusly around the room, painting nostalgia across his adoring fans faces.

His captivating stage presence radiated professionalism, conducting the mood of the room with just a flick of his hair and a teasing smile.  Ezra wasn’t shy when lapping up his deserved applause.  He humbly accepted his praise with a smug grin, after pulling out all of the stops on crowd-pleaser ‘Budapest’.  Collected laughs mixed with harmonised ‘ooo’s’ as he lets loose the story of the song – which surprisingly had something to do with The Eurovision Song Contest, rum and a man missing a finger.  A song so beautiful coming from an experience so anomalous, highlights the natural born lyricist that George Ezra is.  A gift many would simply die for.

The gig ends on a triumphant high as Ezra performs a powerful rendition of ‘Did You Hear The Rain’.  The room seems to hold it’s breathe as an A cappella version flutters from his mouth, before ripping into full-throttle and cementing his mark into both hearts and minds of the ecstatic crowd.  This is a gig that won’t be forgotten soon.

There’s no doubt of the extraordinary power that oozes from George Ezra and, if one thing came out of his gig in Newcastle; he’s going to be at the top of the food chain by this time next year.

Ella Scott

Ella Scott

Ella Scott

Gigslutz Editor, token Geordie and Blur fangirl. Naturally, achieving Vicky Pattinson's VIP edge is what drives me to get up in the morning.