A cold snow riddled night in an old hall brimming with spirit was the perfect setting for Ellie Goulding’s penultimate UK tour date. As fans spilled in sporting their warm winter wardrobe, layers were peeled off in accordance to the rising anticipation in the room.
The support act (The Danger Is) did a fine job at getting the crowd psyched, pumping out the pulse the night would follow thereafter. Although largely unknown, the band gave their all, causing the crowd to sing along regardless of whether they were actually singing the right words.
In the aftermath of The Danger Is, Ellie continued the spirit of the night, opening the show with the same song that opened the doors of her career – “Under The Sheets”. A raucous drum solo and a shimmering Ellie started the night with a bang, which quickly settled down into a glowing ember. A lampshade wheeled out on stage, along with a lone keyboard were what would accompany the middle acoustic section of the night, a brilliantly placed set that gelled perfectly with the other crowd pleasers.
Introduced with a humble video of why she was so thankful, Ellie proceeded to cover Midlake’s “Roscoe” along with an acoustic version of “I’ll Hold My Breath” and rounded off with the iconic “Your Song”. Being a bridge between the acoustic and the galactic, “The Writer” led the way into the final section of the show. “Lights” was the show-stopping finale, a thumping mystical symphony that couldn’t hold back the crowd. Ellie departed only to be met with a stampede of calls for more, and it felt like even the Ulster Hall’s spirit was about to be shook loose from the rafters.
The encore was fittingly the next song in Ellie’s journey, a previously unheard track titled “Human” and gave us a tease of her next dimension, ending with another open door into her future, along with the crowd pleaser “Starry Eyed”, placed so as to elaborate the stellar talents displayed on said cold winter night.
Ellie Goulding
w/ The Danger Is
November 28, 2010
Belfast, Ireland @ Ulster Hall
Photos: Chris Moore
