Olly Murs brings his tour to Glasgow‘s Hydro
Regardless of where you grew up, you most definitely have encountered a tune by Olly Murs at some point in your life. The TikTok dependent nature of the pandemic paved the way for his collaboration with Demi Lovato, Up, to break America through a series of trending videos. Despite this reviewer’s somewhat late introduction to the melting pot of British culture, his most famous songs have left creases in the back of my mind that have allowed me to commit some of his melodies to memory over the years. As he celebrates ‘15 Years of Hits,’ Olly Murs returned to Glasgow’s Hydro for a sold out show at the beginning of May, and is set to return on the 22nd of this same month.
A whirlwind of sparkly outfits and extensive stage production, it was clear from the beginning that he understood exactly what his audience wanted to see. Merging dressed to the nines in a stunning little suit, he opened his set with Troublemaker, a tune that each of my uni friends could easily pick out of a lineup. An artist just as energetic and ecstatic to entertain the Glasgwegian crowd as they were to be entertained.
Bathing the Hydro in fluorescent red LED lighting, his live rendition of Kiss Me, was a huge crowd pleaser, as the chorus reverberated from the general standing area off of the walls to completely fill the venue. My personal most anticipated number of the evening, Dear Darlin’ took us back to 2012, a simpler time in which people recreationally wore large hats and feathers in their hair for the aesthetic.
There was nothing that could have prepared me for hearing the song that had spent years infiltrating my Tiktok algorithm live for the first time. Up, was performed with a heavy presence from Olly’s backup singers who filled in for Demi Lovato, the showcase of their varied talent very apparent through their involvement during several numbers in his setlist.
He then graced the stage with a medley of Die of a Broken Heart, I Found Her, Dancing on Cars, and I Hate You When You’re Drunk. This stylistic choice continued on in later parts of the show as a combination of I’m Your Man, Never Gonna Give You Up, Livin’ On A Prayer, Beat It, Careless Whisper, I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles), and I’m So Excited quickly followed.
Anytime anyone does a rendition of the Proclaimers it would seem as though a demon has unearthed itself through the Scottish public as the entire room comes back to life. It’s a sure-fire way to get the spirits high, especially towards the end of a set. He closed out with Wrapped Up, and Save Me, leaving every eager attendee wanting ‘one more tune’, as Dance With Me Tonight, would be the most obvious choice for an encore performance.
As the opening notes to the track began to play, the entire room began to unleash their inner boogie, dancing around to the familiar melody. It was much similar to the experience of seeing a long distance friend for the first time in ages with whom you have to enjoy the fleeting moments; it was warm, comfortable and a lot of fun.
At the rather novice age of 22, Olly Murs would not necessarily be my first choice for a gig recommendation. However, if you’ve got a sense of nostalgia brewing internally, and a desire for a silly goofy and downright enjoyable evening, then Olly Murs tour is definitely for you.