Olly Murs at the Forum
Essex-born vocalist and The X Factor runner-up Olly Murs has topped the UK charts since the beginning of his musical career. After 15 years in the game, he decided to take a risk and release Knees Up, a record with an entirely different sound from what his fans were used to. At the Forum in Kentish Town, alongside his biggest hits, the new tunes were put to the test.
The stage was understated, with an illustrated monochrome London backdrop and the band dressed in all black. Lighting determined the show’s colour palette. Before Murs appeared, the city landscape was blue and gloomy. But when the singer arrived, to the delight of cheering fans, the stage was bathed in golden light.
The title track may have received mixed reviews online, but it ignited the crowd as an intro. Murs spoke the first verse while the musicians provided an energetic instrumental. Much of the sound has been influenced by the ska genre, infectious and vivacious.
Although there were many fresh songs that much of the audience hadn’t yet memorised, Murs’s giddy, groovy energy was matched perfectly by his fans. The charismatic backing singers, John Allen and Darren Ellison, played a key part in winding everyone up. Murs knows the intricacies of interacting with the audience – people clapped along to the bridge in Guilty, swooned when Murs performed his signature dance moves, and swayed their arms.
When the first notes of his classics sounded, the room exploded in joy. Murs revived the nostalgic memories with Thinking of Me, the audience singing along and waving enthusiastically like a tide. “Feels like I’ve gone back to 2008,” he said after performing Run This Town, a new track he co-wrote with The Ordinary Boys singer Sam Preston.
As the concert went on, it grew more sentimental, despite the upbeat music and positive atmosphere. In the intimate setting, on a stage free of flashiness (apart from a golden mic stand), Murs spoke with attendees like they were long-time friends. The singer appeared to let his vulnerabilities show, tearing up while performing Love = Madness, a romantic ballad dedicated to his wife Amelia.
The concert felt like a thank-you letter: “This year has been a pretty epic year for me…Tonight is a real celebration.” The muted scale and lack of pretence worked in Murs’s favour. He proved to be a born showman: by the end, the whole venue was chanting his name.
Kamilla Abuziarova
Photos: Virginie Viche
For further information and future events, visit Olly Murs’s website here.
Watch the video for Run This Town here:
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