Emmie Biddlecombe: "Despite a fairly strong performance, I was left wondering what it was worth."
Olly Murs’, 15 Years of Hits Tour certainly lived up to its name. Complete with 'Troublemaker', 'Heart Skips a Beat', and even a tribute to his trilby hat era, Murs celebrates his music career since The X Factor.
Whilst not a fan of Murs myself, I found the atmosphere of the night a particular highlight. He commanded the crowd well, creating a vibrant environment full of dancing and singing.
It was a long set, at one hour and forty minutes, but Murs sustained an energetic performance throughout, only slowing down for a tearful rendition of 'Dear Darlin’'.
Despite a fairly strong performance, I left wondering what it was worth. With ticket prices increasing globally, this tour reached upwards of £80. It felt odd to be at a show dedicated to how fans have supported him, whilst charging an inaccessible price for a tour with minimal set, a lack of dancers, and extortionate merchandise.
I can’t deny that I had a great time, reminiscing on a nostalgic era of music but I won’t be running to spend a small fortune to do it again any time soon.
Alicia McEvoy: "I laughed, I sang, I screamed, and I sobbed."
Despite this being the fourth time I’ve seen the Essex-born singer, I can never anticipate how much fun I will have. The rollercoaster of emotions threw me around for the two hours he was on stage. I laughed, I screamed, I sang, and I sobbed. While the crowd around me seemed to be quiet for the less popular songs, I didn’t let them stop me from losing my voice at another concert.
I’ve been a fan of Olly for about 12 years now, and I first saw him in 2017, so there were a few songs I was always sad that I never heard live. Childhood Alicia lived their best life singing 'Please Don’t Let Me Go', 'Hand on Heart' and 'Thinking of Me', while adult Alicia was loving newer songs like 'I Hate You When You’re Drunk' and his new and unreleased song 'Save Me' – which sounded amazing with a ska influence. It was even better to hear my favourite song 'Right Place, Right Time' again – with his lyric change at the end to mirror his experiences – that song means so much to me.
I think my favourite moment of any Olly show is when he mixes in his favourite songs. For this tour, it was an 80’s mega-mix, featuring 'Careless Whisper', 'Beat It', 'Livin’ On A Prayer' and 'I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)'. It had the whole crowd on their feet, dancing around and singing – and the only real benefit of being at the back was being able to see everyone having a good time.
Tippi McGarry: "Even a slightly gauche showman is a good one."
Olly Murs was not a gig I wanted to enjoy. The last time I saw him was via videos of his warmup act for Take That in 2024, notable for his excessive sexual movements. Though this felt toned down on Sunday night, his ego was still present as he gyrated across the stage and asked the audiences the exact year of his birth. But even a slightly gauche showman is a good one.
The classics dragged you back in and his effort was evident, you could not help but dance with him. There was a notable lull as he performed his new songs, so much so he immediately followed it with an eighties medley to get the mums back in. Certainly not worth upwards of eighty pounds, but perhaps thirty. As much as I might be opposed to his self-expression, his music is fun. It strikes a specific chord of nostalgia that makes me feel like the Olympics are back in London and the X-Factor is must watch television.