A New Experience

ED SHEERAN BROUGHT THE HOUSE DOWN

Hi there! Every month, I post a blog written by me, so today I’m going to talk about the latest concert I've been to:

On the 25th of November, I attended Ed Sheeran’s concert in Madrid thanks to a friend who invited me for my birthday because she had bought three tickets: one for me, one for another friend of ours, and one for herself. The tickets were for floor general admission standing, so we didn't have our seats for sure because there was no number scheme in that area.    

→ BEFORE THE CONCERT ←

Earlier, we agreed on a plan. We would go to Palacio de los Deportes where the concert took place. That plan consisted in us leaving all together when we finished school and once there, getting in line. Fortunately, there was already a person in the queue who had been saving our seats since 7:00 am.

→ ARRIVAL AT PALACIO DE LOS DEPORTES ←

As soon as we arrived at the area where Ed Sheeran was supposed to be, it was about 2:15 pm. We had to eat lunch in the middle of the street while waiting for the staff to open the gates. 

Beforehand, the security had organized the people who were waiting into four lines. 

At first sight, a thought crossed through my mind. I felt I wasn’t in a good position in the line because of how many people were "camping’’. Fortunately, I was wrong because my saved seat was located in the fourth line from the left. I also wasn’t too far from the gate I was going to pass through.

Photograph taken by Natalia Borrueco outside of Palacio de los Deportes, Madrid

→ DURING THE WAIT ←

Between 2:30 pm and 5:00 pm, I waited while sitting next to my friends on the floor. I could stretch my legs because we took turns while the rest of us saved the seats. My turn arrived and I decided to spend my "free time’’ going to the bathroom. While I was walking around the back of the building that I was looking forward to entering, I saw the organizer of Ed Sheeran’s tour. He was wearing one of the officials t-shirts of Ed Sheeran with a hat which had the logo of Sheeran’s official tour. So I took advantage and asked him where the ginger singer was. In spite of my illusion he told me Ed was inside of the building and I couldn’t visit him... obviously. 

Then, I noticed one of the openers of the gig was singing in the street and he was giving autographs and taking photos with whoever wanted. Of course I went too and I got an autograph and a photograph with him.

This was the happy part of waiting because at 5:00 pm someone started screaming and running for no reason, and as a result, everybody started running, including me. That’s when the lines that had been structured by the security broke away. In consequence of that horrible event, all of the fans were too close to each other, so one of my friends started feeling sick because she had claustrophobia and she had to go home. The ones who didn’t leave, literally, had to resist rain, hailstones and thunders without an umbrella because you couldn’t take it into the building.

→ DOORS OPENED ←

Finally, at 6:30 pm we could go into the building but not without checking our bags and our tickets before! Not once or twice... THEY CHECKED OUR TICKETS 5 TIMES!

When we finished, we ran as fast as we could and got awesome seats for the concert.

Photograph taken by Natalia Borrueco in Palacio de los Deportes, Madrid

→ DURING THE CONCERT ←

The gig started with the openers which were “Jamie Lawson” and “Saint Raymond”. Their performances were extraordinary.

Then, the moment that we were waiting for for hours finally arrived. Ed Sheeran began singing "I’m a mess" only with his guitar and his voice. I was very shocked, his live performance was undoubtedly better than his album. All of the fans sang with all of our might during the entire show; we were really enjoying the performance. One of the characteristics of the mentioned event was that the British singer mixed some of his songs, for example, he combined "One" with "Photograph".

Photograph taken by @EdSheeranSpain in Palacio de los Deportes, Madrid

→ AT THE END OF THE CONCERT ←

After two hours of perfect songs he had to say goodbye while singing one of his best hits, "Sing". Luckily, he had already taken a photo of us before he left, as he does in every single gig.

Photograph taken by Ed Sheeran in Palacio de los Deportes, Madrid

→ MADRID SETLIST ←

I’m a mess

Lego House

Don’t/Nina/No diggity

Drunk

Take it back/Superstition

(Stevie Wonder’s cover)

One/Photograph

Bloodstream

Tenerife Sea

Runaway

*Friends

Kiss me/U.N.I./This

I see fire

Thinking Out Loud

The A Team

Give me love

YNMIDNY

Sing

→ FINAL OPINION ←

I’m so grateful to have had such an amazing experience and I would recommend it to everyone because Ed Sheeran is a very good musician and his concerts are freaking amazing.

                                                 -Written by Natalia