Ed Sheeran, am i missing something?

seachto7 · 02-02-2017 12:23PM

Arcade_Tryer wrote: »

Those three form the axis of modern musical hell.

Add in The Coronas, Bressie, The Riptide Movement etc and The Kings of Leon. Ireland celebrates mediocrity.

RobertKK · 02-02-2017 12:24PM

Taylor Swift helped turn him into a global star when's she had him as the support act on her world tour back in 2012/2013, and on her album with the song 'everything has changed'.

Agricola · 02-02-2017 12:27PM

For me he's the poster boy for modern music. There's no edge, no message, nothing to say bar a lot of high pitched pining soppy love songs. Himself and Gavin James on stage together is my version of hell.

Sam Kade wrote: »

Sometimes I think it's the sheeple effect, a lot of people might not be gone on his singing but they will follow the crowd. This was clearly the case with Gareth brooks young ones that never even heard of him before were falling over themselves to get tickets.

There's always an element of that when it comes to any big act in Ireland, but to be fair to Sheeran I think he has a broader appeal and obviously far younger fanbase than Brookes. And these are the people who live to go to concerts.

But the Garth Brookes thing was without doubt a follow the crowd phenomena. I know someone who doesnt buy or listen to music at all, bar the odd NOW compilation, who was 9 or 10 when he was in Ireland the first time. She camped out for a night to get tickets. It's an event sure, sleep on the street with your mates, stick it up on facebook etc etc. Social media has made event junkies even worse.

Arcade_Tryer · 02-02-2017 12:28PM

seachto7 wrote: »

Anyone who can sell out a stadium 2 nights in a row in London and play with just his guitar and no backing band is doing something right. He's not for me though. Seems to appeal to casual music listeners, the ones who buy "2016 Summer Hits" etc and seems to appeal to teenagers. Fair play to him other than that.

Ed Sheeran is essentially a glorified boy band except with only one member. His target market is teenage girls and those who like pop music and not much else.

Gary Barlow has written far superior songs than Ed Sheeran to put it in context.

andekwarhola · 02-02-2017 12:29PM

I think he's brutal. Not because he's popular or pop music or from begrudgery©, just don't like it but if you start trying to quantify why people like things in huge numbers (without resorting to patronizing platitudes about people being sheep) you'll just tie yourself in knots.

And at least he's writing and performing his music. There's far worse and far more cynical out there.

seachto7 · 02-02-2017 12:31PM

Arcade_Tryer wrote: »

Gary Barlow has written far superior songs than Ed Sheeran to put it in context.

I would agree.

Arne_Saknussem · 02-02-2017 12:31PM

Noveight wrote: »

He's a very, very good songwriter. I saw him in Dublin last time he was around (3ish years ago?) and he puts on an excellent live show. I think he's a good singer as well, not excellent but good. More luck to the lad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ytb7J0ciBcE

Jesus, that's brutal.

seachto7 · 02-02-2017 12:32PM

andekwarhola wrote: »

And at least he's writing and performing his music. There's far worse and far more cynical out there.

All his music? Is he co writing?

Noveight · 02-02-2017 12:34PM

Arne_Saknussem wrote: »

Jesus, that's brutal.

I wouldn't agree. Horses for courses

Jofspring · 02-02-2017 12:35PM

Ah lads in fairness there is a big difference between Ed Sheeran a guy that has come from busking on the streets to selling albums all over the world and Boybands. How many boy bands play instruments, write their own music and then put on a full live show with just a guitar and a few pedals. Very few I'd imagine.

The guy himself says he isn't the best singer and was even worse when he was younger.

Ed Sheeran is not for everyone but it also shouldn't really bother anyone why he is so popular as it's clear to see he has talent and writes songs with mass appeal.

Would he have been more popular with certain people if he wasn't played on the radio so much, was a bit more underground and wasn't so popular with younger people?

Riesen_Meal · 02-02-2017 12:36PM

The only thing different from what I can see he does that most singer songwriter lads don't really do is use a sampler for his voice and rhythm guitar...

As in he records a loop from his guitar with a pedal and then records him singing a chorus and plays them back while singing over them...

Beardyman and the like has been doing it eons, some live acts and singer songwriters do to a degree, but not as much as Ed...

Not my cup of earl grey but I get why the kids like him...

Django99 · 02-02-2017 12:37PM

seachto7 wrote: »

Add in The Coronas, Bressie, The Riptide Movement etc and The Kings of Leon. Ireland celebrates mediocrity.

Again, Ed Sheeran, Garth Brooks, Adele, Drake, all these artists are global superstars and are not unique to Ireland. Where did you get this idea from?

lawred2 · 02-02-2017 12:40PM

ronnie085 wrote: »

Average singer, average songwriter, go as far as saying he'd struggle to fill the local based on talent (in my opinion) yet he is one of the biggest deals at the moment. Victory for the PR hype machine? He's kinda Irish you know

he's incredibly talented... Not my cup of tea but average? Get a grip.

I did see him on Sky Arts one night compose his own arrangement on stage using sound loops

Pretty bloody good if you ask me

bucketybuck · 02-02-2017 12:41PM

It doesn't really matter if he is talented or not, Ireland is a nation of event junkies and somebody needs to be the bandwagon they are jumping upon, so it might as well be him.

Django99 · 02-02-2017 12:44PM

bucketybuck wrote: »

It doesn't really matter if he is talented or not, Ireland is a nation of event junkies and somebody needs to be the bandwagon they are jumping upon, so it might as well be him.

Bandwagons are not unique to Ireland. Ed Sheeran will sell out venues all across Europe and the US.

machiavellianme · 02-02-2017 12:45PM

seachto7 wrote: »

Add in The Coronas, Bressie, The Riptide Movement etc and The Kings of Leon. Ireland celebrates mediocrity.

I am delighted never to have heard of those or a single song by them except KoL who are deplorable.

seachto7 · 02-02-2017 12:46PM

Django99 wrote: »

Again, Ed Sheeran, Garth Brooks, Adele, Drake, all these artists are global superstars and are not unique to Ireland. Where did you get this idea from?

I was referring to radio in Ireland. Are you the drummer in any of the bands mentioned?

jenn1984 · 02-02-2017 12:49PM

I've seen him in concert before and he is excellent - he's alright looking but I wouldn't drool over him. Couldn't get tickets and wasn't going to be like one of those mad 'young ones' queueing up all night. Hopefully he adds more dates.

Big Bag of Chips · 02-02-2017 12:50PM

Sam Kade wrote: »

My opinion of him would be that he is no better than a backstreet busker.

You obviously haven't seen him live. I saw him in Croke Park. Mildly interested in him before that. Knew a few of his songs from the radio. Didn't own any albums or anything of his. Knew about 5 or 6 songs on the night, but....

Oh My Gawd!!!!

What a performance. One man, alone on a stage, creating his own backing track in front of us. Creating his own back vocals. Creating the percussion for the song, and then performing it all put together.

The man, no matter what people's opinion of him is, is a phenomenal talent. I play a few instruments, and know a bit about music and I certainly could not put on anything near the show he put on. I wonder how many posting saying he's nothing special could? He has a unique setup in that he is truly a one man band, capable of playing stadium tours. Very very few of his songs are ballads.

Django99 · 02-02-2017 12:51PM

seachto7 wrote: »

I was referring to radio in Ireland. Are you the drummer in any of the bands mentioned?

Nope I just mentioned the most successful artists in the post you quoted and seemed to agree with. I don't play any music at all!

Of the bands you mentioned, well The Coronas are Irish but quite successful in the UK. Kings of Leon have been very successful in the US and Europe too. Just don't know why people say that Irish people love mediocrity as you suggested.

Riesen_Meal · 02-02-2017 12:54PM

Unique setup?

By ripping off what Beardyman and the like have been doing for years?

Ed is just putting it in a folk way, as opposed to a rap / beatbox way that the others have, nothing original about sampling your guitar or your voice on the fly and looping it back over the PA

02-02-2017 12:59PM

I dunno folks, there must be something to him because he exists in an industry that's build on boybands, girl bands, ex Disney stars and fake rappers!

As many have said, he's not much to look at, his voice is average and song writing is beneath even Gary barlow.

Are we to assume a sup par, ginger busker has done a david blane and hypnotised the world??

Fook sake, could it be that he's a decent person, who has time for most fans and his music therefore seems heartfelt?? he seems genuine too unlike the bono's, Jay z's, tailor swifts and Kanye's of this world. they love money and would eat their young to get it. They smack of arrogance and self entitlement, bleeding self enriched clowns. He has a shelf life alright, and I personally wouldn't be cooing over his music but I can see why people would enjoy his songs, a bit like David gray

ohnonotgmail · 02-02-2017 12:59PM

Arcade_Tryer wrote: »

He comes across as a nice guy and has cleverly created a cult following out of that, along with a few very, very average folk/pop melodies, and lyrics which make many people want to vomit.

Along with Adele and Drake, he's an instant radio station switcher. Those three form the axis of modern musical hell.

go away and actually read the lyrics to A Team and tell us what about them makes you want to vomit? It sounds like a nice little easy listening song until you read the lyrics.

machiavellianme · 02-02-2017 01:00PM

jenn1984 wrote: »

I've seen him in concert before and he is excellent - he's alright looking but I wouldn't drool over him. Couldn't get tickets and wasn't going to be like one of those mad 'young ones' queueing up all night. Hopefully he adds more dates.

Yes, but have you seen anyone who is actually excellent live to compare against?
Rammstein, Iron Maiden and heck even Baby Metal put on a great show and aren't some dull plinky plonky "woe is me" "I'm such a tortured soul" acoustic singer/songwriter nicey nice butter wouldn't melt sort. If you want an excellent Irish show, go see kerbdog next time they play or sultans of ping!
Crikey, if acoustic gigs are what floats your boat, go to therapy? in whelans in April.
You'll never listen to Ed sheeran again afterwards

Sam Kade · 02-02-2017 01:01PM

Arne_Saknussem wrote: »

Jesus, that's brutal.

You can say that again. When he was 6 years old he broke his leg running away from his brother, he must really wreck his brain to write songs.

machiavellianme · 02-02-2017 01:04PM

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

go away and actually read the lyrics to A Team and tell us what about them makes you want to vomit? It sounds like a nice little easy listening song until you read the lyrics.

Does it? Soft soppy lyrics written by a teenager with no experience of the world trying to sound a bit edgy. Pure fluff.

seachto7 · 02-02-2017 01:04PM

Django99 wrote: »

Nope I just mentioned the most successful artists in the post you quoted and seemed to agree with. I don't play any music at all!

Of the bands you mentioned, well The Coronas are Irish but quite successful in the UK. Kings of Leon have been very successful in the US and Europe too. Just don't know why people say that Irish people love mediocrity as you suggested.

The Coronas are successful in the UK?

Django99 · 02-02-2017 01:05PM

machiavellianme wrote: »

Yes, but have you seen anyone who is actually excellent live to compare against?
Rammstein, Iron Maiden and heck even Baby Metal put on a great show and aren't some dull plinky plonky "woe is me" "I'm such a tortured soul" acoustic singer/songwriter nicey nice butter wouldn't melt sort. If you want an excellent Irish show, go see kerbdog next time they play or sultans of ping!
Crikey, if acoustic gigs are what floats your boat, go to therapy? in whelans in April.
You'll never listen to Ed sheeran again afterwards

To be fair Iron Maiden and Rammstein are a different genre and have a different target audience.

ohnonotgmail · 02-02-2017 01:06PM

machiavellianme wrote: »

Does it? Soft soppy lyrics written by a teenager with no experience of the world trying to sound a bit edgy. Pure fluff.

have you actually read them? you describe a song about a drug addict as soft, soppy lyrics?

Arne_Saknussem · 02-02-2017 01:06PM

I guess if you're 12-16 and have been force-fed a conveyor belt of X-Factor popbots since before you can remember he might seem kind of fresh or edgy.

Ed Sheeran, am i missing something?

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