Back in 2009, as a fresh faced call centre worker, a young Olly Murs lost out in the final of that year’s X Factor, with the public instead choosing Joe McElderry over the cheeky Essex lad.
16 years on, and the tables are well and truly turned as Murs is rounding out his tour – a celebration of his 15 years in the business – with a series of outdoor shows, including a stop at the unique Piece Hall in Halifax.
He came out of the blocks quickly in 2010 with his first album and he’s not really looked back since then. The set list tonight is a trip down memory lane, playing hits from all eras of his recording career. Emerging on to the platform at the rear of the stage, the crowd hits fever pitch pretty early on, screaming as they would have done at the height of his post-X Factor fame.
It’s a solid start – Troublemaker, Right Place Right Time and his first hit Please Don’t Let Me Go – appeal to those who came for the earlier hits. Alongside his trademark ‘dance’ moves, Murs pulls out the trilby hat, another staple of his early days, to accompany his earliest hit and closes out that song by flinging it into the crowd for one lucky fan to catch.
15 years on, Murs has lost none of the energy that propelled him to fame and narrates us energetically through the journey that led him to this point. With 7 studio albums behind him, there are plenty of tunes to choose from, and he brings out all the biggest hits. In fact, there’s so much packed in, that he can only manage a medley of songs from his 2022 (and most recent) album Marry Me. This is prefaced by a tribute to his wife and family, but also a dig at the media that still love to have a go based purely on his image. Earlier this year, following a bit of an effort to get in shape for his tour, the Daily Mail churned out some of their usual low quality content to make a story out of nothing, and it blew up. Murs came out fighting, and it’s clear it’s still a message he wants to get across.
Lightening the mood, Murs then acknowledges some of the 6,000 sell out crowd who were perhaps more reluctantly in attendance, picking out one man who had been standing, arms crossed, alongside his wife. In an effort to bring everyone in, he launches into a cover medley of his influences from the 1980s, featuring Wham!, Rick Astley, Bon Jovi and even 500 Miles by The Proclaimers. Whether it converts those muttering men or not, it sparks a wave of nostalgia around the Piece Hall, with dancing from every quarter. Whether it’s a middle-aged shuffle, or the group of 5 to 6 year olds trying their hands at street dancing, there’s no doubt it gave us all a joyful moment, harking back to what Murs declared as “the greatest decade of music.” It also gives the star a chance to get off the stage and run along the barrier much to the delight of those who got down early to grab their prime spot.
There’s a more introspective moment too, where Murs recalls with great affection his friendship with the late Caroline Flack. It’s clear he still deeply feels the loss of his former on-screen co-host and now Dear Darlin’ is dedicated in her memory. Sat at the edge of the stage, he sings this one in unison with the crowd and it’s a poignant moment.
This is an Olly Murs show though, and ever the entertainer, he picks us back up again with three of his biggest party songs – Heart Skips a Beat, and Wrapped Up, before closing with Dance With Me Tonight.
Whatever people think of the X Factor and its somewhat factory approach to the music industry, it’s hard to deny that the show unearthed a genuine talent in Olly Murs. Sure, he’s sometimes a little bit ‘variety show’ in his movements and his patter between songs, and he loves playing up to the women in the audience who are probably old enough to be his mother. But he is an engaging entertainer with songs that put a smile on your face.
And even though he left Dance With Me to the end of the set, he didn’t need to extend that invitation any earlier. They were already dancing and they didn’t need asking twice.
Set list:
Troublemaker
Right Place, Right Time
Please Don’t Let Me Go
Thinking of Me
Oh My Goodness
Kiss Me
Army of Two
Up
Marry Me Medley (Die of a Broken Heart / I Found Her / Dancing on Cars / I Hate You When You’re Drunk)
Seasons
You Don’t Know Love
80s Medley (I’m Your Man / Never Gonna Give You Up / Livin on a Prayer / Beat It / Careless Whisper / I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) / I’m So Excited)
Dear Darlin’
Heart Skips a Beat
Wrapped Up
Save Me
Dance With Me Tonight
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