Olly Murs at 3Arena – Photos and Review

Cheeky chap Olly Murs returned to Dublin to play the 3 Arena as part of his ‘Never Been Better’ tour. While most X Factor contestants struggle to achieve major chart success after the show, Murs has definitely defied the odds. Five years after leaving the 2009 series, he has managed to carve out a very decent music career as three of his four studio albums have taken the number one spot.

I saw Olly on the third of his three nights here. When I walked into the arena I could see the top tier of seats were blocked off and this usually occurs when ticket sales are low. As he had completely sold out his first two dates, I don’t think it was something to dwell on too much!

The first support act on the night were Louis Walsh’s new protégés, HomeTown. Although their debut single reached number one in the Irish charts, it’s clear the 6 piece boyband have more ground work to do to build up a loyal fan base as many people failed to turn up early to see their set. Having said that, they have strong vocals and seem to be working with the right people (Kodaline wrote their debut single). A bit more time and I reckon they could do well.

British singer songwriter Ella Eyre was the main support act. She has collaborated with the likes of Rudimental and DJ Fresh and has paved a successful career. She has great energy on stage, but her songs are just a bit too similar sounding. She did well in warming the crowd up and joined Olly on stage later in the night to duet on his single ‘Up’ (originally performed by Demi Lovato).

Olly Murs then took to the stage, and from the first beat his energy never faltered. As his career has developed, so has his stage production, it was a lot more professional compared to previous tours. His setlist consisted of both singles and album tracks from across all four albums and he had the crowd on their feet dancing on numerous occasions. Olly isn’t just a singer, he’s a performer. His interactions with the crowd, impromptu Shaggy impression and general stage presence meant he had the full attention of the audience for the two hours he was on stage. His enthusiasm was infectious and it was impossible to stay seated for the show.

With a medley of slowed down versions of his hit singles ‘Thinking of Me’, ‘Busy’ and ‘Please Don’t Let Me Go’, as well as uptempo new tracks ‘Hey You Beautiful’ and ‘Seasons’, there was plenty of variation.
Does Olly Murs have a massive vocal range? No. But he’s been lucky to work with great songwriters and his charisma more than makes up for it.
It seems X Factor fans are likely to see plenty of him in the next few months as he heavily hinted that he may fill the X Factor presenter slot that is rumoured to have been offered to him.

He ended with a two song encore. I thoroughly enjoyed the concert and, judging by the general crowd reactions and the reaction from those around me, that feeling was unanimous.

Photos by Anamaria Meiu
Review by Anna Henderson