Starry-eyed Ellie dazzles local fans

Ellie Goulding

O2 Academy,Birmingham

words and pictures by James Watkins

The region's biggest musical success story of recent times returned to home turf to wow a sell-out crowd of more than 3,000 people with a dazzling show.

Brit Award-winning chanteuse Ellie Goulding thrilled local fans last night at the O2 Academy in Birmingham - a stark contrast to a year ago when she played to a tiny crowd of 500 at the Academy 2.

Not so long ago, Ellie was treading the boards at pubs and clubs in south Shropshire and her native Kington, yet her sheer passion for music combined with innate musical ability has propelled her to the upper echelons of the charts.

The bubbly and engaging singer/songwriter has a small army of fans who hang on her every word.

Last night, banging the drums to opening track Under The Sheets and playing through her album Lights - with tracks Salt Skin and The Writer gaining screaming ovations - Ellie waltzed through a mesmerising set.

Among many highlights were a cover of Elton John's classic Your Song, which has become the hot-tip for this year's Christmas Number 1 after John Lewis used the song for its Christmas advertisements.

Ellie has not forgotten her roots and she spoke to the crowd about how she missed home and her Herefordshire/Shropshire-based family and friends won fervent applause.

The singer also looked a dream in a fitted combat jacket and sexy denim hotpants.

Ellie brought the show to a close with a bang, raising the roof with the sing-a-long debut single Starry Eyed.

The girl from Kington showed that on her first large-scale headline tour she's rapidly matured. Surely, it won't be long before she ascends further to arena-sized success.