With hit songs like “A-Team,” “Sing,” and most recently, “Shape of You” and “Castle on the Hill,” Ed Sheeran’s latest album has exploded on top charts. Over the years, he has created music known to millions of fans all around the world.
Listening through his recordings, the average person may not know that he mainly performs as a solo artist. Though he has admitted to toying with the idea of touring with a full band, Ed Sheeran continues to sing by himself with his guitar, except for the occasional guest performer or show with a band.
Ed Sheeran is a master of any instrument he plays. With a crooning voice, he has captured the hearts of people all over the world while using his feet and guitar as his drum. When standing on the floor, my hair stood on end and I could feel his pounding feet so much through the speakers that my body quaked. I'll admit that I was one of the thousands of fans in the venue on his Divide tour dancing like a preteen when seeing him first walk on stage, but hearing his music live compared to his recordings are so unique in experience from one another that you'd have to see for yourself to believe me.
How he masters the one-man band? Ed is an expert in his use of the looper pedal, which captures multiple layers of sound as the artist wishes, and he has been using it for quite some time in live performances to create his accomplished works of music. While watching, I couldn't imagine how he maintained control of all the sound coming from the pedal as he sang and played his guitar.
Due to all the strain that he puts his instruments through, he switches them out after every song or risks breaking them. He is known for being particularly rough on his guitars when playing “Give Me Love” and “You Need Me.” During his show in Tacoma on July 29th of this year, he switched out guitars multiple times with snapped strings, and that is not something uncommon. Oftentimes, a broken string could be something that happens with novices who play without tuning their guitars properly. Other times, it could be problems with the guitars themselves when happening more commonly. But Ed is notorious for snapping his guitar strings purely because of the strain that he puts them through in his playing. He has even broken the faces of multiple guitars.
Those who love Ed Sheeran not only appreciate his incredible skillset, but also who he is as a person. Ed Sheeran is known well for engaging with his fans. He’s crashed a wedding of fans and performed as a wedding singer after finding out that they were going through a rough time. He has even visited a fan who was in the hospital after finding out that they were disappointed in missing his concert because of it. He has also supported multiple donation campaigns throughout the years, such as the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Bob Dylan's ONE campaign in world poverty, and supports the East Anglia's Children's Hospices.
Ed Sheeran has taken the hearts of the world with his lyrics as well as his willingness to give to others.
See the full gallery of Ed Sheeran at the Tacoma Dome here.
