Review: Ellie Goulding @ The Reading Hexagon 26th November 2010

If you mentioned the name Ellie Goulding one year ago many would not have known her name – but as she headed to Reading’s Hexagon Theatre last Friday for the final night of her UK tour, the intimate venue was filled with people of all ages, waiting to hear the voice of Christmas 2010.  

Support band Bright Light Bright Light provided a disappointing start as their 80’s-style electro pop rhythms and lovey-dovey lyrics just about managed to keep the crowd content.

In comparison, fellow support Sunday Girl really impressed; grabbing the attention of every bobbing head with lead singer Jade Williams’ pitch-perfect voice and their cover of Keisha’s Tick Tock before the quirky, individual headliner appeared.

Ellie Goulding arrived on stage in leather shorts and an army jacket as if she was born to be there, belting out every note with passion as she sang hits such as Every Time We Go,  Guns And Horses and The Writer. She followed with acoustic genius written from her younger years with a stripped back version of The End, providing an emotional insight into the singer’s life before this whirlwind year.

Her beautifully delicate cover of Elton John’s Your Song (originally covered for the Christmas John Lewis Advert) had everyone in the quaint venue swaying as it was filled with the crowd’s voices echoing her words.  

Goulding’s entrancing voice filled the small theatre flawlessly as she offered a glimpse into her life with a home-made film playing in the background showing her gratitude to the fans. It all seems rather amazing work from someone who left university and escaped to London with nothing but a backpack, a guitar and a head filled with dreams.

As the audience chanted “Ellie! Ellie!” at the end, Goulding gracefully re-appeared to sing Human from her new album as well as dancing to chart hit Starry Eyed with her captivated audience. Ellie Goulding has really proved herself as more than a one-hit wonder from the success of this hit song earlier in the year, her performance was stunning and no doubt we shall be seeing much more of her in the future.

Ellie Goulding should not be missed.

Her re-release album ‘Bright Lights’ was released on Monday.

I want to be a student forever

Ok, I don't really want this but I very much enjoy my life right now and the thought of actually having to get a job afterwards is fairly terrifying.

Although it's fairly comforting to know what I want to do when I leave it doesn't change the fact that I realise it could be very hard to get there. So I am preparing myself already...because despite all the fears (losing hair due to stress, hating my job like many other local newspaper journos out there) I am very determined to get there!

Everyone on my course pretty much takes any experience they can get, even if it means writing something you might not usually choose to write about and here is my latest example: http://www.fiftymagazine.com/article/don-t-cry-over-spilt-wine-

I have started writing articles for Fifty Magazine - an online publication aimed at the over 50's, giving advice on all aspects of life. It feels slightly odd to be giving life advice to people who are more than double my age, especially when the thought of even turning twenty makes me want to scream slightly, but I've been giving it my best shot.

This one is an article on the best way to remove red wine stains. It had me on my knees in the kitchen spilling perfectly good wine on to cream carpets and then scrubbing (well more dabbing actually if you read the article) until the stain was as faint as I could get it.

Check the website next month for my advice on how to lose weight after Chistmas.

Hardly a dream come true...but hopefully it will help me on my way to a flourishing career.