Live Review: George Ezra, Ainslie Wills

With a line of ticket holders that stretched long down the street well before doors open, George Ezra is set to bring out his baritones for The Tivoli.

Accompanying Ezra is Melbourne-based opener Ainslie Wills. Wills brings a nice performance but is not particularly memorable due to a noticeable lack of any real stage presence. The general admission areas quickly filled up in anticipation of Ezra's arrival, with an eagerly awaiting audience buzzing in every inch of the venue.

George Ezra begins his set and quickly alternates new material in between older numbers. It is a lovely addition, but it makes for a slightly awkward atmosphere at first, with the crowd not being familiar with these fresh songs. When the better-known tunes are performed however, he starts to create a more vibrant energy. As he doesn't have a broad range of styles and sound, the night moves at a relatively steady pace.

Ezra brings a very friendly stage presence, with warm sentiments to the crowd between his tracks. Ezra tells many great anecdotes, relating to his career and the songs he performed. His storytelling ability is a great part of the gig, bringing a genuine and friendly vibe to the crowd, which makes for a very engaging artist to audience relationship over the night. The lighting and stage production was a fantastic element that really raised the standard and deserves a great deal of commendation.

The only real downfall of the night was that although it is great to have a packed venue, in this instance it proves to be somewhat of a distraction, as with punters shoulder-to-shoulder, guests became visibly agitated throughout the night.

Overall, Ezra delivers a beautiful performance. Finishing on a high note with his famous hit Budapest. His stage presence makes us feel at home and eager to come back for more. Should he return for another tour, George Ezra is definitely a show worth seeing.