Mathematics Tour: Ed Sheeran Sends ‘Shivers’ to a ‘Perfect’ Manila Crowd

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British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran finally made his Manila comeback with the “+–=÷× Tour” or the “Mathematics Tour.”

On Saturday, March 9, 2024, Filipino Sheerios witnessed the return of the Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter at the SMDC Festival Grounds in Parañaque City.

“I’m so excited to be back. You know the chairs are there for you to be comfortable, but I’d love it if you would be on your feet with the whole gang,” Sheeran said as he gratefully welcomed everyone to his show.

The concert, featuring a setlist that ranged from nostalgic hits to exciting new collaborations, sent “shiver” to an elated Manila crowd.

Sheeran last performed in the country in 2018.

Front acts Calum Scott and Ben&Ben set the mood right

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With a beautiful sunset as his backdrop, Britain’s Got Talent alumnus Calum Scott started the show and delighted everyone with his electrifying performances of “Lighthouse,” “At Your Worst,” “Whistle,” and “Where Are You Now.”

Scott closed his set with his hit heart-rending originals, “You Are The Reason” and “Dancing On My Own, spicing up the latter by mashing it up with Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me).”

Moving on to Ben&Ben’s set, the nine-piece folk-pop ensemble blessed the audience with their heartfelt tracks, “Pagtingin,” “Paninindigan,” and “Sa Susunod na Habang Buhay.” The band then continued to warm everybody’s hearts with their musical offerings, “Leaves” and “Kathang Isip.”

“Let’s all make some noise for Ed Sheeran tonight. It’s such an honor to be able to open the show for Ed Sheeran. And sana sa mga songs namin ma-energize kayo,” Ben&Ben uttered, as they basked in the glow of such a surreal experience.

Sheerios and Liwanag opened their phone lights while singing along to “Araw-Araw” and “SUNRISE” as the band capped off their set.

Ed Sheeran completes the equation

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As soon as the countdown timer hit zero, Sheeran and his amazing bandmates opened the main show on a high note, performing “Tides” and “BLOW.” The crowd, fully enjoying the much-awaited comeback, cheered on — giving back the energy that the musicians exuded.

Wearing a black tee with colorful letters spelling out Manila, he dished out his greatest hits from his mathematics-themed albums. He also showcased his skills in playing the guitar and using loop pedals to render his signature loop-infused performances.

He then went on solo and followed it up with his other signature tracks, “I’m A Mess,” “Shivers,” “The A Team,” “Castle on the Hill,” and “Don’t/No Diggity.” The English artist also brought his chart-topping hits, “Lego House,” “Eyes Closed,” “Give Me Love,” and “Dive.”

After his powerful solo set, Sheeran’s bandmates joined him once again and rendered the tunes, “American Town,” “River/Peru/Beautiful People/South of the Border/ I Don’t Care,” “Overpass Graffiti,” “Galway Girl,” and “Thinking Out Loud.”

“I really just love making music. And I like traveling the world and making music with people from all over the world. I want to play you some of them. It’s called a medley of collaborations. And I hope you like it,” Sheeran ecstatically shared before playing a medley performance.

The visuals on the gigantic circular LED screen that hung above the stage didn’t disappoint as it projected intricately crafted motion graphics, adding more vibes to the beat of every song.

The global hitmaker also gave out his rendition of Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself” alongside his “Sing,” “Photograph,” “Tenerife Sea,” and “Happier” performances.

To Sheerios and the audience’s surprise, Sheeran invited the Filipino band Ben&Ben to join him on stage and did their collaborative number of Ben&Ben’s “Maybe The Night.” The twins, Miguel and Paolo Guico, did the stanzas. Sheeran joined them by singing along with the chorus while also playing the guitar.

“What I love doing [is] discovering local music, which is massive for you, guys…I just love hearing new stuff. And I heard this band, Ben&Ben, would love to play for everyone. And I asked them if they wouldn’t mind coming on stage to sing their song with me,” Sheeran introduced.

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After Sheeran’s surprise number with the OPM band, he played his classics, “Perfect,” “Bloodstream,” and “Afterglow.” Sheerios sang their hearts out as they embraced the moment with profound awe.

As the stage platform continued to revolve around, Ed’s performance also radiated all the emotions that the crowd sought to experience — from nostalgia for his earlier work to the unwavering passion for his craft, as evidenced by his recent collaborations and his renditions of other artists’ popular songs.

The night wouldn’t be complete without Sheeran’s encore performance. Before bidding farewell, Ed showcased his upbeat releases and his rap skills with his performances of “You Need Me, I Don’t Need You,” “Shape Of You,” and “Bad Habits.”

The “Photograph” hitmaker’s set ran for two and a half hours, which included tracks from his math symbol-titled albums, some covers, medleys, and newer offerings from the album that marked a new season in his career: “Autumn Variations.”

This event is presented by Ovation Productions.

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Written by Kenneth Valladolid
Edited by Emmy Borromeo

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