Review by Tina Hart

After spending the week screeching the lyrics to Guns and Horses around my flat, I was relieved to be hearing it from the…errr… horse’s mouth (sorry), so off I trotted to Shepherd’s Bush to witness the current queen of Pop Folktronica and general loveliness, Ellie Goulding.

Warming up the crowd was folk rocker, Leah Mason, who was the perfect support act, winding up the atmosphere and getting toes tapping and heads nodding around the venue.

Screams met the arrival of a very slender looking Ellie as she launched into a rendition of Lights, showing off her enviable pins in pale denim shorts and toned tum in a lacy nude crop top, as her name in lights (funnily enough) graced the stage backdrop.

Kicking off the next part of the spectacular light display which changed for each song throughout the night, was Every Time You Go which had the crowd Oh-oh-oh-oh-ing with gusto. Following This Love (Will Be Your Downfall), Ellie delved into her current single Guns and Horses which was met with en-masse clapping to the catchy beat.

After a spurt on a nearby drum as part of her performance for Midlake cover Roscoe, she humbly uttered another one of many thank-yous of the night, and ‘this is a bit mental’ as she told us this was her biggest solo show to date.

Your Biggest Mistake was followed by slow-tempo The Writer which included a beautiful piano accompaniment, and then I’ll Hold My Breath speeded things up again.

Ellie’s mental thrashing of an additional drum kit during Salt Skin came prior to Under the Sheets hip-wiggling dance moves and more cymbal-bashing before disappearing offstage.

Responding to impatient claps from the audience, Ms Goulding reappeared, brought on fellow blonde folkstress, Lissie, and duetted on a brilliant song called Making Pies (containing the lyric ‘you can cry or die or just make pies all day’) to rapturous applause.

Frankmusik-produced Wish I Stayed (Ellie’s old open-mic night opening number) had her finger pointing at ‘I don’t own my clothes but I own my mind’ before propelling into the final song of the night. You guessed it, Starry Eyed was the singalong anthem of the show, complete with flicky hands, a drum that tons of glitter flew out of, and confetti from the ceiling, sealed with departing kisses to the crowd. 

I hate to say it but the critics got it so right with their awards. I’ve never particularly been a fan of folk or electronica music but the Lights album grew on me and after a few listens I was converted. Coupled with Ellie’s lyrical magic, guitar and drum skills, kooky onstage performance and conveying the emotions of all of her self-penned songs, she’s my UK musical breakthrough act of 2010 (so far). And she’s endearingly modest to boot. I might just grab myself a ticket to her tour later this year…

P.S. In the wee hours she posted this on her Twitter page ‘First time I cried at the end of a gig tonight. Sweet dreams.’ Aww, bless her.

* Watch: Ellie Goulding interview