Review: Ed Sheeran at 3Arena in Dublin

How astonishing that Ed Sheeran, a scruffy bloke in a hoodie, can sell out four nights at Dublin’s recently rebranded 3Arena. 

With a hangdog slouch and thatch of red hair, he has the bearing of a mildly unsuccessful busker lost on the way to Grafton Street. Seeing him alone on stage, every word and gesture attended by swooning shrieks from the overwhelmingly female attendance, is surreal.What is the secret sauce in his songs?

Though Sheeran isn’t beyond applying an overcoat of pop gloop, even the throwaway moments are shot through with observational honesty. Only 23, the Englishman (of Irish lineage) has devoted the best part of a decade to breaking into the record industry, spending years sleeping on couches and crashing with friends as required.