Gig review: George Ezra brings blue, blue skies to Musgrave Park in Cork

George Ezra kicked off this year's series of summer gigs at the hallowed rugby venue 

Whether blazing through his hits or just chatting with the crowd, George Ezra delighted fans at Musgrave Park in Cork on Sunday night. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

As they pack into Musgrave Park at the end of a weekend that’s seen an abrupt interruption to the glorious tropical weather of late, it’s understandable that the crowd of fans gathered to see George Ezra on Sunday night have come prepared.

There are as many hooded jackets and plastic ponchos to be spotted in the crowd as there are sunglasses and bucket hats, as good a reflection as any of the fact that you never can tell what the Irish weather will bring!

The only thing this crowd can be sure of, however, is a stellar set from British singer-songwriter George.

Following on from performances at Belfast’s Belsonic and Dublin’s Olympia earlier this week, expectations are high for a similarly great night with his fans in Cork — and boy, does he deliver!

Roisín Healy, Anna Corkery, Ava Corkery, and Hannah O'Brien were looking forward to George Ezra's concert at Musgrave Park in Cork. Picture:  Eddie O'Hare

Whether he’s blazing through hits such as ‘Shotgun’ and ‘Budapest’ or simply chatting to the crowd, he delivers it all with that undeniable Ezra charm.

His popular podcast George Ezra & Friends — a series of the singer’s heart-to-heart chats with legends such as Nile Rodgers, Tom Jones, and Shania Twain — has proven that the Hertfordshire hitmaker can win over and befriend truly anyone, and it’s no different with this crowd in Musgrave Park.

Ciara O'Sullivan, Rachel Byrne, and Amy Ryan enjoying George Ezra's concert at Cork's Musgrave Park on Sunday night. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

Fans young and old are hanging on his every word in no time at all thanks to the conversational style of the set, full of interludes where Ezra explains the stories behind fan favourites such as ‘Hold My Girl’ and ‘Pretty Shining People’.

Those fan favourites are in no short supply either — from the moment George arrives on stage and opens the set with ‘Anyone for You’, right up until he’s finishing the night on a high with chart toppers like ‘Paradise’ and ‘Blame it on Me’, they just keep coming. 

Jenny and Aoibhinn O'Boyle, Crosshaven, Co Cork, at George Ezra's concert at Musgrave Park on Sunday. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

And while these hits are no stranger to a bit of Irish radio play, it’s clear that live venues like this are where Ezra’s songbook truly shines.

As the crowd belts out every word of his stadium-friendly choruses alongside him, it’s impossible to deny just how masterfully crafted these earworms are.

In the end, it seems even the Irish weather has been swayed by George’s charm. 

The grey skies that had threatened to open up all evening decide to play nice for the entirety of the gig, including fantastic earlier performances from Irish support acts Gavin James and Kingfisher.

As the packed stadium empties out, fans leave Musgrave Park miraculously dry, with smiles on their faces and sore throats, no doubt, from singing along throughout the night, giving whatever they can back to a performer who’s given this stage absolutely everything he has.

For just a moment, as it all draws to a close, it truly does feel like paradise.