It takes a village, as the old saying goes, and that’s something Ed Sheeran’s tour production managers know very well.
The 34-year-old Grammy winner begins his Loop World Tour on Friday (his sixth time here), and the Herald got a first look at what has been described as the most cutting-edge tour Sheeran has embarked on.
Around 300 tour personnel are scuttling around Auckland’s Go Media Stadium this week in preparation for the English singer’s highly anticipated New Zealand dates, which begin in Auckland.
The gargantuan setup, which took more than 60 trucks to transport to the venue, looked like a cross between Pink Floyd’s iconic Pompeii circle and a UFO when the Herald got a sneak peek.
It’s a set-up so big that there are three different stage structures in the works across Australia and New Zealand, because of how long it takes to construct and dismantle - four days (at least) to build it, and another full day to take it all apart.
Kiwi audiences will be the first in the world to get to see Sheeran’s new staging, including the largest video screen built in New Zealand.
“It’s 18 months to go from a design concept, adding artist excitement and their own additions, and then build,” production manager Chris Marsh says.
“The build starts before we get here. The local teams prepare the sites for us, which, depending on how much preparation is required, could be a day or it could be two days of preparation. We take four days to construct everything and test everything. And then once the show is over, it’s a 24-hour period and then we’re gone and on to the next place.”
The production veteran has worked with fellow techie Travis Hogan on four of Sheeran’s stadium shows now and says every one of them gets bigger and better.
“Every element of the concepts of what we want to achieve comes from Ed directly. He’s very much involved. He always wants to be innovative and wants to deliver something exciting for the crowd, something different each time.”
Galway Girl and A Team singer Sheeran continues to be a one-man band on stage, with his guitar, voice, and loop pedal selling out stadiums across the globe, including Eden Park in 2023. It’s his intimacy with his crowd that is always a big talking point for reviewers and fans.
“Whilst it looks like an enormous screen which will dwarf any human being that stood in front of it, the idea is that we are doing the best we can to bring Ed to every single seat visually. Where we started out was very much in clubs, [with] very intimate performances. Our concept here is to try and bring that intimacy to a stadium via the big screen,” Marsh says.
Besides the lighting and visual elements, sound is even more important. The crew spends a lot of time making sure the right systems are in place, so songs like Shape of You and Bad Habits are crystal clear for fans.
“Sound is critical. An act like Ed, where it is all about his guitar, all about his vocals, it really needs to be there. In the same way as it would be if you were working with a comedian, every punchline needs to be heard by everyone in the crowd. It’s a vital component, and more important to us than any of the colour and the visuals.”
As for the challenges involved in bringing a production of this scale to New Zealand, Marsh says it’s mostly things that happen before the kit actually arrives.
“There’s nothing hard about coming here to New Zealand, other than the time it takes to ship the thing here,” he notes.
“Being here is the same as everywhere else. We have fantastic infrastructure here, and very enthusiastic local labour, about some of the most enthusiastic labour we find anywhere in the world.”
The Herald was ushered out of the venue quickly and made to stand well back from the action, apparently so as not to spoil the “secret surprises”.
However, eagle eyes onsite spot a raised platform, pyrotechnic material, and light-studded white boxes with bright lights hanging off the edge, so whatever it is, it won’t be quiet or subtle.
Auckland: Friday January 16 and Saturday January 17 - Go Media Stadium
Wellington: Wednesday January 21 - Sky Stadium
Christchurch: Saturday January 24 (sold out) and Sunday January 25 - Apollo Projects Stadium
For full tour and ticket information visit frontiertouring.com/edsheeran.