If you haven’t seen it, in fact even if you have, you need to watch Ed Sheeran’s impromptu surprise performance in SoHo, New York. It was an act of celebration after he was found not guilty in yet another copyright infringement case, this time brought by the estate of Marvin Gaye.
The lawsuit alleged Ed’s smash hit Thinking Out Loud copied elements of Let’s Get It On. Ed was noticeably relieved at the verdict, as this was far from the only lawsuit he’s been forced to defend. Let’s hope it’s the last.
However, rather than hit a swanky restaurant, the club of the moment or a glitzy party, Ed chose to sing to his fans and reconnect with his love of music. Rather than a massive stage, with thousands of fans before him, he stood rather prosaically, on a Volvo.
Ed arrived at a pop-up studio he had rented to find the street swarming with both press and fans following the verdict. The crowd were obviously so happy to see him that he decided they deserved a treat.
He asked the crowd if they’d like him to sing them a song before he left. Naturally, the answer was a thunderous yes! He climbed on top of the car, put his guitar on and started to sing.
What made this performance so special, other than the fact it was so unexpected, is that fans got to connect with Ed in a personal way that they will never forget. Ever the showman, Ed kept rotating throughout the song so that every person there could see and hear him.
There was a wall of camera phones capturing the performance, and it would be fantastic if some of them were uploaded so we could see it from different angles.
If anyone ever wanted to question Ed Sheeran’s talent, then this video is the perfect rebuttal. It is just him and his guitar, no amp, no time to prepare, no studio equipment. It’s just an exceptional musician doing what he does best, performing the songs he helped write in front of all his fans. He didn’t want to leave out fans in other cities, though, here’s one he did a few days later in LA. It’s music at its best.