Newmarket turns out in force for Olly Murs

Arguably the biggest crowd of the 2017 Newmarket Nights series of concerts welcomed the former X Factor contestant to the July Course.

In fact it was absolutely staggering the number of people there, as attendances for previous Newmarket Nights gigs – at least the three that I’d attended – simply paled in comparison.

The reaction when the popular 33 year old took the stage was electric and the first song, the pounding You Don’t Know Love, set the tone for a fun-packed night.

The singer elicited screams of near-hysteria with his dancing and hip gyrations and recalled being drunk at Newmarket last year. “Hopefully you’ll remember tonight – that’s the most important thing,” he said.

Amid the tried-and-tested Olly Murs hits were covers of classic songs such as Tina Turner’s What’s Love Got to Do with It and Gala’s Freed from Desire, as well as a full-on medley of tracks from from the past four decades, including That’s The Way I Like It, She’s Got That Vibe, Here Comes the Hotstepper and This is How We Do It.

To be honest, though, Olly shone brightest when performing his own material – particularly Unpredictable, Heart Skips A Beat, Dance with Me Tonight and the outstanding Troublemaker – and I personally could have done without the covers.

Still, the fans loved it and also lapped up the between-song banter which consisted of Olly thanking the audience, asking if we were having a good time and commenting on the fact that he’s currently single. “Maybe she’s here tonight?” he said, referring to the girl of his dreams.

Olly also expressed sympathy for the victims of the Manchester and Barcelona terrorist attacks and defiantly stated that the terrorists wouldn’t win.

Not the most talented singer and dancer the world has ever seen, Olly Murs certainly knows how to make the most of his ability and natural charm, and is also highly skilled at working a crowd – most of whom no doubt went home deliriously happy. I have a feeling he’ll be back next year.

ollymurs.com