REVIEW: Getting the coach to Wembley to see Ed Sheeran

At the time, I lived in Slough and would watch out of the window on the coach home as we drove slowly past my house on the way to London.

None of the buses stopped in Slough and were always via London Victoria. So, when I got off the coach in London to take a 40-minute journey back in the direction we’d just come from to get home I’d vow to myself when I could afford to, I’d get a direct train journey and avoid buses like the plague.

But it turns out, they’re pretty convenient now.

In just under an hour and a half I can be from the centre of Oxford to Wembley Stadium. I mean within 200m of the doors.

Yeah, buses can be late but what if the trains are cancelled – or worse, there’s a week of train strikes.

Amongst the chaos of the train strikes I stood at Gloucester Green station with 30 other Ed Sheeran gig-goers basking in the glorious sunshine.

The bus was 20 minutes late but as it came a small jeer erupted from the huddle waiting by the gates. We’re off to Wembley!

There’s the usual traffic but luckily, I’m not the driver and I’ve got a plug-in front of me to charge my phone, headphones on and Wi-Fi.

When we arrived, a lady in a hi-vis came onto the coach with a clipboard. “You can’t bring big bags with you inside so anything you don’t need you can leave here.” This is *ideal* - you can’t do this on a train.

She told us, this is where the coach will be – we’re leaving at 11.15pm, so take a picture of the building opposite so when it’s dark you can find your way back.

What a legend. Of course I didn’t think of doing this but it’s not her first rodeo.

With that, I got off the bus and followed the crowd up the stairs to the burger van where I met my mum.

We were pretty excited to see Ed Sheeran. Like most people who listen to the radio or pop music, I know almost every single word to most of his songs that have been in the charts (I mean, which haven’t?!)

But there’s always a worry isn’t there – when you go to see your favourite musician. Are they going to be as good in real life? And are they going to play those songs I actually know?

I mean the whole point of going on tour is to promote new music, so in a way it’s fair play if they don’t do an entire playlist of songs from 2014.

But unlike watching Busted! On their come back tour, and as cheesy as it sounds, Ed Sheeran’s setlist was everything I hoped for (and more!).

He sang The A Team first but only because there was a blunder with the mics – this one everyone knows the words to so it’s the best way to start the show, in my opinion.

Thinking Out Loud was played as the sun went down. He asked everyone to put their phone light on – I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.

For Perfect he was on a rotating conveabelt – in his words, like one of the blue plates at Yo Sushi – but as he went past a couple got engaged in front of him. “Say yes,” he said as he went round the circle again. How adorable. 

For Galway Girl there was literal colour explosions going into the sky.

He did all the other classics too: Lego House, Castle on the Hill, Photograph.  

Of course, some of the newer stuff was played too like Afterglow and Bad Habits. He even sang Justin Bieber’s song ‘Love Yourself’ which we all loved.

I saw a meme last week: the reason brits love to sing every single word at a concert is because we were forced to sing in assembleys every day at school. Nothing has ever been truer for me - I belted every word with passion, so did the couple next to me. We were having a blast. They were brilliant - our whole row had the best time and it felt like we'd known each other for years, there's something about a concert that binds you together with complete strangers for a couple of hours.

In between songs, he’d give little anecdotes – there’s something about Ed which makes you feel like you could go to the pub with him for a pint and just have a good chat.

The whole concert he kept thanking us for coming out on a Friday night – like we had other, better things to be doing. There’s something really genuine about him, like the fame has never got to him.

He also kept telling us that he was ‘here’ to entertain us – while that is the literal meaning of a concert, I guess...it felts like he was doing us a service. A jester, playing all his funky tunes as we did a giant karaoke session.

The concert finished at around 10.45pm and the coach was leaving at 11.15pm – this is one of the few times, might actually be the only time, I’ve not left a concert early to get home.

Usually, I’m gone before the final song. For me there’s nothing worse than waiting in the queues to get out only to wait in more queues to get onto the last train home, because you’ve missed two trains you wanted to get by standing in queues.

But this time, because I’m getting the coach back, I got to hear all the songs (including the encore of Bad Habits) and go to the toilet.

Thanks to the lady with a clipboard, I use the photo I took on my phone to remind myself where the coach is.  I’m looking around, this is sort of where we left it but at this point there’s about 20 other coaches and they all look the same.

So, I ask one of the friendly faces in high-vis jackets, “yes, this is the one that goes to Oxford – hop on!”  

It’s gone 11pm you wouldn’t get this level of service at this time at any train station.

With a guaranteed plug socket, a guaranteed seat, less faff (and cheaper) than getting the train, there’s no way the teenage me would believe this… but I’m getting the National Express where I can from now.

I used to get it because it was cheap and now I get it because it’s convenient.