Music

Olly Murs, SSE Hydro, Glasgow

Jonathan Geddes

Two stars

Olly Murs has proved remarkably durable. Eight years have passed since he appeared on the X Factor, yet here he is, with another chart-topping album in last year’s 24 Hrs, and two nights at the Hydro.

Perhaps the reason why is that he knows his audience, from the ease with which he larked about with items of underwear thrown onstage to pantomime reactions provoked by any mention of his ex girlfriend or newly single status (Glasgow approved strongly of the latter). At times he appeared to be on a mission to make sure every cheeky chappie stereotype was adhered to, with the enthusiasm of a wide-eyed puppy on a sugar rush behind each pose, wiggle of his bum or mild double-entendre.

That affable and straightforward nature creates an entertainer who is never likely to cause his fanbase to veer away, but it doesn’t lead to particularly exciting music.  The moments when he did show a more serious side stood out most, with the effective ballad of Flaws and the saxophone solo powered I Need You Now providing substance underneath the good time pop gloss.

Tellingly, the set tended to run through various genres without ever finding a sound of Murs own. There was a folksy tone to Up, mellow pop on Grow Up and a swinging Dance With Me Tonight, but it all felt like trying on various guises rather than any real expression, a fact spotlighted by some of the evening’s highlights being a detour into What’s Love Got To Do With It and a pop medley. Murs was a likeable showman, but only with the slick dancefloor banger of Troublemaker did he have a pop gem to call his own.