Last weekend I went to Birmingham for its annual Fusion Festival. Normally a two day event, this year they had 26 acts play over three days, with Ed Sheeran, Rudimental and McBusted being the headliners. We decided to go on the Friday and Sunday, as those were the days with the lineups we most liked.
Friday's headliner was supposed to be Justin Bieber but he pulled out at the last minute. I did doubt that Fusion would be able to get a good replacement at such short notice but my god, they pulled it out of the bag! Ed Sheeran was the most insane replacement, an incredible 90 minute set from one man and his guitar. I've always liked Ed's music and I've seen him live a couple of times at Summertime Ball but never have I witnessed a full set from him, I'm so glad that I finally have! His set was phenomenal from start to finish, I was in awe and several times I just stood gawping at what I was seeing and hearing. One minute the atmosphere was electric, the next it was stunning with the whole crowd creating a sea of lights with their phones. I'm still amazed at what Ed can do with his guitar, using it as a cajon in Bloodstream was one of the stand out moments for me. To be perfectly honest, Fusion excelled themselves by signing up Ed - as much as I like Biebs, Ed really was superb.
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| Ed Sheeran |
Another stand out act were Rixton. I haven't been a fan for long, but ever since they released Me and My Broken Heart, I fell in love with their music. I've only seen them live a few times too but they keep on improving every time. They had a great set, full of energy and crowd interaction. I felt for Jake as he was losing his voice slightly but he still put on a fantastic performance. He even jumped into the crowd, serenaded a fan and walked along the barrier to get to as many fans as possible. They are a band that deserve so much more recognition in the UK!
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| Charley and Jake, Rixton |
I must also mention Aston Merrygold!! I was so excited to see him perform as a solo artist for the first time and he did not disappoint. He showcased his original music, including his debut single Get Stupid which really got the crowd going. The only complaint I had was that his set was far too short!! I wish he could have performed for longer but nonetheless he was exceptional and made me really proud.
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| Aston Merrygold |
On the Sunday, we had VIP tickets which allowed us access to a special area with comfortable seating, posh toilets and the possibility of seeing some of the performers up close and personal. We were given a free Vimto mocktail as we arrived (which was absolutely delicious) and we sheltered in the tent whilst the rain stopped. Soon enough, I noticed a big group of girls making their way into the tent, surrounding Conor Maynard who wanted a go on the Playstation 4 that they had inside. He was so lovely and spent ages meeting everyone!
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| Conor Maynard |
Once the weather dried up, we hovered by the fences as you could see some of the performers going for interviews etc. This is where I met 5/6 of new Irish boyband Hometown. They were really nice lads too and spent a long time meeting the big crowd that had gathered along the fence. I had a blast from the past when I saw their driver Darren, who used to drive for Kingsland last year! We also bumped into Lukey who used to be in Times Red - it was so nice to have a catch up as we haven't seen him for so long,
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| Dayl, Dean, Cian, Josh and Brendan - Hometown |
We went into the main arena later in the afternoon to watch Conor Maynard and Union J. Conor performed a shorter version of his Thorpe Park set and I loved every minute! He is so energetic and had the crowd singing along to every classic hit. Union J were also marvellous. They always put on a fantastic show and got the crowd hyped by encouraging them to swing an item of clothing around during one song.
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| Jaymi, Josh, George and JJ, Union J |
We headed back to the VIP area and tried to get near the fence to meet some more acts. I was SO close to The Vamps but didn't meet them unfortunately. However I did meet Union J for the first time and they were so nice! I'm really excited to their 'audience with' events next month. I also met Adam Lambert and Jess Glynne, both of whom were lovely too.
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| Adam Lambert |
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| Jess Glynne |
Sunday's headliner was supergroup McBusted, who were fantastic. They were a bundle of energy from start to finish and belted out all of the big McFly/Busted hits including Obviously and Crashed The Wedding. I haven't seen McBusted in a long time but they were such a great closing act for the night and the whole weekend. It was also so cute to see the wives of the band members watching from in front of the stage, aside from Emma Willis who was the biggest fangirl of all, watching everything from the golden circle amongst all the fans, even getting on a man's shoulders for the finale! McBusted are not only brilliant performers, but they have great stage banter which entertained everyone.
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| Tom |
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| Dougie |
I really enjoyed the weekend, and I would definitely encourage anyone to go next year and to also try the VIP option as it gives you a more comfortable festival atmosphere! Fusion is always really well organised and a super fun time :)
Hwyl am y tro ✌️
