Sometimes the stars align to make the near damn perfect night, and they sparkled here in Manchester to ensure the dream homecoming for Harry Styles. The global pop superstar took to the stage at the Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground as the gloomy clouds of the day broke open to clear blue skies with 74,000 adoring fans screaming his name.
Not that rain would have dampened the spirits of this crowd - possibly the most glamorous fans in pop music adorned with multi-coloured feather boas, cowboy hats and glitter-encrusted eyes wide in anticipation.
“My name is Harry, hello,” he says when there really is no need for introduction from Holmes Chapel’s most famous son. This is as close as a hometown gig as it gets for Harry and he seems just as emotional as the crowds about the evening, his first or two sold out shows at this vast stadium. He says: “This is an absolute pleasure to be here at my home show, I cannot begin to tell you how much it means to me to play here tonight and all of you for coming.”
Read more: Watch the moment Harry Styles halts the Manchester gig to find his first school teacher in the crowd
He continues: “Some of the happiest times of my entire life have been making these last couple of albums, and some of the happiest times of my life have been right around the corner from here. So it feels pretty perfect to me playing these songs to you here tonight.”
He performs his newest songs with gusto, and has the energy of a boundless puppy as he runs and jumps across the stages that feed into the audience’s outstretched arms. The energy is repaid with the enthusiasm of a crowd who know every nuanced word of his back catalogue and are happy to sing each and every one with gusto.
As part of boyband One Direction he became a global star, now as a solo artist and three albums in he’s proving to be the consummate showman. There’s no major theatrics or fireworks in this show, but who needs them when the thrust of a hip or a wiggle or his flare-clad bottom (with a sequinned capital H and S attached to each cheek for good measure) is enough to send the crowd into a delirium.
He’s in many ways the ultimate modern millennial male - comfortable in his own skin, and urging others to love themselves too. He loves his fashion as much as his achingly glamorous fans, and happily wraps himself in a Pride flag as he sings Boyfriends.
“Feel free to be whatever you want to be tonight,” he says. Adding: “Be kind to yourself as much as other people,” before launching into fan favourite Matilda. So many fans on the way in here had been saying that this is the song they were looking forward to, the song that speaks to them the most. Girls were in tears as he sang it out across the crowds.
What a magical gift it is to be able to touch people’s lives like this. But then Harry is just a little bit magical isn’t he?
From the moment he walked into that very first audition on TV talent show The X Factor as a 16 year old it was clear he had it by the bucket load.
There’s more magic when he stops the show to tell the crowd that his “first ever school teacher is here in the crowd, Mrs Vernon.”
Cue a search of the crowds to find her to the left of the stage.
“How are you? I heard you’re retiring," he says. “I just want to thank you for everything in those formative years. It means a lot to me that’s you’re here tonight, you were truly a wonderful teacher it means a lot that you’re here and I’m dedicating this next song to you.”
He can’t help but quip to the audience:
“Can you imagine dealing with me when I was 4? I was very fun.”
He launches into Canyon Moon, a song that rather fittingly refers to happy times in school days.
He rolls back the years again for fans for a riotous dance and sing along to One Direction’s What Makes You Beautiful before concluding the main set with Love of My Life.
When he returns for the encore the fine female vocals from the crowd sound almost like a professional choir as they trill out Sign of the Times. He speaks again of how special this night is to him, with his family and old school friends in the crowd.
The night ends with the now traditional fan anthem of Kiwi, the raucous rock crashing out as the sea of fans jump as one.
“Manchester you’ve been a dream,” he shouts. A dream that 74,000 people did not want to ever end.
Setlist
Music for a Sushi Restaurant
Golden
Adore You
Daylight
Cinema
Keep Driving
Matilda
Boyfriends
Lights Up
Satellite
Canyon Moon
Treat People with Kindness
What Makes You Beautiful
Late Night Talking
Love of My Life
ENCORE
Sign of the Times
Watermelon Sugar
As It Was
Kiwi
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