Olly Murs, O2 Arena - review

Add to this, four Number One singles, two Platinum-selling albums and a stint as a host on The Xtra Factor, and the 27-year-old arrived in London as a bona fide phenomenon.

Fittingly, a Murs performance is now a big-budget affair, complete with a 10-piece band, pyrotechnics, three costume changes and a descending ego ramp.

If his voice remains a little ordinary in comparison, his personality was more than enough to carry this two-hour show.

Essex's answer to Robbie Williams, Murs emerged on stage in a three-piece suit, Cheshire cat grin smeared across his face, prompting screams of delight from the overwhelmingly female audience.

And it wasn't long before he was gyrating at the front to Thinking Of Me, a sunny slice of reggae that nodded to Bruno Mars.

When he aimed for gravitas, as on the trembling This Song is About You, he was less convincing, while an acoustic version of Just Smile was cheesier than a fondue set.

However, when backed by a decent beat and a blast of horns, as on recent chart-topper Dance With Me Tonight, Murs moved and sounded like the real deal. More promisingly, upcoming single Oh My Goodness is another sure-fire hit, suggesting that this is a phenomenon with legs.

A clutch of carefully chosen covers, including a genuinely funky James Brown medley, embellished Murs' own meagre back catalogue, before an encore of Heart Skips A Beat set pulses racing.

If it's a surprise he's made it to the arenas, Murs doesn't seem phased by it. And on last night's showing, he fits his new surroundings rather well.

Olly Murs
The O2 Arena
Peninsula Square, Greenwich, SE10 0DX