Update, Friday 5.35pm: Ed Sheeran did come to Ipswich, and at the time of writing, two radio stations are claiming credit for it on social media, using the same photo (which I have not reproduced here). Thanks to Daniel for spotting these.
And River 949 (see below) has posted this video of Ed signing the Sheeran mural.
Update: This post fails to mention the involvement of local Ipswich station River 949. A video outlining the station’s Ed-related activities is included in this post.
It’s been a battle of the radio stations: both 4BC and B105 want a bit of the Ed Sheeran action in the lead-up to his performances at Suncorp Stadium this weekend.
It all centred around the idea that Sheeran, who has a strong connection to Ipswich in England and has visited Ipswich in Massachusetts, might decide to pop up in the namesake city west of Brisbane.
Earlier this week, B105’s Stav, Abby and Matt were chiding Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding for “talking to another radio station”.
But on 4BC on Thursday afternoon, Harding confirmed it was Drive host Gary Hardgrave who got the ball rolling by emailing her last year suggesting that Sheeran could be encouraged to pop into the Switch during his 2026 Austrlaian tour.
4BC held an outside broadcast from Ipswich’s Hotel Commonwealth on Thursday afternoon, but Sheeran was a no-show at the time of writing.
But Sheeran is in the south east for a few days and he has to do something with his down time. Maybe Ipswich is on his radar. (And maybe it has happened by the time you read this.)
I guess stranger things have happened — but if 4BC and Hardgrave had no inside mail, it seems like a bit of a risk to big up something that was bound to disappoint those who listened in for something that wasn’t going to happen. Not to mention the listeners who travelled to Ipswich in hopes of seeing their favourite artist.
I’m also still scratching my head wondering what exactly is the overlap between fans of Sheeran, who is 35, and Hardgrave, who is not, and why the international superstar might favour an appearance on a talk station with a largely 65+ audience over a music station with listeners in their 20s, 30s and 40s.
Then again, maybe broadcasting from licensed venues will be the new normal for 4BC, which is in the process of being sold to the pub-owning Laundy family.
Also, for a talk station, 4BC played a lot of music on Thursday afternoon — including a song from local artist Paulina (who, I think, Hardgrave misidentified as “Pauline”, raising fears in me that it might be another famous former Ipswichian) and a brilliant performance by the Blackstone and Ipswich Cambrian Choir.
Well, Sheeran didn’t turn up while Hardgrave was on air — “it was never about Ed being on the program,” the host said just before the 6pm news — but there seems to be a sense that the singer will go to Ipswich sometime over the next few days.
Disclaimer: Brett Debritz used to work at 4BC. He also worked, on two different occasions, for The Queensland Times, which used to be a newspaper in Ipswich (and is now online only)
Mister Brisbane is free to read but you if you really like it, you
can buy me a coffee or take out a paid subscription.
P.S.
While waiting for Sheeran, Hardgrave spoke to Courier-Mail writer Mike Gambaro about reviving the late-night economy in Brisbane. I reckon Hardgrave’s idea of a tram line from Teneriffe, through the Valley and the City to South Brisbane, the Gabba and Stones Corner has merit. I’m not so sure about blaming the ID laws for killing off the nightlife, though. It seems to me that it would only take one serious incident to occur in a late-night venue for there to be outcry that the clientele wasn’t properly monitored.
Labor promised a tram from the city across to South Bank and beyond in 2016 https://brisbanedevelopment.com.au/labors-light-rail-election-commitment/?amp=1