Today we caught: Artful Dodger, Macie Nyah, Nina Arya, Pixie Lott, Scouting for Girls, Sam Fischer, Jamie Lawson, Blue and headliner Olly Murs – plus some amazing circus acts.
Final day of the three day extravaganza that is Rock N Roll Circus 2025 – the first time this event has been staged in Norwich and we hope it is not the last. A big success – 5,000 capacity site and today it was sold out, with day one just under capacity and yesterday maybe 90% full.
Strong lineup for all three days: With McFly headliners on Thursday, Courteeners on Friday and UK pop king Olly Murs topping the bill on the closing night with his “15 years Of Hits” show.
Excellent supporting acts such as Blue today, who would have been a decent choice as a headliner on any of the three nights, based on their slick performance.
The gates opened two hours earlier than the previous two days [today @ 1pm] and there has been a bit of a change around of set times, meaning Artful Dodger is on early, kicking off the day’s performances on the main stage.
The Olly Murs fans are out in force and many wearing his face on their tee shirts. Olly’s band’s equipment and stage set are already on stage on arrival as gates open, and covered with black cloth – but his face poking out on some signage, which will show up on the photos of all other acts on this stage today, and on fans’ Youtube videos. One way to ensure nobody forgets who the main man is today around here!
The big top is rammed for headliner Olly and he has pulled in loads of his fans; from very young kids to the far more mature, with his wide appeal and mainstream likeability factor.
The Madness track “One Step Beyond” blasting out of the PA speakers gets the crowd warmed up before pop prince Olly arrives.
The band come on stage first, followed by an almighty cheer for the main man, and chants for Olly roaring through the big top. The strobes and green lighting set the mood…
There is a giant video screen at the back of the stage showing various clips of Olly’s career, which ends with Olly [IRL] rocking up to say: “Good evening Norwich”, asking how everyone is feeling, adding: “Where’s all my trouble makers at”, as breaks into his hit single “Troublemaker”. Then “Right Place, Right Time”. Lots of kids sat on dad’s or mum’s shoulders and loving every second of seeing their pop hero in the flesh.
One of three female acts today is the lovely Pixie Lott, and her frilly pleated and lace-trimmed top come short dress is worn over a pair of black high waisted shorts, and she is not alone on that stage.
Yes she has her band with her, but………………..spot the baby bump! The BIG baby bump as Pixie has a due date of next month, for the birth of her and her husband’s second child. Ahhhhh. She looked positively blooming and very happy and smiley.
Pixie fans packed the big top, way before she was due on stage, and the prime positions at the barrier at the front of the stage were claimed early. A real buzz in the crowd for this likeable artist and the majority of the crowd are on their feet for this performance from the off.
Ms Lott is the first artist this weekend to have a video warm up to their set, showing various clips of themselves. Olly followed suit later on.
She opened with “Boys and Girls” and says it is “so good to be back in Norwich”, as this was where her brother went to Uni’ and she would visit. “It is better to be performing than going out on a student night, although that was good fun too,” she chuckles.
Her big hit “Mama Do” is a banger and a fan favourite by the response. She performs a cover of what she says is her favourite summer song, “Kiss Me'” by Sixpence None The Richer and a mashup with Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season”.
She also tackles Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck Babe” and then Pixie’s own song, “Turn It Up”.
The crowd are treated to the debut of a new as yet unreleased track, but she says it is on pre-sale now; out this coming Thursday called “Coming Of Age”.
Also in her super set was “Cry Me Out”, a cover of The Killers’ 2004 song “Mr Bright Side”, and she closed with her 2011 song “All About Tonight” from her second album, “Young Foolish Happy”.
Pixie is a real tonic to any lineup and we wish her and her husband all the best in their imminent addition to the family.
Olly Murs talks about taking a chance 15 years ago, in reference to auditioning for the TV talent show, “The X Factor” in 2009, when he was runner up. At that time he worked in a call centre, and tonight he says, “and now I’m here with you guys, Norwich.”
It’s a stroll down memory lane for him and the fans, when he asks who remembers the trilby hat – a staple fashion accessory in his early years – and in 2010, “who remembers my first single”, before launching into said track, “Please Don’t Let Me Go”.
Getting a wee bit confused, Mr Murs says it’s been a long time since he was last in Norwich, deciding it must be more than 10 years ago for a radio show. A lot of the crowd are then prompted to shout out a correction, which he can’t hear…
So he asks: “Sorry. What?” Laughing he recalls, oh yes, you are right, it was the Take That tour [he was the support act] last year when he was last in Norwich. He chuckles and says, it is so nice to be back after a year.
He delivers all of his hits faultlessly, and is a real showman with his slick dance moves and finely honed stage craft from 15 years of tours and performances. He asks if “any of you guys were thinking about me on your way here tonight”, as the cue for his song “Thinking Of Me”.
Blue really are a class act; the four lads – Simon Webbe, Duncan James, Lee Ryan and Anthony Costa – really can sing and dance, and they have enough stage presence to light up the whole of Norwich. The tent is packed and ready for a trip down memory lane with a string of hits from these chaps.
There is of course the iconic “All Rise,” which I confess I have been known to sing to my oven whenever I am baking and when I do not want a disaster! No soggy bottom for me please.
The hits keep coming, like “Too Close”, “Fly By” and “U Make Me Wanna”. Perfect renditions just like the records and spot on harmonies. No they did not mime. Duncan jokes they have just had to give some ear plugs to a kid in the front row, as they are too young to be listening to Blue.
The band talk about the opportunities they have had, to work with artists like Lionel Richie and even Stevie Wonder, but then they got to work with this one guy….which segues into the wonderful Elton John song they duetted on with him, “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word” – of course, Elton co-wrote it with the genius that is Bernie Taupin.
The boys joke among themselves about the need to sit on stools these days, before musing as to who the modern boy bands are. Nope, they couldn’t come up with any! Can you? [No…Take That don’t count, they are not boys any more!!!] Then comes another banger with “Guilty”.
The four colleagues and pals have buckets of chemistry together, and come across as genuine and likeable blokes who make what they do look easy. But it is not. Their cracking set closes with “If You Come Back” and the monster timeless hit, “One Love”.
They seem as fresh and relevant today as they were back in 2000 when they formed, and during their subsequent global success. They have sold in excess of 15 million records, and have released six studio albums.
With the right songs to get national radio airplay, a few more hits would not be surprising. Like they said, where are the current boy bands? Blue could easily plug that gap. A big song in a big film or TV show/advert and bang, they could well be back at the top…
Scouting For Girls are still very much a big hit main stage festival act and never fail to deliver 100% – they also always draw a huge crowd and people really love ’em.
Big singalong act and Roy Stride is the perfect frontman. Entering the main stage to the dramatic 007 James Bond theme tune, they kick off their set aptly with their song “James Bond”, and soon it is their excellent hit track “‘Heartbeat”.
Roy talks about recently performing with Busted, who then incites a Busted versus McFly “cheer off”, with the result unclear as to who is the more liked band. Let’s call it a draw shall we? That little bit of showbizzy business takes the boys into a cover of the Busted smash “Year 3000”.
EARLY WARNING: Scouting For Girls are back in Norwich in March 2026 and their gigs usually sell out…
Macie Nyah wins props for the best marketing initiative of the three days: throwing sweets out with her Instagram details on, and “demanding” if you catch one, you must follow her!
Nina Arya has a very decent voice and thanks the crowd for spending their Saturday afternoon with her. She says she does seem to write a lot of songs about boys and break ups; but at this time in her set, she reveals the majority of the heartbreak songs are done, and she encourages people to stand up and have a little dance.
MC Alistair and DJ Dave Low are the duo who make up Artful Dodger these days.
Australian artist Sam Fischer is also a successful songwriter for some big artists, such as Demi Lovato, Keith Urban and Jessie J.
Today he is on the second stage, but with some bad timing as a lot of folk coming out of the big top dashed off for some food and drinks. So Sam encouraged the moderately numbered audience to come closer to the stage, as “I don’t bite.”
His first time in Norwich and he says if you are wondering where the band is, it’s very expensive to tour, so it’s just me and my guitarist today. His smart set included the newly released “Conversations We Never Had”.
After asking the audience if they liked to dance, he covers Whitney Houston’s classic “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)”. Sam has a really soulful voice and maybe needs one big song that will give him the mainstream breakthrough his obvious talents deserve.
- Got to mention, we could not help thinking how much this guy looks like chef Heston Blumenthal – ironic when lots of his potential audience scarpered to the nearby food stalls for some grub!!!
Jamie Lawson is the 49-year-old singer, songwriter and musician from Plymouth who was the first artist to be signed by Ed Sheeran’s record label, Gingerbread Man Records.
Probably best known for his [excellent] hit single, “Wasn’t Expecting That”, and his self-titled album which peaked at number one on the UK album chart in 2015.
Just Jamie and his acoustic guitar on the second stage for his set today, his slot coinciding with the finish of Blue’s big top performance, which creates a mass exodus in the direction of the food and drink stalls.
Jamie performs his first song before laughing, and revealing he needs his wife to grab the set list from his bag backstage, as he has have forgotten it! Then jokingly telling the audience, “I am a professional artist.”
He says he really didn’t think anyone would come to watch him, and so he was very grateful for those that had gathered. Lovely self-penned material included “Cold In Ohio” and new song “Mayday Mayday”.
He explains he is not sure how he ended up appearing here today, on a “bit of a pop act day”, so as a solo performer, he was not sure his style would really fit. But he was very grateful to be there and to have an audience. Those that did turn up were treated to a very, very classy performance, from an artist with a lovely voice and top quality songs.
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Photos by Liam Battersby
Words by Kerry Louise & Rowena Edos
