‘I was a bit ignorant about how big an event it was!’ George Ezra had to prove his identity with a utility bill to perform at Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
George Ezra has revealed he had to prove his identity with a utility bill to take part in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Concert earlier this month.
The artist, 29, was one of the musical A-listers picked to perform in honour of Her Majesty’s 70 years on the throne.
The Green Green Grass singer was warned he would not be allowed to perform at Buckingham Palace unless he had a document detailing his name and address.
Security: George Ezra has revealed he had to prove his identity with a utility bill to take part in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Concert earlier this month
Speaking to The Mirror, George explained: ‘There was this whole stress of what you need to get in. There was a list – utility bill was one of them.
‘We were like, ‘Let’s just do it by the book… do what they want’.
‘I was a bit ignorant about how big an event it was. I got on stage and on seeing The Mall, I went, ‘Oh my God’. A couple of days later I walked down The Mall to soak it all in.
‘But it was great to be a part of it in real time.’
Disbelief: George said he was ‘a bit ignorant about how big an event it was’
The hitmaker whose tracks rack up 15 million plays a month added that it was even a privilege to use the loo at the royal residence.
He explained: ‘The utility bill came in handy because we were allowed into the palace after the concert.
‘I was shown to the toilet where there were 20 urinals and I thought, ‘Well, this isn’t the family quarters, this is the guest wing’. It felt like a museum.’
Talented: The artist, 29, was one of the musical A-listers picked to perform in honour of Her Majesty’s 70 years on the throne
The revelation comes after the talented star revealed the ‘powers that be’ asked him to change the lyrics of his song Green Green Grass during the Platinum Party At The Palace concert.
The lyrics ‘Green green grass, blue blue sky, you better throw a party on the day that I die’, were edited to remove the reference to dying.
After the performance, fans on social media questioned why the singer had altered the line.
George Ezra has revealed the ‘powers that be’ asked him to change the lyrics of his song Green Green Grass during the Platinum Party At The Palace concert at the weekend
Speaking to The Sun, George said: ‘I think the reaction to it has kind of worked in our favour to say it was unnecessary.
‘My gut instinct was that you don’t need to change it.
‘I don’t know if it came from the royals or the producers of the show, but it’s pretty obvious that if you’re playing for the royal family and the powers that be say ‘We don’t want you to sing that lyric’, then you’re not going to argue.’
The singer said that the song is not as morbid as it might initially seem, as he feels it is about ‘celebrating life’.
Alongside Green Green Grass he also played his hit song Shotgun, in front of 22,000 spectators and a television audience of millions.
The musical tribute also featured global stars including Queen + Adam Lambert, Diana Ross, Alicia Keys and Eurovision 2022 runner-up Sam Ryder.
George admitted that he did not quite realise the importance of the occasion.
He said: ‘The Jubilee is a really good example of something going over my head – the magnitude of it.
‘It was only when we got on stage and I saw all the flags that I realised ‘Oh, this really is huge’.’
Special: The 29-year-old singer performed the song during the special Jubilee show earlier this month, held outside Buckingham Palace in celebration of the Queen’s 70 years on the throne
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