You’d be forgiven for thinking that James Blunt is a guy that only writes sad songs.
The British singer-songwriter took the world by storm with his debut album, Back to Bedlam in 2004 (20 years ago), which consisted of two extremely sad songs, ‘Goodbye My Lover’ depicting the loss of a partner, and ‘You’re Beautiful’ which tells the tale of unrequited love. So yeah, James Blunt does probably give off the impression of being one sad English dude.
However, there so much more to James Blunt’s music and artistry than just sad songs.
The last time that James Blunt toured Australia was 6 years ago, so this 2024 visit for his Who We Used To Be World Tour, in support of his 7th studio album of the same name, is long overdue. Many in the Melbourne audience were a healthy mix of die-hard fans who had patiently waited for James Blunt to return, and then there were those like me, who were seeing the singer-songwriter for the very first time.
The Rod Laver Arena venue filled to the brim early on, so that patrons could catch Melbourne’s own Pierce Brothers. I used to know the Pierce Brothers personally many years ago when I organised flashmobs, wrote songs, and when they were still unsigned and happily gigging around. So, seeing the audience willingly interact with both Jack and Pat Pierce in such a big way by clapping and singing along to whatever they commanded, almost made me forget that this show wasn’t their headlining concert.
For the Pierce Brothers, playing at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena, with some family and friends in the crowd, was such a wonderful full-circle moment for them. The Pierce Brothers were a real treat, plus the brotherly duo also insisted that James Blunt was one of the nicest guys in the industry.
When the venue lights dimmed and a blue heartbeat appeared to be pulsating on the big screen, James Blunt’s band members slowly became one with their instruments, before the man of the hour-and-a-half that we had together, after a series of young James Blunt photos flashed across the screen, appeared side of stage with an acoustic guitar in hand while wearing a big beaming smile on his face. In return, Blunt received a warm welcome from the Melbourne audience. They were applauding him and he hadn’t even sung yet!
Something I had only heard of, but never witnessed until now, was James Blunt’s wicked sense of humour. Throughout the night, Blunt playfully made fun of the tour title and his album not making any sense, shared that he wanted to be in a rock band but didn’t have any friends, compared his vocal range to that of a dolphin, and hilariously stated that he knew why we were present – because we like miserable songs. If we didn’t, well, it was too late – because he already had our money.
Despite James Blunt’s slow catalogue, many patrons were keen to stand and dance along to his music, and I can see why. Upbeat numbers included the charming ‘Postcards’ on the ukulele, the head bopping and super catchy ‘Love Under Pressure’, the funky ‘Coz I Love You’ Slade cover which had the playful musician jump up from his piano seat to do a lap of Rod Laver Arena. I lost sight of him as he sprinted to greet fans on the other side of the venue, before he returned to the stage to finish the song. I also enjoyed ideal holiday and carefree tune ‘Stay The Night’, and the Robin Schulz collaborated track ‘OK’ which had the Melbourne audience singing in unison and later crouching down under Blunt’s instructions before joyfully jumping up and dancing like nobody’s business.
Highlights of the night included ‘High’ where Blunt commanded the audience to start a Mexican wave from one side of the arena whenever the word was mentioned (I’ve never seen a Mexican wave done to a ballad before but hey, there’s a first for everything), ‘Same Mistake’ which had the Melbourne audience light up the venue with their phone lights, creating a spectacular view, and ‘Dark Thought’ where the English singer-songwriter dedicated the track to his late great talented housemate and friend, Carrie Fisher (yes, that Carrie Fisher).
However, my favourite songs of the night consisted of bittersweet ballad ‘The Girl That Never Was’ with its eloquent lyrics telling the loss of a child due to a miscarriage, and ‘Monsters’ which James Blunt sweetly dedicated to his dad while photos of his late-father displayed on the big screen. The latter of which was so beautiful, it brought me to tears. Knowing his audience, James Blunt immediately prepared for a pick-me-up with the gorgeous ‘Bonfire Heart’, arguably one of his best written songs. The performance itself was enhanced by the stunning imagery of bonfire sparks flying across the screen behind Blunt.
Concluding the night with ‘1973’ before climbing up to stand on his piano and applaud his own crowd, James Blunt exhibited an energy that even those with the most of catchiest of songs rarely emit. With a genuine, cheeky, but humble charm, alongside his raw heartfelt lyrics, James Blunt has the ability to entertain an arena and still make the concert feel like he’s joking around and trauma bonding with just you. I can only imagine how much fun he would be over a beer.
I was thoroughly impressed with James Blunt’s stage presence and artistry. Why does it matter if he has a bunch of sad songs? He’s funny, plus his music is relatable, moving and glorious in its own right. With a raw honesty that can’t be taught, James Blunt has well earnt his place in the music industry and has continued to entertain his many devoted fans worldwide. This 2024 Melbourne concert may have been my first of his, but honestly, James Blunt is a gifted human that passionately bleeds music – he can take my money any day.
James Blunt’s Who We Used To Be Tour is proudly presented by Destroy All Lines and Smooth FM. The Melbourne concert took place on Sunday the 24th of November 2024 at Rod Laver Arena. He has two more shows in Australia; Adelaide on Monday November 25th (tonight) at Adelaide Entertainment Centre and Perth on Thursday November 28th at Red Hill Auditorium.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://www.destroyalllines.com/tours/jamesblunt
https://jamesblunt.com
Photography by Grant Alexander.
