Word is fast getting around, because there’s a new super-star on the horizon.,
It’s hard to believe that witnessing atrocities in Bosnia may well
have shaped James Blunt’s repertoire. In just one hour, the running time of a
CD and three songs, Blunt consolidated his credentials as the next ‘big
thing’.The ex-army officer’s talents are baring fruit as he enters Civy
Street.
Serving his time as captain with a round of duty in the Balkans, he’s
been storing up material for four years, which is finally being unleashed as
a ‘weapon of mass delights’. Much to his surprise, a collective roar and
wolf-whistles greeted the handsome singer-songwriter. 3G phones went into
action: the flashbulbs almost overwhelmed the unassuming newcomer.
This new kid on the block is making a name for himself as an outstanding composer of
melodic driven classics, some might say in the McCartney mould. He has the
looks to swoon the girls, (screams of ‘James we love you !’ rang out all
night) and his skills appeal across all ages.
Playing his biggest gig so far,things are slowly falling into place. With
exposure on BBC Radio 2, his first two singles, High and Wise Men,
have made the industry sit up and listen.Not making the top ten just yet,
the latest single You’re Beautiful (released Monday May 2) is set to be
a monster. His album Back To Bedlam, from which most of the set was
taken, is proving to be a slow burner in the Damien Rice mould, but that’s
where similarities end.
I first saw Blunt supporting Katie Melua at the Royal Court Theatre Liverpool
in March 2004. I was negotiating Melua’s setlist with a sound engineer. On he
came, opened up with this resonating voice and the place went silent. I was
totally gobsmacked: I knew there and then that I was hearing a new sensation.
This night was no different. All the songs went down like a bomb, particularly
the emotionally charged No Bravery which he played on piano. You could
hear a pin drop as he sang the melancholic ballad in the deathly silence.
Tears were visible as he recollected his war experiences. Further on, he
raised the roof with Out Of My Mind, the funky So Long Jimmy
and closer Wise Men. For his encore, he let rip with the glorious
You’re Beautiful, the song that will make him a household name.
As of April 2009, Blu-rays and DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TH-37PX80B
37" Plasma TV with a Sony BDP-1500 Blu-ray player and played through a Yamaha DSP-AX820 amplifier.
PC games reviewed by the editor are on:
Since Jan 2011: Intel Quad Core Dell XPS 8100, i7 CPU 860 @ 2.80Ghz, 8Gb RAM, nVidia GeForce GTS 240, Windows 7
Since Nov 2005: Intel Pentium D 830 3.0Ghz, 1Gb RAM, 128Mb nVidia GeForce 6700XL, Windows XP
Since Aug 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.66Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb GeForce4 MX440 graphics, Windows XP
Since May 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.6Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb ATI Radeon 9600TX graphics, Windows XP
Since Jun 2002: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, 64Mb ATI Radeon 8500LE
Since May 2000: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, Voodoo 3 3000 AGP
This new kid on the block is making a name for himself as an outstanding composer of
melodic driven classics, some might say in the McCartney mould. He has the
looks to swoon the girls, (screams of ‘James we love you !’ rang out all
night) and his skills appeal across all ages.
I first saw Blunt supporting Katie Melua at the Royal Court Theatre Liverpool
in March 2004. I was negotiating Melua’s setlist with a sound engineer. On he
came, opened up with this resonating voice and the place went silent. I was
totally gobsmacked: I knew there and then that I was hearing a new sensation.
This night was no different. All the songs went down like a bomb, particularly
the emotionally charged No Bravery which he played on piano. You could
hear a pin drop as he sang the melancholic ballad in the deathly silence.
Review & concert pics copyright © Elly Roberts, 2004-2010.