Live in the Stadthalle

James Blunt: Real emotions without any cynicism

In a good mood, but melancholy in its basic orientation: James Blunt in his Viennese "Stammbeisl", the Stadthalle.

(Bild: Andreas Graf)

A little late, James Blunt celebrated the 20th anniversary of his successful debut album "Back To Bedlam" in front of around 6000 fans in Vienna's Stadthalle on Tuesday evening. In addition to great emotions and many hits, he had fellow countryman Chesney Hawkes in his luggage - who hasn't been to Austria for almost 35 years.

The days of rare guests are currently being celebrated in Vienna. Last week, Girlschool played as the support act for British heavy metal legends Saxon and visited the Austrian capital for the first time in 31 years for a concert. This statistic is topped by Chesney Hawkes. The British high-flyer, who became a worldwide one-hit wonder with "The One And Only" in 1991 at the age of 19, was last in attendance 34 years ago. His memories of Vienna are positive and on his day off before the show, the 53-year-old explored the city. "The app told me that we had walked 20,000 steps," he laughs in the Krone interview before the concert, "we were at St. Stephen's Cathedral, in front of the town hall and then in a record store, where I bought a Tremeloes record." For those who don't know: That was the beat band founded by his father Chip in the late 50s. He hadn't seen any records of his own, "but he wasn't looking for them either", he adds mischievously.

Family ties from England
The Blunt audience has given him a very respectful welcome at the previous tour stops and the Wiener Stadthalle is also filled early for the rare guest. Songs such as "Live Forever", "I'm A Man, Not A Boy" and "The Ballad Of Benny & Alice" don't really take off at first, but the more he plays of his almost 45-minute set, the better he grooves with the fans. The emotional ballad "Loud", dedicated to his deceased best friend Vic, is completely convincing, "Get A Hold Of Yourself" brings a rock feeling to the program and in between there is some friendly joking and T-shirts are handed out to the audience. During the classic "The One And Only", the numerous Hawkes fans are no longer able to stay in their seats - some of them become painfully aware of how quickly three minutes can pass in 34 years. Chesney's younger (but older-looking) brother Jordan sits on stage on the drums, his son Indiana chokes the guitar and "looks just like I did in 1991", laughs the frontman. Comeback successful, the studio album "Living Arrows" follows on April 4 - more on that elsewhere.

James Blunt is a permanent guest in this country. The last Vienna show in spring 2022 was the first major Stadthalle concert after two years of the agonizing pandemic, and in between he has taken over every stage in the various provincial capitals. Perhaps one of the reasons why only 6,000 fans came to the anniversary show on this foggy, wet Tuesday evening. Strictly speaking, the debut album "Back To Bedlam" is already 21 years old, but the Blunt team have been celebrating for quite some time. From the first to the last note, he performs the album and reminds us once again of the fresh and unspent color that the former UN soldier brought to an unimaginative British pop-rock era. For the opener "High", he marches in sideways with his guitar, the knowledgeable band only joining in later. This is followed by "You're Beautiful" and "Wisemen" before he sits down at the piano for "Goodbye My Lover".

The humor runs
"The good news for everyone who had to come here because of their parents or partners: we've already played four of the ten songs on the album - so you'll soon be over it." When it comes to humor and self-irony, no one in the music business can hold a candle to Blunt. The cabaret element is once again particularly pronounced and provides a positive counterpoint to the mostly melancholy songs, which are also heavy in terms of content. "I always swore I would never pay for a James Blunt concert. And lo and behold: it worked, I even get paid for it. Thanks to you guys, I can afford a nice house in Ibiza." In contrast to his own song material, Blunt is privately a fan of EDM and dance music. The Robin Schulz cover "OK" doesn't seem like a foreign body towards the end of the set, however, because he "bluntifies" it with soulful fervor, giving it meaning for the first time.

He has not played the majority of the "Back To Bedlam" songs live for 18 years, which explains the distinctive joy of playing. "Out Of My Mind" impresses with a quirky 70s keyboard interlude, while on the funky "So Long, Jimmy" Blunt and his four-piece band play themselves into a jam session-like frenzy. However, Blunt's strongest moments are always to be found when he turns his innermost self inside out and plays the fiber flatterer. "Carry You Home", "Same Mistake" and the intense ballad "Monsters", which is addressed to his father, get under your skin and are particularly touching. Blunt's original vocal organ ambitiously pushes itself into croaky territory and proves that what is performed here is honest and unadulterated.

Good structure, strong context
In between, the humor runs again. The ukulele during the inevitable "Postcards" creates a good atmosphere, as does his indoor run during the Slade cover "Coz I Luv You", which allows his band to showcase their instrumental skills. Blunt's sixth Stadthalle concert was possibly his best. The setlist and the structure proved to be coherent and well connected. Emotional and light-hearted moments were mostly well-balanced and the politically humorous interlude of Putin, Musk and all the others dressed in Blunt shirts on the lavish video screens at the beginning can once again be described as a direct hit. The 51-year-old may be labeled a soft cuddly singer, but his songs are authentic and have a truckload of heart. Blunt doesn't hide behind biting cynicism, but instead puts his emotions and thoughts out into the open. More of this openly displayed vulnerability is needed in this mechanized world full of embellishing filters.