James Blunt likes the punctuality of the Swiss. So the hall lights went out pretty much exactly at 9 pm. The four-member band got ready at their instruments in the dark. An electrying intro started. My heart was beating with excitement, just like the glowing ECG on the huge LED screen in the background. Images of the British musician appeared on the screen. The Feelgood song “Beside You” got off to a rousing rhythmic start when James finally entered the stage with his red guitar and immediately put everyone in a good mood. People were immediately clapping, jumping and singing along. Those who were still expecting a schmaltzy concert today were proven wrong with the first few songs.
Finally I saw James Blunt live again! It’s my 12th show of him. It could be 13th if Covid hadn’t intervened. After James Blunts’ 2020 tour was postponed by around 3 years due to the pandemic, I ended up sitting at home Covid-positive and heartbroken on the day of the concert. This concert felt all the better now! At the latest during “Carry You Home” I got wet eyes. It felt really good to finally hear and see him live again. Singing along to his songs from “Wisemen” to “Postcards” at the top of my voice, waving cell phones and hands – and getting down on my knees if I had to. We do it for James Blunt! And you don’t want to be the one he’s pointing at in a hall of 15,000 people because you’re standing still…
“I already have your money!”
He had a new album, new jeans and the same old f**king band with him on the new tour, James grinned cheekily and assured us that we would only hear new, unheard material for the next 3 hours. The audience found this difficult and made it clear that they also wanted to hear some of the old hits. “Well, I’ve already got your money!” James waved it away with a laugh. Over the course of the evening, James proved that he is still going strong and successful with his sarcastic, British humor, honesty and charm. After all, he still fills the big arenas even after a 20-year career. The audience is mixed, including many young fans.
Grown up
“Who we used to be” is James Blunt’s seventh studio album. The British singer-songwriter, who spends a lot of time with us in Switzerland (Verbier VS), has once again created a solid pop album. In addition to great uptempo songs, it also contains the great, soulful ballads for which James Blunt is known. “Who we used to be” is an album about the joys and challenges of life, about ageing and about loss. James doesn’t just say that it’s a grown-up album, you can hear and feel it. The musician reached #4 in the Swiss album charts with “Who we used to be” and made it to #3 in his native UK.
From the sea of lights to the electro beats
James Blunts’ debut album “Back To Bedlam”, which included the debut single “High” and his smash hit “You’re Beautiful”, was released by the former soldier almost 20 years ago. Of course, both songs could not be missing from today’s set. The album was one of the 10 best-selling albums of the decade.
During the album recordings in Los Angeles at the time, James lived with Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher (Princess Leah) for a long time. He wrote “Dark Thought” for her, in which he came to terms with her death. A beautiful piano song that can be found on his latest work and the current tour setlist.
Complete photo gallery: James Blunt at the Hallenstadion Zurich
During “Glow”, James Blunt transformed the Hallenstadion into a huge sea of lights and because he liked it so much, he did it again during “Same Mistake”. He’s not shy of people either – he threw himself into the audience for “Coz I love you” and let them carry him on their hands for a bit of crowdsurfing.
A little dance to my favorite “Postcards”, electro beats to “OK” and of course vocal choirs to all his hits: it was once again incredibly varied and soothing. The only negative: it could have lasted much longer than the 90 minutes or so.
Luckily, James Blunt is playing two more festivals this summer: Summerdays Arbon and the Seaside Festival Spiez.
Tors opened for James Blunt
Incidentally, James Blunt was supported by the indie folk band Tors. When they played with ESC participant Sam Ryder in Zurich’s Papiersaal in October 2022, some of my colleagues already wrote to me saying “you’d like them”. And they were all right: Tors are great!
Tors are the two brothers Matt and Theo Weedon and their friend Jack Bowdenatt. The three come from the county of Devon, in south-west Enfgand, and began releasing their music in November 2016. The band’s name comes from ancient stone sculptures that stood in Dartmoor National Park, where they spent weekends as children.
Tors know how to reach their audience. Beautiful, harmonious and melodious, yet incredibly captivating, Tors led the audience through the short set in their sympathetic way. With songs like “Miracle”, “Happy Enough” or “Amsterdam”, which quickly became Zurich, the audience loved them from the very first note.
Complete photo gallery: Tors in the Hallenstadion Zurich
Own tour in September
After the show, Tors signed autographs and took photos. So I immediately picked up their album “Anything can happen”. The trio will also be going on their own tour in September. I definitely want to be there. You should too!
All in all, the evening with James Blunt and Tors was not just a concert, but an unforgettable musical journey through the highs and lows of life. The setlist, from “Beside You” to the encores “Monsters”, “Bonfire Heart” and “1973”, reflected the diversity and quality of James Blunt’s career. An evening that celebrated the love of music and the connection between the artist and his audience.
Setlist James Blunt
Further information can be found at:
www.jamesblunt.com
tors.band
