James Blunt
Collins Barracks
★★★★☆
The advent of social media may have plunged politics into chaos, amplifying the rantings of crazed individuals, but it’s undeniably given James Blunt a fresh lease on life. Freed upon the wild landscape of Twitter, the previously mocked musician swiftly transformed into a rejuvenated pop icon. Armed with a wicked sense of humour, a talent for self-deprecation and an uncanny knack for handling hecklers, Blunt became more renowned for his quippy tweets than his ballads.
However, as entertaining as his online gibes are, they’re merely a pleasant cynosure. A sold-out performance at the Collins Barracks, part of the National Museum of Ireland’s Wider Than Pictures program, attests to the genuine musical talent underlying Blunt’s reincarnation as a beloved Internet jester.
Let’s address the elephant in the room – yes, his compositions often veer towards the cheesy side, punctuated by emphatic “woah-oh-oh” segments culminating in the chorus. Yet isn’t that the formula adopted by Coldplay, a band adored by so many?
He launches with the piano-heavy Beside You, a standout track from last year’s album, Who We Used to Be, featuring a playful blend of Ibiza rhythms and a refreshed Ennio Morricone melody. This number exemplifies Blunt’s prowess in touching soaring notes high enough to pierce the dreary Dublin clouds.
Blunt’s musical journey kicked off with a resounding success when his first album, Back to Bedlam, topped charts worldwide in 2005. This initial stage of his career continues to resonate with his fans, who erupt in enthusiastic chorus during Wisemen, a number that switches from relaxed banter to a captivating hook, propelled, naturally, by his spectacular falsetto.
James Blunt, originally named James Hillier Blount, shares that he values the lessons he obtained from his time in the British Army’s Household Cavalry Regiment. Earlier in his life, he received his education from Harrow before moving on to Sandhurst and later joining the Life Guards. Despite his elite upbringing, Blunt presents himself as lighthearted and fun-loving.
His 2023 autobiography, titled “Loosely Based On A Made-Up Story: A Non-Memoir”, gave readers a glimpse of this side. An example is an intriguing account involving David Kitt, who allegedly was discourteous to Blunt in 2004. Kitt, however, discredited the tale as falsely embellished Alan Partridge portrayal of actual events. This incident emerged as one of the most unexpected disputes in pop music since the disagreement between Azealia Banks and all of Ireland.
In earlier tours, Blunt’s amusing chatter sometimes received more attention than his music. During a recent performance, he amused the audience with a few clever jokes. He jeered that he would be singing new tunes as he’s already collected their ticket money and locked the doors. However, Blunt mainly concentrated on delivering his music. A crowd-pleasing moment included his stage dive while performing Slade’s “Coz I Luv You”, and then shifting to his controversial hit song, “You’re Beautiful”.
This track, identified as one of his most sentimental, was soon outshine as he dove into “OK”, a high-energy track from 2017 produced with German techno artist Robin Schulz. Finally, he concluded the show on a nostalgic note with “1973”. Despite his amusing banter, Blunt ensured his iconic hits remained the focal point of his performance.