ShareJames Blunt, with special guest Lucy Spraggan, performing his Who We Used To Be Tour at The Motorpoint Arena on Saturday 6th April 2024.
Images and Review by Kevin Cooper
Given the number of people who profess to dislike James Brunt, it was surprising to see so many fans at the Motorpoint Arena on Saturday night having a really great time.
Supporting him was Lucy Spraggon, a 2012 X Factor contestant now known for so much more. The packed crowd arrived early to see this exceptional singer, songwriter and emotive wordsmith deliver a ten song set. Opening with the upbeat Run, she continued with the inspirational Luck Stars, Spraggan also showcased Unsinkable, a remarkable song highlighting some of her most intimate lyrics. The tempo was brought right down for the empowering Fight For It before closer Lightning earned her thunderous applause.
Touring to promote his latest album Who We Used To Be, Blunt opened with the upbeat Beside You and armed with his guitar, launched into Saving A Life and fan favourite Wiseman.
Performing one classic song after another, intermingled with his new numbers, the self proclaimed master of the “miserable song” bounded with energy, at one point leaping on the top of his piano, another owning the Arena perched on a speaker.
His material includes Dark Thought which was a tribute to Carrie Fisher, with whom he stayed in Los Angeles, recording Goodbye My Lover in one of her bathrooms. As is his usual practice, he likes to get into the audience and Saturday night was no exception. Doing a circuit of the Arena, shaking hands and having selfies taken all whilst he delivered a cover of Slade’s Coz I Love You was a standout moment for the fans
Oozing with charisma, he had the crowd switching between singing along to Postcards and Stay The Night and laughing at his self-depreciating jokes. The 20 year old You’re Beautiful showed that it was still a real highlight, before he ramped up for a performance of OK, his collaboration with German DJ Robin Schulz.
Finishing off his set in spectacular style with Monsters, Bonfire Heart and 1973, Blunt had left a fully engaged crowd wanting more and definitely not muttering to themselves on the way home, “That James Blunt…Can’t Stand The Man.”
