James Blunt

so last night Kate's very nice friend Hab took us and her bloke Gary to see James Blunt. For free. In a limo. With champagne. He he.

It was great fun getting out of the limo and watching people trying to work out who the hell we were- guess not that many limos pull up outside the Manchester Apollo :). I was people watching too- as well as `normal' people there were all the stereotypes- groups of screeming girls, lads with frigteningly over-moussed boyband haircuts, ugly men with their girlfriends, bright-eyed middle aged men... must admit I couldn't have predicted the bouncy short spanish girl bouncing up and down infront of me, with her course candyfloss hair stuck up my nostrils. We were in standing quite near the front, with a great view (of camera phones mostly).

Jason mraz provided support. He came on stage in a hoodie and baseball cap, and plugged his own guitar in (no guitar tech *gasp*!). His voice was stunning, with an excellent range (annoyingly demonstrated by operatic vocals on one song). He is also a great guitarist, lots of jazz shapes slipping in. Nice! Unfortunately, it just doesn't quite work. Tonnes of potential go in, but somehow what comes out the other in is pretty dull. Shame.

The concert was absolutely superb. I've seen Metallica, Queen, the Who, Black Sabbath, Robbie Williams, the Levellers... but this was definately up there in the top three. Below Skunk Anansie, but up there. James Blunt has an unexpected stage presense, which understandably made the screeming girls more high pitched and excitable. His voice was faultless, and the seriousness of his songs was broken both by some nice banter (`I don't remember the words to this one, and sice it's new song, you lot are no f*cking use' and 'the guys can't sing along to this one because I sing like a little girl') and an absolutely crackign version of Slade's Cos I luv you (it just needed the electric violin to be perfect).

The best moments came when James got rid of his band and sung by himself, just him and his piano. His version of Goodbye my lover made me a bit girly and weepy. As for anyone who still thinks he is just a chick-lite girly background music peddler, they should listen to No Bravery, the most convincing, angst ridden anti-war song since Imagine. And if they still don't like him then they are Tossers. Got that?

I think the biggest suprise for me though was discovering that posh can be sexy. Who'd have thought it?