Gig Review – James Blunt

I took Mrs F to see James Blunt at the O2 arena last night.

Second time I’ve now been to a gig at the O2, my son took me to see the Metallica fan club show last month there, which I missed a review on as that was during blog hiatus… Just for the record, bloody brilliant, bonkersly loud and all very Metallica. I’m very impressed with the O2 as a venue given there are loads of restaurants in the building, for us it’s only 50 mins drive away and the parking is really close if expensive (£20) but then we can leave the gig and be home in less than an hour from leaving our seats. As opposed to Wembley, Earls Court or Hammersmith where we’ll be lucky if we’re on a train by then.

I’d done very well getting tickets in the third row right in front of the stage. Mrs F was very impressed although we were surrounded by a few slightly worrying JB fans who looked like they might stray into psycho stalker territory on occasion. They were having various chats about how to get backstage after the show.

So Mr Blunt isn’t my preferred cup of tea but his stuff is pleasant enough and he performs it in a pretty polished way. The band were very accomplished and tight. The slightly odd highlight was a rendition of Slade’s Cuz I Love You complete with a stage leap from JB and him running down the aisle complete with bunch of security fellows to a piano that appeared in the middle of the floor area next to the sound mixing desk etc. from which he performed a couple of numbers.

So guitar fans… loads of Gibson acoustics – which is not a topic I’m hot on frankly. They were all J45s I think of some description – lovely red sunburst one but also a plain one that was obviously custom with a very ornate fingerboard inlay that I think I’d have struggle to play if I needed to look at the fingers. Looky here. A Seagull 12 string which sounded lovely and, shock!, Mr B on an electric – looked like a relic telecaster but wasn’t Fender – pickup height adjustment screws visible above the scratchplate and slightly odd headstock shape being the give away. His backing guitarist was a variety of telecasters and a couple of 335s for a few numbers.

All in all though a good Tuesday night out. Mrs F phoned our son as we left to tell him it was “Brilliant so much better than Metallica”. How would she know she never went to the Metallica gig :-)

Comments

  1. Been to concerts at the O2 three times now. Twice in the big bit and once in the IndigO2 thingy.

    Prince in the round (so centre stage). Great sound. Great performance. Great.

    Dolly Parton arena seating (stage at one end). Seated to stage left, quite close... terrible sound, very echoey and dull. Still have a black eye from when she swung round too fast during Jolene...

    Macy Gray in the IndigO2, Kings' Row seats (balcony). Good sound, but unless you get the front few rows of seats then don't bother with the balcony. The slope of the roof means that you can barely see the stage.

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  2. I've never been anywhere near the place, obviously. :) But still sounds like a cool gig.

    I saw Kiss at the Memphis Coliseum and I think maybe once at the Pyramid (?), then I saw Black Sabbath's reunion at the Pyramid, as well as Ozzy, Type O Negative and Sepultura. (among others).

    I liked the Pyramid. Now they're turning it into some stupid Bass Pro Shop, for sportsmen. WTF!!!

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