A sticky, humid Sunday night didn’t deter crowds from flocking to the city to soak up some live music, to fight off those Sunday Scaries we all tend to suffer from. Tramming my way to Rod Laver Arena, a bunch of people stopped off to go and check out The Offspring, but the rest of the tram crowd and I were headed over the bridge for a completely different experience, to be serenaded by the sweet dulcet tones of James Blunt. The UK singer-songwriter is currently touring the country to promote his latest album, Who We Used To Be. This is the superstar’s first trip back to Australia in 6 years, and it appears we have welcomed him back with open arms that might just never want to let him go again… or maybe that’s just me.

Settling into our seats for the night, my excitement levels hit a giddying high when I realised that we were sitting just 4 rows from the front. So many thoughts were running through my head:

“Am I close enough to reach out and grab his hand?”

“Will he remember me from that 15 second encounter we had 10 years ago where he shook my hand and said hello?”

“Is this the night he asks me to join him on stage to sing?”

Once I stopped living out these ridiculous fantasies in my head and landed back in reality, the lights had gone down and entering the stage was the support act of the evening, Pierce Brothers.

This was my second time seeing the Melbourne based brothers, and their set was absolute FIRE!!! The stage presence and energy alone that these 2 brothers emanate is next level, not to mention their incredible talent and sound. Playing and seamlessly interchanging between no less than 6 instruments between them: including, guitar, mandolin, percussion, didgeridoo and harmonica, this powerhouse folk duo really got the room pumping for the night ahead. Their upbeat set included It’s Alright, Genevieve and my personal favourite, Amsterdam, and there was not a body in the house that wasn’t moving along to their infectious beat and energy. From humble beginnings busking in Bourke Street Mall, it was evident how genuinely grateful and overwhelmed the pair were to be playing to a hometown crowd on a stage as big as Rod Laver. Their hearts were on their sleeve as they thanked not only James Blunt, but also the crowd for turning up and showing their support. Pierce Brothers finished their set off to a well-deserved standing ovation before calling it a night to allow us to prepare for the main event.

It was a quick break before the arena was once again drenched in darkness, and the man of the hour was set to take the stage. Ringing out around us was the soundtrack of a heartbeat with the visual of a heart rate monitor on screen, and as the beat was vibrating throughout my entire body, I could feel my own heart rate rising with excitement and I started to wonder if I was going to flatline at any second. I didn’t have time to entertain the thought for much longer as a 4-piece band entered the stage with Mr James Blunt in tow, full of his own excitement and guitar in hand opening his set with ‘Beside You’, a track from his latest album. We were encouraged to get up off our seats and feeding off Blunt’s contagious energy we all moved and sang along. Wisemen from his debut album, Back to Bedlam, was another early song in the set that was a crowd favourite and provided another sing along.

I’m always interested to see the type of demographic an artist attracts, but this was one show where it was impossible to pick given the mixed bag of people there. Blunt joked throughout the night that the only reason there were any men there was because they’d been dragged along begrudgingly by their partners, but I can tell you now from my observations that some of these blokes were bigger James Blunt fans than their partners, belting out his songs louder and prouder.

Despite being a fan and being familiar with his repertoire, I had expected to sit there in a melancholic daze listening to his soul-destroying tracks that have been the soundtrack to many a breakup. WRONG!! Right from the get-go, Blunt emanated this fierce energy in which he demanded that every person be up and clapping, dancing, or doing whatever the hell you wanted. This was the perfect way to emotionally recover from those moments where we were sitting there with tears streaming down our faces as we reminisced about past romances and loved ones no longer earth side. One of those songs that put my heart in my throat with its raw emotion and gut-wrenching lyrics was Dark Thought, another track from his latest album. A fun fact Blunt shared before singing this song was that he was good friends with actress Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) and had even lived with her for years, and he’d written this about her after she passed. He even went on to explain that Goodbye My Lover – which was next on the setlist – was recorded on the piano that resided in her bathroom (celebrities, huh!). Both these songs brought a poignant stillness over the crowd, with the latter providing all the feels and goosebumps as the crowd once again took over the vocals and sang along to every single word.

Never one to shy away from taking the piss out of himself, before singing his hit High he joked that his singing voice sounds like a dolphin, but he’s the best sounding dolphin I’ve ever heard with his soaring falsetto that kicks in during the chorus. To accompany this song the crowd were instructed to do a Mexican wave when the chorus hit, and damn it was a cool sight to behold. Throughout the set Blunt floated between his guitar, piano, and even ukulele for the upbeat track Postcards, with all instruments appearing to be a comfortable extension of his body. At one point during a cover of Slade’s Cos I Luv You, my heart stopped as he jumped down into the crowd and I thought this was the moment he’d grab me and pull me up on stage. It wasn’t to be, and he opted to run a quick lap of the arena instead, much to everyone’s elated delight. You’re Beautiful was another that put the crowd in a frenzy, and by this stage with the numerous moments of direct eye contact we shared, I just knew he was singing this song directly to me. (Leave me alone, a girl can dream, OK?).

Rounding out his set with OK, he was back in no time to fulfill his encore duties. Now this, I was not emotionally ready for. The encore opened with his song Monsters, which he wrote as an almost eulogy to his sick father whilst he was (and is) still alive. Some may recall the viral film clip of a vulnerable and openly emotional James Blunt singing into to the camera through tears, only for the camera to pan out and have his father sitting right there next to him in the video. Somebody was cutting onions somewhere because my eyes were profusely leaking all over the place and fogging up my glasses as this song played out. Thank God he then lifted the mood again and followed up with 2 absolute bangers in Bonfire Heart and 1973, that had everyone up dancing and singing once again.

Love him or not, there’s no doubt that James Blunt is an incredible artist, and I think anyone who was here this night would agree that they didn’t want the night to end. His instantly recognisable vocals, heartbreaking melodies, and songwriting wizardry has the ability to make even the blackest of hearts break down in tears, and to me that’s a magical element to possess and one that many artists don’t. He did hint that he would be back to tour next year, in what I suspect will be a Back to Bedlam anniversary tour. You can bet your arse that I will be there front and centre. But for now…

Goodbye James. You have been the one, you have been the one for me.