Fangirling over James Blunt since 2011

Last month, I went to see James Blunt twice—on 16th February in London and 27th in Berlin. This brings my total concert count to six, but despite that, I’m still in James Blunt fever. I’ve never hidden my love for James Blunt—I truly think he’s an amazing and criminally underrated artist. That’s why I wanted to share why his music and him as an artist are so important to me.

The Beginning and the Biceps Touch

My journey as a fan began in 2011 when I saw him live in Kaunas (it's in Lithuania, just in case) during his Some Kind of Trouble tour (which quickly became one of my favorite albums). Funny enough, I went in knowing just two songs (You're Beautiful and 1973), but left as a lifelong fan. I was blown away by how he connects with the audience on such a deep emotional level during his songs, all while sprinkling in his famous self-deprecating humor.

Ticket from Some Kind of Trouble tour in 2011

He started the show by running through the audience from the back of the arena to the stage. And during one of the last songs, he even crowd-surfed—yes, he did this in 2011, and I was lucky enough to touch his biceps during it, haha. Those were great times when we were young, and the floor had standing tickets instead of the whole area being seated.

Later Years, Canceled Concert, and the Breakup

Even though it took more than 10 years to see him live again, his music never left my life. Different albums remind me of different parts of my journey—moving abroad for the first time, relationships, breakups, or new beginnings in new cities.

In 2020, I finally got tickets to see him during the Once Upon a Mind tour in Hannover with my boyfriend at the time. However, as you may know, the entire tour was canceled just a few shows in because of COVID, and my concert was the day after the national lockdown in Germany was announced. On the first day of lockdown, he played in the empty Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, and as planned, it was broadcast live, giving a surreal feeling of what was happening at the time.

I was heartbroken—not just because of my breakup, but also because this tour was so special to me. I loved the album, and especially the song Cold, which was never included in the setlist again.

Two years later, the tour resumed (unlike my relationship). I exchanged my two tickets for one in Hamburg and was beyond excited to see James Blunt again after a 10-year gap! The tour resumed as Stars Beneath My Feet, and it was unreal—it was the first time I went to a concert alone, and I was over-the-top happy to hear his music live after so many years. The setlist was amazing—I do wish I could hear some of those songs live again. Here’s the setlist if you're curious!

I actually regretted only having tickets for one date—that’s how much I loved it.

2024

Fast forward to 2024, and I’m already a self-proclaimed concert enthusiast. This time, I didn’t make the same mistake and got tickets for concerts in Hamburg and London. Here’s my blog about the Hamburg show and the London one here. I’ve written separate posts about each concert, so I won’t go too deep into them here, as there’s still so much I want to say.

2025 London and James Blunt's Unmatched Sense of Humor

In the autumn of 2024, James Blunt announced The Back to Bedlam 20th Anniversary Tour, celebrating 20 years since the release of his first and best-selling album, Back to Bedlam (one of the best-selling albums of the naughties, too). And of course, I got tickets for the London and Berlin dates.

James performed the entire album from start to finish, giving us fans a rare chance to hear some songs live that he hadn’t played in 18 years. In London, hearing 15,000 people sing along to “You’re Beautiful” at a sold-out O2 Arena was a moment I can’t quite put into words. Besides the heartwarming and emotional moments, the concert was full of jokes and funny speeches. For example, after playing “You’re Beautiful” as the second song, he added, “It’s all downhill from here, folks.” Or during one of his talks, he said, “Sorry if you brought your kids tonight, I swear a bit, to make up for being a posh tw@t.”

Jokes aside, as a long-time fan, I felt proud that, despite all the media backlash and public hate, James Blunt is still going strong 20 years later. He sold out the London O2 Arena—one of the biggest arenas in Europe—and being a part of that felt surreal.

The show was top-notch, with the audience standing and singing the whole time. Almost every song from beginning to end was a sing-along, and James himself looked super relaxed, joking around and talking a lot, knowing everyone would understand his posh accent.

2025 Berlin and How I Died Dead

Next stop: Berlin! This concert was extra special because, although it was my sixth time seeing him, it was the first time I managed to get front-row seats. And gosh, oh gosh. Seeing your idol from so close is an experience in itself—and I’m pretty sure we made eye contact (my Instagram followers agreed on that). Around the middle of the concert, he ran through the audience, and I got a high five/half hug. I’m pretty sure I blacked out after that. (By the way, this was my second physical contact with James out of six concerts! So, if you go to his concert, there’s a 33% chance of a touch).

Another great part of that night was that security actually let people get closer to the stage. I think I felt his sweat drop on me. Anyway, the whole evening was unforgettable. At the end of the show, I managed to snag the setlist and a guitar pick! It was the first time I stayed after the concert and asked the crew for them, and I was lucky enough to get them. How cool is that?

James Blunt The Back to Bedlam Tour in Berlin ticket, the setlist and guitar pick

Anyway, that’s my fangirl story. Not only his music but also his unique personality, self-deprecating humor, high energy, and down-to-earth attitude are what made me a fan in the first place. And here I am, 14 years later, still a strong Blunty.

Last Thoughts

If you ever get the chance to see James Blunt live, leave your prejudices aside and just give it a shot! I took two different friends to see him, and both left as fans—so, 100% success rate guaranteed. The world tour is just kicking off, and there are still plenty of dates ahead, so check it out!

I really hope you find something or someone you can feel as passionate about as I do about James Blunt.

P.S. He also has a documentary on Netflix called ''James Blunt: One Brit Wonder'', available in the UK, and published a book titled ''Loosely Based On A Made-Up Story'', which may not be all true, but it’s definitely a funny one.

And if you want to try his music, here’s a playlist I made of lesser-known but amazing songs from all of his albums.