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Description: The platinum-selling singer-songwriter and his band play tracks from his album All The Lost Souls.
Phone: 0844844 4748
Website: www.hammersmithapollo.net
Email: info@hammersmithapollo.net
Trains: Tube: Hammersmith 
Extra info: Pub
Charming throughout: James Blunt at the Hammersmith Apollo where his songs proved to be quality guitar pop
Surely there are more worthy hate figures in music than James Blunt? "You're all pretty brave souls for coming here this evening," said the singer to his unembarrassed fans at the first of two London shows, all too aware that the press and the rest of the country seem to rank his music on a par with traffic wardens and slamming your hand in a car door.
You're Beautiful was the sticking point, a weedy ballad that, through no fault of Blunt's, was played so often by certain radio stations in 2005 it was as if all their other CDs had been destroyed in a fire.
Yet even the ex-soldier sometimes seems to think it should be given its marching orders, bashing it out halfway through here with no fanfare, and even sending it up on Sesame Street by changing the title to My Triangle ("It must be those angles that put a smile on your face/Not to mention the hypotenuse").
Also, for all the limpness of his best-known song, the 33-year-old has handled the wealth and fame resulting from some 14 million album sales like a proper chest-beating rock star, building a nightclub in the basement of his Ibiza villa and hoovering up supermodels like an anteater.
These days he's living a far more exciting life than, say, Liam Gallagher, guaranteed.
Recent second album All The Lost Souls is selling healthily, but with nothing like the ubiquity of its predecessor, so it's now easier to appreciate many of Blunt's other songs for what they are - quality guitar pop.
Give Me Some Love was a surprisingly rowdy opener, Wise Men had a great, robust chorus, and I'll Take Everything was a glorious departure from his usual style, all grand melancholy piano and pounding beats.
As might be expected from an army man, almost everything was too tidy. During 1973, another winning tune, the roadie jogged on to help with a pre-planned leap onto the piano.
His closing of So Long, Jimmy by striking a giant gong was an amusing surprise, but there was a sense that this was a crowd that rated gigs in terms of how close they came to sounding exactly like the albums. They were not disappointed.
Ever self-deprecating, Blunt charmed throughout. Perhaps some day a few of his other fine songs will creep out from the shadow of that scarily huge hit, but even before then, it is time for a new musical villain.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
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I saw James Blunt at the Hammersmith Apollo yesterday evening. He played 'You're Beautiful' towards the end of the set, but there are plenty of other highlights worth mentioning like 'Out of My Mind', 'No Bravery', 'Carry You Home' and 'I Really Want You'.
He's just as much an entertainer/performer as he is a musician and took great delight in winding the audience up and managed to get away with the word 'orgies' in a hall packed with families and children.
The Press and Public have jumped on the former soldier bandwagon ever since he first appeared on the scene, but he's not alone. James himself has mentioned other soldier/musicians such as Elvis and Jimi Hendrix. Let's not forget the early 20th Century war poets: Wilfred Owen, Rupert Brooke and Siegfred Sasoon.
Despite being known, and vilified, for soppy ballads, he's at his best when he's writing from his own experiences. There's a lot of dark imagery in both his music and his videos. 'No Bravery' was written while he was in Kosovo . 'Carry You Home' is probably the darkest song on both, it doesn't make a direct reference to death and dying, but he doesn't have to spell it out either (Joy Divsion take note).
The line 'I killed a man in a faraway land' in 'I Really Want You' is almost throwaway, but it's the one line from the entire album that has journalists rubbing their hands together.
Politics aside, James looked as though he was enjoying being up on stage as much as the audience loved being there.
- Tania Rahman, London, UK
What does the beginning of this review have to do with the concert?
Not a lot. We had a fantastic time with James at the Hammersmith Apollo
We will see James later on this week. Can't wait.
- Joss, Devon
