James Blunt live review: It’s beautiful! Scoff if you will, but Pop’s Mr Self-Effacing has sold out the Royal Albert Hall (twice), writes ADRIAN THRILLS

LIVE: JAMES BLUNT (Royal Albert Hall, London)

Verdict: Playful, but uplifting

Evaluation:

When his breakthrough single You’re Beautiful saw Crazy Frog, Mr Blobby – and The Birdie Song – named the most annoying song of all time, the chances of James Blunt carving out a successful two-decade career at the forefront of modern pop seemed dim. slender.

But here he is, 20 years after his debut album Back To Bedlam, selling out two nights at the Royal Albert Hall.

The 50-year-old is an accomplished singer-songwriter, and his latest album, Who We Used To Be, saw him lay bare some brutally honest emotion on a set of typically anguished ballads and mid-tempo pop tunes.

The 50-year-old is an accomplished singer-songwriter and his latest album, Who We Used To Be, saw him bare some brutally honest feelings

Blunt’s breakthrough single You’re Beautiful pipped Crazy Frog, Mr Blobby – and The Birdie Song

But he has persevered – as much for his ability to make jokes at his own expense as for his songwriting – and he was at it again this week.

“I’ve got some new jeans and sparkly new shoes, but the same old band,” he said. ‘Once they work with me, no one else will work with them.’

He went on to tell fans that he would not be playing any familiar tunes, but would focus on new material.

“But it’s okay… because I already have your money,” he laughed.

Fortunately, he wasn’t entirely fair on that front, and what followed was a well-judged balance of tracks from Who We Used To Be and more familiar numbers.

Staged with the trusted foursome and all the bells and whistles of a spectacular arena, the night started slowly but picked up speed.

In the second half, when Blunt sprinted energetically from the stage to the back of the hall, decorum had left the building.

During High he conducted from his debut album (‘the one you all bought’) an expertly orchestrated Mexican wave. I Won’t Die With You, from his current album, was surprisingly funky, adorned with synthesized brass.

He often makes jokes at the expense of his own songwriting and was at it again on April 9

Staged with the trusty foursome and all the bells and whistles of a spectacular arena, the night started slowly but gathered pace

In the second half, when Blunt energetically sprinted from the stage to the back of the hall, decorum had left the building

During High he conducted from his debut album (‘the one you all bought’) an expertly orchestrated Mexican wave

There was a lively cover of Slade’s Coz I Luv You and an energetic take on OK, the 2017 single he made with German DJ Robin Schulz.

There were quieter moments too. Monsters, introduced as ‘a miserable song’, dug deep into the bond he has with his elderly father.

Playing solo at the piano on a darkened stage, Dark Thought was dedicated to his former hostess Carrie Fisher.

He stayed with the late Star Wars actress when he was making Back To Bedlam in LA, and shared an anecdote about writing Goodbye My Lover and You’re Beautiful in her bathroom.

Blunt is enjoying a comfortable level of success these days. He’s not a global superstar – although this tour will take him to Europe this summer and Australia and South Africa this autumn – but it was hard not to be impressed by the unique sense of community that engulfed the famous old hall.

This was a playful yet uplifting evening that would have confounded Blunt’s detractors, including himself.

James Blunt’s UK tour continues at the AO Arena, Manchester, tonight (April 12) (ticketmaster.co.uk).