Blunt In Tirana: Peace Rocks On

By Ardit bejko
TIRANA – A shiny outline of the Monkey King, a crowned groovy monkey and the signature artwork of the artist about to play at the Qemal Stafa stadium, was hanging on top of the stage. James Blunt’s May 17 performance, his first in Albania, was about two hours away, and the area in front of the stage had already started to getting crowded.
The organizers of the event, Living Room Show, had thought of having the football match France-Italy as the warm-up gig of the night. After cheering up for their favorite team, mostly Italy, the boisterous crowd hollered at the entrance of the band. From then on, the 34-year-old English singer-songwriter and his band kept the audience with their hands up for one-and-a-half hours filled with Blunt’s all-time hits and brand new proposals from his latest album “All the lost souls.”
Blunt humorously remarked that he has everything covered in his songs, from weddings, with his song “You’re Beautiful,” to death, with his “Goodbye My Lover,” to divorce, with his new “I’ll Take Everything.” Light-hearted comments mingled with more serious ones throughout the performance. Blunt introduced his “No Bravery,” dedicated to the war in Kosovo, as very important to him and most of the people present in the concert.
Blunt, who served as a reconnaissance officer in Kosovo in 1999, wrote the song while he was on duty. Before playing the song, Blunt sent his message of peace and tolerance applauded by the Albanian audience. Blunt decided to leave the army in 2002, and shoot for the starry music industry. Growing up in a family with strong military traditions, James had a hard time convincing his father of his decision. Six years after that start, not only the family but the whole world has made up their minds on the talent of the scruffy-haired British lad.
Blunt’s hair was the only scruffy thing Tuesday night. The band played in suits and ties, while the stage showed neat visuals. The crowd sang along with the band and cheered to the surprisingly energetic show that Blunt, usually portrayed as calm and still in his videos, put together with his band. Diving into the crowd, surfing an upright piano, and jumping up and down the stage were just some of the highlights of the show.
Tricking the audience with a sudden exit, the band triggered a loud encore from the crowd. Blunt came back onstage to sing three more songs, including his popular “1973.” A thunderous gong, a picture of the audience, and a “Mir쮢r쮡” mistakenly used for “Nat쮠e mir뢠signaled the end of Blunt’s world tour Albanian stop.