Live Review: James Blunt, Busby Marou

Opening the night with their charmingly melodic sound, Rockhampton duo Busby Marou gracefully gave life to the spacious Adelaide Entertainment Centre theatre. Joining James Blunt on his Moon Landing world tour through China, New Zealand and Australia, Busby Marou shared their latest record, 2013's Farwell Fitzroy, a compilation of Australiana folk-pop songs with a hint of cheekiness and heartbreak. The duo brought a warmth to the theatre that clearly resonated with the audience, playing the popular Biding My Time, encapsulating their notorious love of storytelling. 

After a brief intermission came an abrupt transformation as lights dimmed and the theme to Space Odyssey promptly silenced the audience. James Blunt's promotion for his most recent album, this year's Moon Landing, presented an outer-space theme, from the theatrical visuals on the stage backdrop to the starry lights above. Blinding spotlights danced over the excited crowd, as Blunt and his five band members, all sporting khaki space jumpsuits, appeared on multi-dimensional platforms. Blunt exploded into Face The Sun, the punchy first track on the album, proudly announcing his presence. What seemed to shake and excite fans most was the strength of the vocals and the energy on stage bursting out of such a seemingly small, little man behind a piano.

Pushing through another four big tracks, striding across the stage and jumping from platforms like a kid on a sugar high, it wasn't until he cooled down for an acoustic rendition of Blue On Blue that he personally acknowledged the audience and thanked us for coming. Stripping back to the romance of just himself and a ukulele had middle-aged women left, right and centre swooning in admiration, some in the presence of less entertained husbands or boyfriends. Claiming he favours his ukulele because it “makes him feel bigger in comparison”, we began to meet the cheeky entertainer; no matter how awkward his comments, they were met with an uproar of laughter and applause.

With Blunt's sharp transitions it was clear the audience were restless in their seats, frozen and unable to reciprocate the enthusiasm that radiated from the band. After crowd favourites Miss America and Satellites, Blunt invited the crowd to stand, clap and bring out their phones to create a beautiful night sky of swaying lights. Long-time favourites from 2005, You're Beautiful and Goodbye My Lover, delivered exactly what fans had first fallen in love with and were patiently, if not secretly, waiting to hear.

Blunt's Moon Landing presents as a confident yet lonely recollection of past experiences, clearly produced to be experienced live, and his unexpected strength and passion for his performance rebirthed him as a reputable artist and reminded his fans that he still has plenty more to give.