I have been a fan of James Blunt for a long time and was excited when I learned that he was touring the world with a stop in San Francisco. I purchased the best seats I could find (on Spotify Presale) for June 26, 2025 (Section FLR-4, seats 15,16 at the Masonic Auditorium).
The tickets indicated a start time of 20:00. We arrived about an hour early, worried about Thursday night traffic from San Jose to San Francisco and parked the the Sutter Stockton public garage, which is about 14 minutes away (from the Masonic). I have heard that Masonic charged $60 for parking (an excessive amount). My parking at the Sutter Stockton garage was $25.
When we reached our seats at the Masonic (after going through a security check), we sat down and waited for the show to start. I thought that James Blunt would actually start at 20:00, but a new (to me) band, Forest Blakk, started up instead and played for about 45 minutes. Forest sang, played acoustic and electric guitars, and walked around the stage. He seemed like a genuinely good guy and was happy to meet and greet his fans. I can't say that his songs were particularly memorable, but they were not obnoxious either.
After Forest finished, it took about 15 minutes to set up the show for James Blunt. James rocked on stage at around 21:00 and played non-stop until 23:00. He looked young (for his age) and played a Gibson acoustic guitar, a ukulele, and an upright piano with lots of enthusiasm and energy. I did not realize that he played so many instruments (I always thought that he only sang and played guitar).
The crowd was excited to hear all of the songs and usually sang along with James Blunt. There was not a single bad song at the concert.
It was an excellent show, and the highlights for me were the following songs:
You're Beautiful
Tears and Rain
Goodbye My Lover
Bonfire Heart
1973
The best way to evaluate a show is to answer: "Would you pay money to see it again?" For Inna and me, the answer is a definitive "Yes!".
Other reviewers said the following:
Two songs into headlining The O2, James Blunt joked “it’s all downhill from here”, but the emotional slalom of ‘Back to Bedlam’ carried the crowd through a special Sunday night.
Blunt, in his last week of being 50 years of age, marked the 20th anniversary of the debut album that put him on the map. “Do you know what that means?” he asked the audience. “I’m fucking old. And some of you are fucking old.” By opening his set with the record in full, those first two songs were ‘High’ and ‘You’re Beautiful’. The uninitiated may ponder where James could go from there, but for the sold-out arena, it was only the beginning.
With the “incredibly short 10-song album” over, the show pivoted. No room for naysayers, this is about those who planned their Valentine’s weekends around this show. It’s not just an older crowd either, with younger people brought up listening to James Blunt. He acknowledged this point himself: “I’m thrilled you’re here, you’re my future.”
‘Postcards’ from 2013 saw James wield a ukulele, causing jaunty jiggles from audience members, before his version of Slade’s ‘Coz I Luv You’. “I want to hear it sung louder than anywhere else in the world.” With his relentless touring, he’s better placed than most to judge. James started on piano, pulled off a wild crowd run in the middle, and returned to the stage for the end. It’s an act of true showmanship. During this whole time, the band - Paul Sayer on guitar, John Garrison on bass, Chris Pemberton on keys, and Karl Brazil on drums – merge seamlessly. In the 2023 James Blunt documentary ‘One Brit Wonder’, John states: “I don’t want anyone to come away saying ‘Oh, James’ bass player was really good’”.
Luckily, the others were, and even Mr Blunt acknowledged their role: “No aspiring musician sets out in the music business with an aspiration to be in James Blunt’s band.” But those four musicians helped the night come alive, as James started a Mexican wave during ‘Stay The Night’ and brought a touch of EDM to proceedings with the Robin Schulz collab ‘OK’. He told the room to get down, but when they jumped back up, and raved away to the song’s climax, it was pretty beautiful. The emotional rollercoaster swerved again, jutting into the poignant ‘Monsters’, about James’ paternal bond following his father’s kidney disease diagnosis, as pictures of the pair played out behind him.
The main set closed with ‘Same Mistake’, one of the singles from sophomore ‘All the Lost Souls’, but the break was not long. “Do you want a happy song?” The crowd cheered. “That’s good, because I’ve got one.” ‘Bonfire Heart’ is infectious, before swiftly moving into finale ‘1973’, the lead single that followed the ‘Back to Bedlam’ era. It’s a rousing ending, which sees James lap up the adoration from the audience, and also jumping on the piano, seizing his moment in the spotlight. He leaves with a final joke: “See you in 20 years!”
The celebration of ‘Back to Bedlam’ is, much like the album, going global. The one-hour, fifty-minute showcase is a ski slalom through comedy, tenderness, and the hope that cracks through sometimes. The meandering nature is a little crazy, but it works. ‘Back to Bedlam’? We never even left…
Touring Band Line‑Up
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Paul Sayer – Guitar
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John Garrison – Bass
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Chris Pemberton – Keyboards (piano, etc.)
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Karl Brazil – Drums
This quartet, along with Blunt, delivers a polished and energetic performance, seamlessly moving between the full album and his later hits. Reviewers particularly praised their chemistry and tight musicianship.
Noteworthy Highlights
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Paul Sayer handles all guitar duties, including acoustic, electric, and solo parts, during the biggest songs.
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John Garrison and Chris Pemberton not only play bass and keyboards but also provide backing vocals.
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Karl Brazil, a seasoned session and touring drummer, brings punch and energy, powering the band through dynamic and emotional moments
Main Set
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High
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You're Beautiful
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Wisemen
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Goodbye My Lover
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Tears and Rain
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Out of My Mind
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So Long, Jimmy
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Billy
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Cry
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No Bravery
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Carry You Home
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Postcards
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Coz I Love You (cover – Slade/Rick Astley style)
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Stay the Night
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OK (Robin Schulz cover)
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Monsters
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Same Mistake
Encore
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Bonfire Heart
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1973
Positives
- Excellent selection of songs from Back to Bedlam and other albums
- The show had lots of energy, with the audience singing along and clapping to most songs
- The band is excellent with everyone playing at high level
- The Masonic is an excellent venue (not too big or too small)
Negatives
- The actual show started at 21:00 (a bit late for Thursday night)
