20 Years of Bedlam: James Blunt’s anniversary tour

Speak to anyone involved with James Blunt’s live career and you’ll hear nothing but positive tales, as well as how the artist strives to ensure that everyone who helps him achieve his touring ambitions enjoys life on the road.

“We sleep on two tour buses – sixteen of us in each bus – in tiny, coffin-like bunks. That means we are in very close proximity for a very long time, so it really helps if everyone gets along,” Blunt tells IQ.

“I’m lucky to have an amazing team of people on the road who have been with me for years. They work extraordinarily hard and are a very nice bunch of people. We’ve been working, living, and sleeping with each other long enough to see each other as family, and I really wouldn’t enjoy touring without them.”

With a background in the military, Blunt recognises the value of teamwork and has built a reputation as one of the most loyal artists in contemporary music – a fact that is not lost on his manager, Todd Interland.

“I first met James in 2002, when he was still in the army,” says Interland. “He had sent me a demo on a CD, and he’d written his mobile number down on that demo. I played the music, really liked it, gave him a call, and we just started working together from then.”

Agent Paul Boswell at Free Trade also notes the camaraderie among Team Blunt. “The first show I booked was the Borderline in March 2004. It’s been a fabulous team to work with, and it’s noticeable there have been very few changes in personnel over the last 20 years,” he says.

“We’ve always had a lot of laughter and fun working with James Blunt”

And noting the singer’s tireless efforts to entertain his fans around the world, Boswell says, “James has a work ethic that is second to none. Before James [came along], one considered how hard an artist could work. [But once I started working with him], I had to consider how hard a crew could work…”

Carry you home
In charge of that crew is Robert Hayden, who takes on the dual role of tour manager and production manager. “My first show with James was on April 21, 2005, so back at the start of his touring career,” Hayden recalls. “Paul Boswell, who I’d done various things for over the years, rang me up and said he had a new act that needed a tour manager. And then I found myself at Oxford Zodiac for that first show.

“We started out at those small-capacity clubs – Rescue Rooms in Nottingham, Bristol St George’s, Leeds City Varieties – with all the backline underneath the bus. And to tell the truth, the core crew hasn’t changed that much: Mike [Hornby] the sound man was with us, Brian [Murray] the guitar tech was there before I arrived, Glen [Johnson] on lights joined in the autumn of 2005 when we first had the need for a lighting person, and Gerry [Wilkes] who does the monitors and stage managing has also been with us since 2005. The odd one out is Hamish [Laishley], who came aboard in 2006 as drums and keys tech. Brian retired last summer and has now been replaced by Rory Sakalas.”

Noting the bond between artist and crew, Hayden adds, “We’ve always had a lot of laughter and fun working with James Blunt. It’s got a little bit more professional since everyone got married and had kids. But I think lots of people thought he’d be some sort of sad, lonely troubadour. Whereas, when he had other bands touring with us, they found it more like Led Zeppelin, Hammer of the Gods…”

Those on the road remain tight lipped about historic fun and games but universally agree that Blunt’s tours are among their favourites.

“There is a real family feel to touring with him, and he is a very much an artist our drivers love to tour with”

Val Bowes from caterers Flying Saucers says, “We have had the pleasure of taking care of the James Blunt entourage since 2008. They are the nicest bunch of people to work with, and everyone – clichéd as it sounds – is one big happy family. They do love their food, and no matter where they are, when a show falls on a Sunday, they tuck into a comforting traditional roast dinner.”

And underlining the fidelity in the Blunt camp, Bowes adds, “Covid and Brexit have certainly taken their toll on touring in Europe – we were in the middle of a European tour when the first lockdown kicked in in March 2020 and the tour had to be cancelled. Ironically, and quite fittingly, the first thing we did after a painful 18 months of being unable to work were two UK shows with James. We have a special place in our hearts for him, the band, and the whole crew.”

Transport suppliers Fly By Nite have been working with the artist for 16 years. Sales manager Matt Jackson informs IQ that he recently took over the account following the death of company founder David Coumbe. “It was a pleasure working with Robert Hayden in 2024, and we are looking forward to the 2025 tour – we have allocated a team of familiar drivers to the production crew to ensure everything runs smoothly.”

Jackson continues, “Production rehearsals are taking place at FBN Studios at the start of the run, as they have done with James before. James is very personable, taking time to greet all members of the production crew on arrival. There is a real family feel to touring with him, and he is a very much an artist our drivers love to tour with.”

Those sentiments ring true with Andy Gray at Phoenix Bussing, who comments, “It is great to be involved with this 20th anniversary tour of Back to Bedlam, as when the album was originally released, I was still a driver and actually drove many of the UK and Europe dates in 2005 and 2006. What is also great is that although the buses have changed and become more modern and luxurious, James is still the same person as he was back then – the fame has not changed him – and the fact that there are still some of the original band and crew just goes to show how great he is to work for.”

“[James believes that] if it’s good enough for the band and crew, then it’s good enough for him”

And revealing that Blunt still sleeps in a standard bunk, rather than opting for his own room and double bed, Gray says, “[James believes that] if it’s good enough for the band and crew, then it’s good enough for him.” He adds, “The whole JB camp is like a really big family. If you go to visit them on tour, everyone welcomes you with open arms, and it’s great catching up with everyone.”

Lite Alt Design’s Paul Normandale is another fan. “It’s true James is a pleasure to work with, and as a production designer, it’s interesting to reflect on what we actually did for the original Bedlam tour as opposed to the forthcoming re-imagination, and indeed the journey between. People often go to the show with a preconceived idea, and without exception, walk away saying how good the evening was. This is without doubt due to sheer charisma from James.”

Wisemen
Enjoying a reputation as one of the most self-deprecating stars on social media, Blunt’s standing with his promoters is equally as legendary, with everyone IQ spoke to for this article positively looking forward to the artist’s return.

“James and I have shared a business relationship for nearly 20 years, one that – shaped by trust, respect, responsibility, and mutual affection – has grown into a friendship over time,” states FKP Scorpio founder Folkert Koopmans. “Our first show with him took place on 20 May 2005 at Hansa 39 in Munich. There were 19 visitors. The rumour persists that there were only so many because James himself had promised them free beer – and he did indeed bring a crate of beer to the concert.

“Just six months later, 5,500 people came to see James live at Munich’s Zenith, and by 2008, the number had doubled again for the concert in the Olympic Hall. To date, we’ve promoted more than 150 shows with James, attended by nearly 1m people.”

“James has a fantastic sense of humour and never takes himself too seriously”

And Koopmans highlights Blunt’s consistency in entertaining his fans as one of his strongest attributes. “A career as extraordinary as James’s comes with a lot of changes,” he notes. “The one thing that hasn’t changed on his path to becoming a megastar, which is just the same as it was back in 2005 at Hansa 39, is the fun you can have with him. James has a fantastic sense of humour and never takes himself too seriously – anyone familiar with his tweets will know what I am talking about – and that makes him incredibly approachable.”

Koopmans adds, “James is one of the hardest working artists I know. At the same time, there is probably no other artist with as much laughter backstage as there is with James and his crew. For me, he is the best proof that personality and greatness are not determined by economic success – they are reflected in character. My team and I feel privileged and are deeply grateful to have worked with James and his team for so many years.”

FKP Scorpio Belgium colleague Jan Digneffe has also been involved from the early days. “I still remember vividly how, as a very young promoter, I got the chance to do his first show in Belgium through his long-time agent Paul Boswell,” he says. “That show was at the [250-cap] Rotonde room at the Botanique. The show wasn’t even completely sold out, but I remember it as if it were yesterday. I saw James play with his band, and I knew right away that this was going to be big.

“Shortly after that show, the whole craze with You’re Beautiful started. That song just kept getting bigger and bigger, and I suddenly had to decide what the next step was going to be. There was no time to grow slowly, we had to go straight into an arena with James, and so I decided to go to Forest National. It was an incredible success. He was the first act I was able to take to an arena, and in every big step in my career, James has always played an important role. He doesn’t know it but I genuinely love that guy!”

And highlighting the artist’s mastery of social media, Digneffe says, “He always cooperates when there is an extra push needed in the promotion. James is always willing to help, and he understands very well what needs to happen to make a show a great success. He is a true gentleman – always has been – and for me, it is a celebration every time to welcome him to Belgium.”

“James has an incredible work ethic, which I’ve often attributed to his experience in the army”

That determination to work hand in hand with promoters is something that manager Interland is immensely proud of. “James has an incredible work ethic, which I’ve often attributed to his experience in the army,” he says. “He’s just a real grafter, and obviously for the management/artist relationship, he’s a dream client to have – someone who’s willing to work so tirelessly and always go that extra mile to help out the promoters, as well as everyone in the tour party.”

That hasn’t gone unnoticed by Swiss promoter Stefan Wyss, at Gadget Entertainment, who is also looking forward to Blunt’s 2025 return.

“James is an amazing artist to work with,” says Wyss. “He is a very charming guy who is always open for a chat before or after the show. James and Paul Boswell are very quick in making decisions – always when we present some ideas, we can be sure that we get clear answers within a couple of days.”

And reporting on his popularity among Swiss fans, Wyss discloses, “Business in Switzerland is stronger than ever. We sold out the arena, Hallenstadion, in Zurich last year and will do same figures this year again on the Back to Bedlam 20th Anniversary Tour. This besides playing five summer festivals in both years. That’s really strong and exceptional business for our market. It’s not only about a great show with big hits and a fantastic live band. It’s also about James being a fantastic entertainer onstage with his wonderful humour.”

I’ll be your man
While the longevity of anyone involved in the Blunt camp is impressive, there’s zero complacency, and the artist and his representatives are always looking to explore new territories to reach fans.

“It’s nice to have a little variety and discover fans in places that you didn’t know about”

“James is very encouraging,” observes Interland. “He’s always looking for markets that might fit into the routing that we haven’t been to before. And Paul Boswell puts feelers out, whether it’s secondary markets we’ve never been to or completely new places. It’s nice to have a little variety and discover fans in places that you didn’t know about. Spotify data is certainly helpful and can provide initial leads, but again, Boswell has really led us in that respect.”

Agent Boswell also applauds Blunt’s determination to perform in new territories whenever possible. “These have included Kazakhstan, New Caledonia, and Tahiti, to name a few,” says Boswell.

Among the new promoters set to benefit from Team Blunt’s wanderlust on the Back to Bedlam tour are Sjef Athmer at Friendly Fire and Marco Ercolani at Barley Arts.

“We have not promoted James Blunt in The Netherlands before but did know from other FKP offices about the pleasure it has always been to work with James, year after year,” Athmer tells IQ. “Therefore, when the opportunity came up, we were determined to make this a success for all. This tour being a celebration of his breakthrough hit album made it an even more appealing project to me. […] It adds something special to the promo and provides us with some extra spice to kick things up a level. And we did. By the time this magazine goes to print, the Ziggo Dome will be sold out.”

For his part, Ercolani says, “Our Italian show with James Blunt in February 2025 will be our first with him, and it’s looking really good. We are promoting him in Bologna Unipol Arena, a new market for him, which will likely sell out in advance. It’s a great pleasure to start this collaboration as we always liked him and, of course, we have a long and good relationship with his agent Paul at Free Trade, so we look forward to bringing him again, many times.”

“We love what we do, and after 20 years, I’m amazed that an audience are still turning up”

Postcards
Last year’s visit to China marked Blunt’s fifth tour of the country, and Hayden notes that the standards of local crew and equipment have improved markedly over the years. “China was very good this time production-wise,” he says. “James got an award from the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, where I think he might be the only Western artist to play four times.”

From the artist’s viewpoint, Blunt cites two sold-out nights at the Royal Albert Hall on the 2024 tour as particular highlights, while outings in Australia and China also proved enjoyable.

“We love what we do, and after 20 years, I’m amazed that an audience are still turning up,” says Blunt. “[Paul Boswell has] worked me to the bone for 20 years, but together we have created a million brilliant memories and a host of great friendships.

“My promoters in the UK and Ireland, depending on which city we’re in, are George Akins at DHP Family, Mark Mackie at Regular Music, and Fin O’Leary at Singular Artists. They’ve stuck with me through good times and bad, and they’ve always looked after me brilliantly. We’re in a healthy spot right now, and that’s because we’ve worked hard and well together. I’m incredibly grateful for the time and energy they’ve invested in me.”

Unstoppable
The 2025 tour includes a 16-date European leg across 11 countries, then three shows in Canada, eight cities in the US, three shows in Mexico, and visits to Santiago (Chile) and São Paulo (Brazil), ending with two shows at the Teatro Gran Rivadavia in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

“One of our strongest markets in the world, in terms of streaming, is Mexico”

For his North American career, Blunt has been represented by Wasserman Music’s Marty Diamond since the early days – and Interland discloses that Blunt’s 2025 shows mark a long overdue return to headline touring. “We haven’t headlined in America in 11 years,” he says. “Because we haven’t had a lot of radio support, we kind of put America on the back burner. But we’ll go back to play a variety of venues this year, from 2,000- to 5,000-cap. But in Canada, we’ll be doing arena-sized dates.”

South of the border is a different story. “One of our strongest markets in the world, in terms of streaming, is Mexico,” reveals Interland. “Things are also very strong for James in Central America and Latin America. We’ve toured Chile, Brazil, and Argentina many times, so it’s great we will be there again in 2025 – we’re very excited to be going back because the audiences are just incredible.”

Blunt concurs. “Central and South America are always a blast,” he says.

That’s music to the ears of Latin American promoter Christian Krämer of CKConcerts.

“This year, it’s going to be the third tour we’re doing together,” says Panama-based Krämer. “The first one was in 2015 – five shows in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Then we did 2018: two shows in Chile; then Buenos Aires and Cordoba in Argentina; Montevideo in Uruguay; and São Paulo, Brazil. And this year, we’re going to focus on the three biggest markets, Santiago, São Paulo, and Buenos Aires. And in Buenos Aires, we’re going to do two shows in the Grand Teatro Rivadavia, because Luna Park is under construction this year.

“Numerous times after the show or on a day off, we go to a restaurant or to bars to hang out – it’s always fun with him”

“James is one of the artists that’s most fun to work with. Numerous times after the show or on a day off, we go to a restaurant or to bars to hang out – it’s always fun with him.”

Krämer adds, “He’s very helpful. I remember in Santiago, we went to a couple of radio stations to do last minute promotions for the show – he is always willing to help out when it comes to things like that. In fact, I remember on the first tour that we landed in Quito, and we had to load the luggage van rapidly because of parking restrictions, and James who was there, starting to load the truck. He’s a great person – very humble, straightforward, funny, and hands-on. I’m really looking forward to seeing him and everyone in the crew, again.”

Asked about other places he particularly looks forward to visiting, Blunt responds, “I’d love for Beirut to be safe enough to play again, because it’s always been a favourite of mine. And closer to home, I’m excited to be coming back to London’s O2 in February.”

Indeed, Hayden notes that most of The O2 staff were probably still at school last time Blunt played the venue. “The O2 very kindly said they were going to give a little presentation to James to mark his debut at the arena. But we had to point out he headlined there not long after it opened in 2007,” say Hayden.

While other talent might take offence at such mistakes, Blunt takes it all in his stride, with a tongue-in-cheek sense of humour that keeps winning over new fans around the world.

“My time in the army definitely prepared me for life on the road, but I’m not sure other ex-military people would enjoy it as musicians just walk too bloody slowly”

“James’s profile has been in a good place for a couple of years,” adds Interland. “I think a lot of it had to do with initially his social media profile, but he also released a book, he released a documentary, and he’s really kind of become a bit of a national treasure in some ways in the UK.”

For the artist himself, the pleasure of performing live has never diminished.

“My time in the army definitely prepared me for life on the road, but I’m not sure other ex-military people would enjoy it as musicians just walk too bloody slowly,” he laughs.

“Getting onstage with a band of friends, to sing songs I’ve written about my own experiences that an audience [is] excited to hear and sing along to is a huge privilege,” states Blunt. “And in a world of division and hate, to be in a business that brings people of all sexes, sexualities, races, and religions together is a magical thing.”

And paying tribute to the road warriors associated with his career, he encourages other artists to remain humble and realise the simple truths of life on the road. “If you’re a new act, my thoughts are pretty clear – the crew work really hard, but as a band member, you only do a couple of hours work a day and often get paid way better than people with real jobs. So, count yourself lucky, and love every minute of it, and if not, let someone else have a go!”

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Read More Like This

Feature|19 Sep 2024

Iron Maiden announce 50th anniversary world tour

The metal legends' Run For Your Lives World Tour will kick off with 27 stadium, festival and arena shows around Europe

Feature|18 Oct 2024

Warped Tour to return in 2025 after six years

The iconic punk rock touring festival is returning to the US next year with two-day events in three different cities

Feature|23 Sep 2024

Rock in Rio’s 40th anniversary draws 730k fans

The Brazil event's founder Roberto Medina and Rock World EVP Roberta Medina speak to IQ about the brand's global plans

Feature|12 Dec 2024

Barracuda resurrects festival for 30th anniversary

Last held in 2012, Forestglade is returning to Eisenstadt, Austria, in July 2025, headlined by Cypress Hill

Feature|27 Feb 2025

James Barton: The Superstruct story so far

During the Hotseat interview at ILMC, the entrepreneur granted delegates a rare look into the world's second-largest festival promoter