The first time I heard James Arthur performing was an acoustic album launch night in Coventry for āBitter Sweet Loveā ā the tickets were great value, especially when bundled with the album, so it seemed like a good date night for me and my wife.
It was a great evening ā James Arthur was supported by an excellent group of musicians and was in great voice and humour ā even though his beloved Middlesbrough was being thumped by Chelsea in the EFL cup while he was on stage ā and he was chatty throughout, introducing the new songs to the expectant crowd. At that point I didnāt know many of the songs he performed, but I got an impression of a seasoned professional who sang with passion and conviction. The stripped back arrangements really let his voice soar ā and there is no doubt that James Arthur is an astonishing singer.
Highlights for me were From the jump, a beautiful duet of Rewrite the Stars with a backing singer and, of course, Say you wonāt let go. Being an acoustic album launch It was a shorter concert than usual ā great for the babysitter ā but I was left wanting lots more.
Fast forward two weeks and I had listened to new album, āBitter Sweet Loveā almost non stop (itās a brilliant album, by the way, one of the best by any artist that I own), scoured YouTube for videos of his live performances and I was hooked, but the itch wasnāt scratched. His world tour was coming to the UK ā including Birmingham ā and I knew I had to be there. Thankfully there were single tickets available, so I bought one and prepared to go to a gig on my own for the first time in my life.
Thanks to the brilliant JArmy James Arthur Fan Group on Facebook Iād seen clips of his concerts and the show looked amazing, so as the day approached I got increasingly excited.
The atmosphere in the Birmingham Arena was electric. Such a buzz from the moment I walked in, just in time for Dean Lewisās set. The crowd cheered and sang along to Lewis, but the cheer for him was nothing like the noise that erupted when the arena went dark and the intro to James Arthurās set began. Immediately you knew you were in for a good time ā the production values were incredible.
Bitter Sweet Love is a brilliant song ā the perfect song to begin a live set, and it began with a bang ā cannons firing showers of pink confetti into the arena. Although itās a new song, it is already a fan favourite ā I wasnāt the only one who sang and danced along! Blindside had a similar energy ā the excellent band matched by the graphics behind James and his band. After the opening two, James sang a couple from his back catalogue ā Empty Space and Can I be him, which the crowd belted out with him. One moment in Can I be him summed up for me why James Arthur is so compelling as a singer and performer. During an instrumental, he walked away from the mic and roamed the stage, waving and thanking the crowd ā you can tell in that moment he felt a connection with the thousands gathered there, then he returned with a roar full of passion. You can tell he feels every word he is singing. This passion continued with Gospel tinged number, Sermon, where he conducted the crowd, encouraging them to wave their arms in sync with his.
Along with passion, James conveys real beauty through his music ā whether through the duet with opening act Neve of Rewrite the Stars, new love song From the jump (which, as he said, I can imagine quite a few couples will be walking down the aisle to) and a duet with Dean Lewis on Falling like the stars, during which the crowd lit up the arena while we sang along. It was simply stunning.
James Arthur is not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve, confronting very real issues in his songs that many people face ā loss and heartbreak, but above all depression and mental distress. Train wreck is an extraordinary song where Arthur cries for help for someone to pull him out of the train wreck of his life. It was made even more moving this evening when he dedicated the song to a young woman, Tali, who was only 18 when she lost her battle against her mental health ā and I hope those who loved her found comfort in that song that evening.
The main set closed with the song where it all began, Impossible, which had a choir of 10,000 singing together, and the show itself ended with his biggest track, Say you wonāt let go. When the last note sounded James took his time to wave to every part of the arena, taking his time to say thank you.
In summary ā Simply wow. James Arthur was breathtaking and the crowd was with him every step of the way. He is not only a phenomenal songwriter and singer, but heās a great performer too. Heās the real deal. You can tell this means so much for him and he doesnāt take it for granted. He deserves so much more respect than he gets. One of the best in our generation. It was a privilege to be there and be part of the crowd ā and Iāll be back!
