James Blunt, Windsor Hall, BIC

THE man the nation loves to utterly and inexplicably despise managed to pack out the Windsor Hall last night, so he can't be all bad.

In fact, he's not bad in the slightest, but first his support, The Bishops.

Fronted by a couple of young twins, the group's enthusiastic performance of their 60s-inspired sound was an average but perfectly acceptable opener.

People had paid to see Blunt, however, and his rather dramatic opening, followed by a couple of his more upbeat numbers, proved immediately that this talented guy has had so many hits for a very good reason.

Maybe it's his profound sense of being, or the fact that he's so in touch with his own passion that people can't accept... who cares?

The amazing poetry exuding from his mouth in that honeyed voice (and wow, can this boy enunciate!) is something sadly missing from so many modern chart acts, and something the appreciative crowd was lapping up.

They also welcomed some superb - and very witty - interaction (one young lady's loud "I really want you" was met with a "thanks mum"), as well as the chance to belt out the "You're beautiful" lyrics without any accompaniment from the man himself - and a surprisingly in-tune rendition it was.

A somewhat unexpected version of Supertramp's Breakfast in America suited his style perfectly, while the poignant No Bravery hit home hard, thanks in no small part to some soul-searching background footage.

Crowd confetti after So Long, Jimmy meant the end was drawing near, though he thankfully saved one of his best for last - the cheerful and catchy 1973 summing up the night at the end of a great encore.

Half-way through he joked that, songwise, he "only does miserable".

Well James, misery loves company, and we all thoroughly enjoyed yours.

Angela Young

JAMES Blunt is rather like Marmite - you love him or hate him.

Bournemouth, it seems, is rather partial to lashings of it.

And without a single empty seat at the BIC last night for his eagerly awaited return show, it's clear the media's love of Blunt-bashing is completely uncalled for.

Maybe his critics cannot comprehend how a former cavalry man who served as a member of the NATO peace-keeping force in Bosnia should have swapped his gun for a guitar and such an outpouring of lovelorn, sensitive and heart-felt lyrics. The posh, high-pitched voice is hardly rock 'n' roll either!

But the beauty of Blunt is he breaks many moulds. He is wholly original. His haunting, bitter-sweet vocals; his engaging, self-deprecating yet often mischievous personality, and songs that speak with conviction and passion about love and war repeatedly hit the mark.

Last night's show was a well balanced mix of tracks from the debut album Back to Bedlam and his admirable follow-up All the Lost Souls.

Yes, he sings many songs with the same tremulous warble but it seems real tears truly do well up as he sings songs about loss: Goodbye My Lover was particularly powerful.

But he doesn't take himself too seriously. "I know many of you have come to have fun and all I do is sing sad songs but now you've had a drink I'm going to play you a really miserable one," he quipped.

A sharp operator who delivered a slick, polished utterly entertaining show, there is nothing blunt about James Blunt - except his name.

Hilary Porter