Singer-songwriter James Blunt. Photo via Shutterstock
Foo Fighters was forced to pull out of its headlining slot at next week’s Glastonbury Festival on Wednesday after frontman Dave Grohl, in what is becoming an increasingly common occurrence among rock heavyweights, took a tumble off stage during a recent gig, breaking his leg in the process.
With little over a week to bring in a replacement act, speculation was rife as to who would fill in for the Seattle band for the all-important Friday night slot on the famous Pyramid Stage. Florence + The Machine, already booked for a lesser appearance at the event, were quickly given a promotion, but not before one sultry, acoustic guitar-playing singer-songwriter with 20m album sales to his name tried to claim the slot for himself on Twitter.
It was James Blunt, that wistful singer-songwriter who exploded into popular consciousness over a decade ago with his syrupy single You’re Beautiful and, in the process, earned himself a lifetime of being the butt of everyone’s joke. Yes, the Englishman has made some terrible music over the years, that’s for sure, but he’s gone about it with great wit and humour. Claiming on Twitter that he would be headlining Glastonbury this year was just the latest in a long line of amusing posts from Blunt, which veer from wryly self-loathing to biting attacks on his haters.
Well done James, your tweets are beautiful. Here’s some of the best.
Amazed and thrilled to get the call from @GlastoFest to headline in place of @foofighters. Of course I said yes! #rockon
— James Blunt (@JamesBlunt) June 17, 2015
To be honest, I don’t even really like music.
— James Blunt (@JamesBlunt) May 10, 2015
Good news for the UK: I’m being deported to Australia. Bad news for Australia: I’m your new X Factor judge. @thexfactor_au
— James Blunt (@JamesBlunt) May 3, 2015
Embarrassing that you A. read the Daily Mail and B. believe what you read in the Daily Mail. https://t.co/Qr3FqknNqv
— James Blunt (@JamesBlunt) May 2, 2015
Yeah, I bought those 20 million albums myself. RT @TroyJosephDavis: no one really likes James Blunt right?
— James Blunt (@JamesBlunt) April 17, 2015
ANNOUNCEMENT: In keeping with other greats such as Prince, J Lo and Diddy, I announce that henceforth, I am to be known only as J Blo.
— James Blunt (@JamesBlunt) April 1, 2015
You know we’d win the Eurovision Song Contest if you just had the balls to enter me.
— James Blunt (@JamesBlunt) March 9, 2015
For Lent, I’ve given up music. There is a god.
— James Blunt (@JamesBlunt) February 20, 2015
For once, I agree with him. RT @NME: Noel Gallagher says songs about his own life would be ‘more boring than James Blunt’
— James Blunt (@JamesBlunt) January 31, 2015
2006, actually. RT @K_Dick33: Why does James Blunt have a million followers? He stopped being relevant in 2009
— James Blunt (@JamesBlunt) January 30, 2015
I’m guessing this is not good. RT @supermarton: James Blunt es lo peor que le ha pasado a la humanidad desde Hitler
— James Blunt (@JamesBlunt) January 23, 2015
Really? I thought we’d got rid of me years ago. RT @ianbirrell: James Blunt is ‘dominating’ UK culture, according to Labour arts spokesman
— James Blunt (@JamesBlunt) January 18, 2015
Not even I think you’re beautiful.
— James Blunt (@JamesBlunt) January 3, 2015
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