James Blunt balls at Wireless?

United Kingdom | | 24 June 2006

Was he or wasn't he crying? Whatever, Saturday's Wireless Festival headliner definitely had a few in the audience reaching for the tissues, as he showed film footage he'd taken while serving as a soldier in Kosovo...

The singer introduced the film before playing 'No Bravery', which was written about his time serving in the army in the war-torn region.

It was shot from a tank that Blunt was riding in and captured some horrific images of the war, including homeless refugees and burnt out villages.

Played alongside the haunting piano ballad, it caused an eerie hush in the audience with one VF member revealing that Blunt looked the worst affected.

She said: "It was a really moving moment and it looked from where we were standing that he was crying as well. He was definitely welling up. It was very poignant and honest and the crowd reacted really positively."

The Saturday night headliner also explained how playing in Hyde Park was an emotional moment for him. He was once stationed in Hyde Park barracks as a soldier and said he'd never dreamed of performing in front of 30,000 people.

Blunt also played a new song, 'Breathe', that he only decided to play moments before going on stage while waiting in his dressing room. He also covered Slade’s 'Coz I Luv You'.

Other highlights of Saturday's Wireless Festival included Nizlopi, Zero 7, and Beth Orton on easily the hottest day of the five day festival.