Poor James Blunt. All the sex and alcoholic beverages in the world won't make up for the slap in the face that was the needless cancellation of his sold out shows in Athens.

His music may be laidback, but James Blunt is on the warpath after the Greeks formed a phalanx to prevent him performing on Lykavittos Hill, the highest point in Athens.

Two sold-out concerts by Blunt were cancelled by the municipality for "safety inspections" only hours before the singer was due to take to the stage. However, concerts by Nick Cave and Mark Knopfler did go ahead. The Athens authorities admitted later that there had been no safety issue, but a letter confirming this had been "misplaced" - while 6,000 fans were locked out.

"In the best case it's carelessness and in the worst case corruption," an angry Blunt told Ta Nea, the Athens daily paper, sensing a conspiracy.

A conspiracy to protect the ears of Athenians from the dirge that is You're Beautiful? Surprisingly, the feeble mewling you're hearing in your head right now as you read about this story isn't just the chorus of "Goodbye, My Lover" raping your consciousness, it's the sound a wounded cat makes after being dropped.

 

Tags: au | james blunt | KEEP UP THE CATS | there is a god