James Arthur Shines at the Royal Albert Hall for Teenage Cancer Trust – A Night of Powerful Performances and Heartfelt Support
- Alan Bryce
- Mar 28
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 29
ROYAL ALBERT HALL, LONDON, UK – 26TH March
WORDS ALAN BRYCE / IMAGES COURTESY OF TEENAGE CANCER TRUST
The Teenage Cancer Trust concert series was established in 2000. Roger Daltry of ‘The Who’ was instrumental in putting this together and is still behind it to this day. He also stands as a patron to the charity and has done so for a considerable number of years.
I urge you to look at their website HERE and make a note in the diary for the concert series. Some of the acts on display are second to none. There is also information directly from the Albert Hall website itself.
The work performed by the charity is nothing short of incredible. They raise funds to support young adults who are dealing with and going through cancer treatment.
A prime example of this is the singer Grace Kelly from tonight’s support act The Venus Grrrls, who was successfully supported through her own cancer journey, a video detailing this was shown in The Hall detailing the important work the charity performs and Grace’s successful recovery.
The Concert series at the Royal Albert Hall is a yearly event with an eclectic mix of artists performing nightly in support if the charity and the work they do. This year sees performances from The Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter, The Who, The Corrs and tonight’s performer, James Arthur.
This event, put on and managed by ‘Outside Organisation, a large scale and prolific PR and events company, was nothing short of exceptional.
Tonight, I have the pleasure of watching Arthur perform to a capacity audience.
As mentioned, the Venus Grrrls open the evening with their blend of goth rock. A solid eight songs presented well and a particularly good and compatible support act for Arthur. They definitely got the audience warmed up and I look forward to seeing them again in the future.
I remember seeing James Arthur on his X-Factor debut back in 2012. His shy, almost awkward demeanour, yet a riveting, emotional first audition. Arthur was a worth winner of that series and has gone on to have a successful solo career.
He has released five albums over the years and has recently announced the release of his sixth album, Pisces, due out in April of this year. The album will be supported by a tour, the tickets for which are already on sale. He heads to North America in the summer and returns to Europe and the UK at the end of the year.
The shy, reserved Arthur from the X-factor has been left behind. He has surrounded himself with some exceptional musicians and singers and this was evident in the music performed this evening. The opener ‘Bittersweet Love’ from his 2024 album of the same name, was a perfect start to the set and a clear indication of how the night was going to go.
Launching into ‘Sermon’, the crowd singing along and on their feet. This had a little bit of everything in it, even a rendition of The Fugees ‘Ready or not’ mixed in.
Then a number of fan favourites, including ‘Empty Space’ and ‘Impossible’, the X-Factor winning single. All performed masterfully. The musicianship from Arthur and his band was exceptional and his vocals, with the range he has, was flawless.
The crowd throughout all of this were singing every word back to him. Fully on there feet and dancing and clapping along.
At the halfway mark of the set, the audience were treated to an acoustic cover of ‘Rewrite the Stars’ before a medley of some of Arthur’s catalogue. This point in the show really showed the strength of Arthurs vocals and the incredible musicianship of those around him.
After the acoustic set, the full band is back, and on form and Arthur plays a new song, ‘Celebrate’ before playing his popular track ‘You’re nobody ‘til somebody loves you’.
It is here that Arthur relates his own personal struggles around mental health and encourages others to seek help when required. An important topic, and one that clearly sits close to his heart. He then plays ‘Train Wreck’ before launching into a fantastic cover of the Christina Perri song ‘A Thousand Years’.
He then dedicates ‘Car’s outside’ to his late, long-standing driver, who was sadly lost to cancer before Arthur mentions the important work done by the Teenage Cancer Trust charity.
It’s time to wind down the show. We have been treated to an amazing mix of music and vocal gymnastics. The musicians and backing singers have been exceptional through out and the good, working relationship they have with each other is evident and shows in the playing and performance.
As the set ends with ‘Say you won’t let go’ and Arthur takes leave of the stage, it is clear that the audience in the room, wanted more. Good thing James Arthur is back on tour later this year.
All in all, an incredibly polished and engaging performance. I really couldn’t fault anything with this. Arthur’s vocals, anecdotes and audience engagement were exceptional. The overall performance was satisfying, but as mentioned, left you wanting more.
I can see why he has such a dedicated fan base. I can understand why he has been so successful over the last 13 years. I am looking forward to the release of his album ‘Pisces’ next month and hopefully, I’ll get to see him on his tour when it reaches UK shores in November.
A fantastic evening highlighting a talented artist and the excellent work that the Teenage Cancer Trust charity does. It does not get any better.
Well done James Arthur, Teenage Cancer Trust and Outside Organisation, and thank you.
SET LIST
1/ Bitter Sweet Love
2/ Sermon / Ready or Not
3/ Empty Space
4/ Can I Be Him
5/ Comeback Kid
6/ Impossible
(Shontelle cover)
7/ Blindside
8/ Rewrite the Stars
(Pasek and Paul cover)
9/ Certain Things / Safe Inside / Quite Miss Home / Emily
10/ Naked
11/ Celebrate
12/ You're Nobody 'til Somebody Loves You
14/ 13/ Train Wreck
15/ A Thousand Years
(Christina Perri cover)
16/ Car's Outside
17/ (Unknown)
18/ Lasting Lover
19/ Say You Won't Let Go
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