News

James Blunt Embraces Facebook Places

• 28th Sep 2010

Prior to the release of James Blunt’s highly-anticipated third LP Some Kind of Trouble and new single “Stay The Night”, James will be the first artist to embrace Facebook’s newest feature ‘Facebook Places’ in the UK.

This long-awaited tool brings location-based functionality to the most popular social network in the world. Facebook Places allows users to indicate their real-world locations on Facebook wherever they are present including gigs, shops, festivals etc. Users simply 'check in' from their smart phones (or the touch.facebook.com mobile site) and their real-world location is shown on their Facebook page and newsfeed.

James Blunt will be using this technology to reward his fans in several innovative ways.

Fans in attendance at his forthcoming album launch event on Sept 29th will be able to ‘check in’ on Facebook Places at the venue location to stream 3 tracks from the new album for a limited time via the James Blunt Facebook page: link

This will be the first time these tracks from the new album are available to hear anywhere and James will be allowing the fans to access the music first.
Fans can win tickets to attend the London fan event and find out location details on James’ official website (link) but anyone near the venue postcode will also be able to check-in and stream the material even if they haven't won a ticket to the event.”

Fans not able to attend the fan event or venue will be able to hear the tracks at a later date during one of his regular uStream webchats on the official site.

The second stage of the promotion will focus on James Blunt’s forthcoming 2011 tour. Everyone who attends one of the February tour dates in the UK and 'checks in' at the venue on Facebook Places will gain access to an exclusive live download of a track from the forthcoming album ‘Some Kind of Trouble’. The initiative will be expanded to cover the non UK tour dates as and when Facebook Places launches across the remainder of Europe.

Jack Melhuish, Director of Digital at Atlantic Records UK, commented,

“We’re proud to be working with James on this creative initiative utilising the latest geolocation technology. By allowing access to exclusive content via Facebook Places we’re able to reward those fans that show their support for James with their feet in the real world as well as their social media profiles.”

For full tour dates and more information, go to link