James Blunt apparently abandoned his lady loving ways just long enough to show some graphic war footage during a recent concert. Blunt is best known for bland over-played music and romancing thousands of women the world over. But before he was a singer, he worked as an armed guard for NATO, serving as a peacekeeper in Kosovo. Somehow it’s hard to look at his face and imagine that. I’d have an easier time believing he used to professionally make ribbons for girls’ hair or something. But I digress. James took a lot of video of the destruction in Kosovo, and chose to show some of it during his concert in New York City last night.

British crooner James Blunt kept his ladies’-man persona intact Friday night at the Beacon Theatre – until he launched into his poignant ballad “No Bravery,” and the collective swooning turned to gasps.

As Blunt revealed that he wrote the tune while serving as an armed NATO peacekeeper in Kosovo, the captivated audience watched a massive video screen display images of bombed homes, dead bodies and graves interspersed with smiling children flashing peace signs.

“The film was my footage, taken from our vehicles while we patrolled,” the singer later told us at an after-party. “I recently had a chance to go back and play for the Serbs, and they were all in on my message. It’s great because music is the strongest form of communication, and it was nice to connect with them.”

[From the Huffington Post]

Well that’s… surprising. Given Blunt’s reputation, it never occurred to me that he might actually be cool enough to want to make an impact. So kudos to him for that. I’m guessing his audience was pretty surprised. I mean rarely do I think of James Blunt and then think politics, or current events, or war. But hey, more the reason to say something. I can’t think of any other entertainers who’ve done something as unusual as being an armed peacekeeper. Between that and dating Petra Nemcova, he’s had a pretty full life.

Here’s James Blunt at the Brit Awards on February 20th. Images thanks to PR Photos.